Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer? When Is The Best Time To Plant Shrubs And Trees? When To Plant Evergreen Shrubs, Is In The Fall Time.
Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
The colorful flowers, fruits, and shrubs themselves go a long way in making the garden gorgeous. A great-looking garden with the best landscapes certainly goes a long way. It catches the attention of passersby and also could become the envy of many neighbors.
However, shrubs need to be handled well and you should follow the time-tested norms. Practices when it comes to planting them, tending for them, and caring for them.
In this article, we will try and answer the main question of whether one can plant shrubs in summer. Or do shrubs grow well only during winter, fall, or rainy seasons?
However, before doing it, we also will have a basic understanding of shrubs. We also will touch base on the various types of shrubs that are grown in many places.
Then try and answer the above question. We are sure that it will help many readers and homeowners to get started with the plantation and growing of shrubs in earnest.
How to plant shrubs in rock bed?
Shrubs are small trees that grow mostly to a maximum height of 10 feet. At times they turn out to be dense and much-branched. In such cases, they are referred to as bush. Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
You also have something in between trees and shrubs and they are referred to as arborescences. Common people prefer calling it treelike shrubs. They grow up to a length of 6 meters though the average height could be between 3 to 5 meters.
When we refer to trees, we talk about woody plants that are at least 6 meters tall. They have a stem that is dominant or a trunk in many cases.
They most certainly have a crown shape. Shrubs can be both coniferous and deciduous. This could be the reason why they are so much in demand.
They are easy to grow and they do not require too much maintenance and upkeep when compared to trees.
We also should understand that there are some shrubs such as honeysuckles and lilacs. That grows to the size of a small tree provided they have the right environmental condition.
Soil conditions are tended to and cared for properly. There are also some species of shrubs that may look like a tree. On the other hand, when the conditions are different.
You may come across many variants of shrubs that may have a unique arborescent form. A few examples are willows, spruces, and sumacs.
Can you plant shrubs in the fall?
There are some obvious reasons for growing shrubs in your garden. They help to bring in quite a bit of color, and character. And make the garden or backyard interesting and exciting.
It hardly matters if the size of the garden or backyard is not big or spacious. There are a wide variety of shrubs to choose from and we will have a look at a few of them over the next few lines.
A BRIEF LOOK AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHRUBS
EVERGREEN SHRUBS
JAPANESE SKIMMIA
This is a beautiful, dome-shaped shrub and is quite dense. It also has a wonderful fragrance attached to it. It gives out plenty of white-colored flowers with a nice fragrance during spring.
This is followed by the growth of red-colored fruits. The fruits will continue to adorn your garden till next spring. Therefore you can enjoy the bright red color in your garden even during winter.
WHITE HEBE
White Hebe is another great-looking shrub. It has a dwarfish appearance and comes with a rich growth of grey-green leaves. The leaves are joined by spiked clusters of white flowers.
The flowers offer a great attraction to pollinators. They go a long way in adding extra beauty to gardens. They are also tough because they are capable of withstanding reasonable levels of pollution and air that is salty.
CHECKERBERRY
This is a low-growing shrub and could be best suited for small gardens where space is a constraint. The shrub grows to a height of around 15 cm.
However, it can spread horizontally quite a lot. Hence if you are looking for a shrub for the best ground cover. Then Checkerberry could be a great option. It has unique leathery leaves and they turn red from green in winter.
They give out a nice fragrance when they are crushed. During summer, the shrubs are full of pink-white flowers. They add a lot of beauty to the garden.
This is again followed by red berries during the autumn season. There is hardly any doubt that it could be a much sought-after shrub. For those who would like their gardens to look bright and colorful almost throughout the year.
GOLD MOUND
This is another popular low-growing shrub. It belongs to the deciduous group of shrubs. It has bright yellow leaves during spring. They become yellow-green during summer.
They are easy to grow and are considered to be tough and hardy. Are capable of growing in a variety of spaces. Hence, you can see many homes growing them in small containers and pots, courtyard spaces, and cottages.
Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
If you are keen on planting a flowering shrub that brightens up your backyard or garden. There is no way you can ignore this evergreen shrub. It has the capacity to grow up to 3 meters.
It is known for its ability to produce creamy-white flowers. These flowers bloom during late winter and continue till spring. The flowers are beautiful and to add to the beauty, you also will love them. The black-blue berries occur during fall or autumn.
However, if you want to grow this shrub in windy and cold conditions, make sure that it has the right protection.
RHODODENDRION CORNEILLE
You will love this deciduous shrub that grows to a maximum height of around 2.5 meters. It has beautiful orange-colored foliage during fall. During spring and summer, you will find the fragrant double flowers quite appealing.
These flowers have an attractive deep pink color. If you are looking for screening your garden. If or would like to go in for hedges then this shrub could be a great choice.
LARGE-SIZED SHRUBS
Let us spend some time looking at some large-sized shrubs.
Irrespective of the size of your garden, there is no doubt that large shrubs have their own advantages and benefits. They are often considered the best way forward. If you want to make a strong statement as far as your garden or backyard is concerned.
Christmas berry or Red Robin is one such large shrub. It can grow to a height of around 4 meters, both in length and width. It is one of the best low-maintenance options that are perfectly suited for screening and hedging.
The leaves are glossy and dark and have a green tinge when they are ready for maturing. They give out white flowers during spring but the growth of flowers is not generous.
Hugh Evans is a shrub that grows best in shaded places. It is a vigorously growing shrub. It has a dark green shade as far as the leaves are concerned.
Further, you will also love its single rose-pink flowers that bloom during fall and winter. It can grow up to a height of 4 meters and they grow best in acidic soils.
Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
Here are some shrubs that give out pleasant fragrances to make the garden and the home sweet-smelling.
It is a deciduous shrub and flowers bloom during summer. The flowers are attractive and have a purple color in the center which goes a long way in making them attractive and beautiful.
They are considered to be one of the best choices for a woodland setting. For those who are keen on setting up a styled garden. They do not require too much maintenance and grow quite easily.
It is possible that information seekers. And others may have been able to get some insight into the main types of shrubs that could be grown in gardens.
Let us now have a look at some information that may be able to give the right answer to the question. Whether you can plant and grow shrubs in summer.
CAN SHRUBS BE PLANTED IN SUMMER?
The answer is yes, though many people believe that it may not be the right season for planting shrubs. However, having said this there is no doubt that many saplings and shrubs are planted in summer.
However, there are a few things that must be carefully considered when you have to plant a shrub during summer. One of the most important things is to ensure that the baby sapling shrubs are watered vigorously and regularly.
In many regions of the country, the end of May and the end of the winter season are considered. To be the best seasons for planting new shrubs.
This is because the temperatures are relatively cool, without being freezing and biting cold. Further, rains keep happening every now and then and the rays of the sun are soft and do not directly hit the baby shrubs.
HOW DOES IT HELP?
There are obviously some benefits when you choose summer as the season for planting these shrubs. It helps to reduce the shock that young plants go through.
They are often suddenly shifted from cozy pots to the nurseries and gardens where the conditions are harsher. The soil could also be lousy and winters could be extremely tough on these fledgling saplings.
Further, they also may be exposed to the risk of disease, bugs, and also from rodents. These problems also do occur during summer. But it makes better sense to plant the shrubs during summer.
This is because the shrubs get time to get adjusted. And the spring weather followed by summer helps them to survive better and become stronger.
THE RISK OF DAMP SOIL
There is a big problem of damp soil that could impact the young shrubs. When they are planted during winter, fall, or during the rainy season. The soil tends to be consistently damp and this could make a difference between life and death.
The young shrubs are at high risk during the first six to eight weeks. Because they may try to acclimatize and re-root themselves to the new conditions once they are removed from the comfort of cozy pots.
However, when you plant them in your garden during summer. You will ensure that the soil is reasonably dry and not soaking wet as it often happens during the winter season or during monsoon.
IT BENEFITS SMALL-ROOTED SHRUBS
There are many shrubs that have perennial flowers that keep flowering and blooming almost throughout the year. These flowering shrubs can get a lot of benefits when they are planted during summer.
The soil can be soaked once in 2 to 3 days. In case the shrubs are being planted on new grassy ground, watering once or even twice a day may be required. Further, shrubs and other evergreens tend to grow better from deeper soakings.
However, this has to happen only every five to seven days. This makes summer one of the best seasons for watering and planting shrubs. You also can get into daily watering if the soil is shallow and not too deep.
This is because the water and moisture content tends to dry out quite fast.
While summer certainly is a good season for planting shrubs. There are a few things that you must bear in mind. You must ensure that the soil is consistently damp.
While this should not be a problem during winter, fall or monsoon, it could pose some problems during summer. The root balls should be constantly wet and moisturized.
Bigger-sized shrubs may not have more water and therefore this point should also be always kept in mind. You must ensure that the surface never dries up fully and totally. Make sure you are vigilant about the moisture content in the water.
Because even a day or two of delays could prove costly and the new saplings could just wither away beyond repair. Regular watering will reduce the risk of wilting and the chances of the shrubs growing healthy will improve quite substantially.
Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
Shrubs that are planted afresh need a chance to acclimatize. This could happen better in reasonably warm seasons. However, make sure that the sun is not too harsh. A new and tender shrub sapling may not be able to withstand a full day of hot sun and direct sunlight.
They may get scorched and they will start wilting before you are even able to find out what exactly is happening.
It may not be a bad idea to plant the shrubs during the evenings or when there is a slight cloud cover. This gives the plants that much more time to adjust to the new surroundings.
Exposing them to sudden and violent fluctuations of climate could prove detrimental to the new sapling and could also cause its sudden death. Also, choose a cooler window during summer.
You must bear in mind that many shrubs become hardy and tough once they grow to a certain height. It takes some time for this to happen. Small and new saplings are more likely to get damaged.
They also can wilt or suffer from shock if you plant them during the daytime, especially when the temperature is in the high 90s. Ideally, the temperature should be in the 70s. So that the new shrubs are able to get some time to acclimatize and then grow.
FERTILIZING IS NOT EVERYTHING
Many people often tend to believe that fertilization is the best way to ensure that the shrubs grow properly. While fertilization is important when you are planting a shrub during the summer season. You must focus more on watering than on fertilizing the shrub.
You must not delay the process of watering and it should be done as soon as possible. As mentioned above, keeping a hawks’ eye is the main thing that you must bear in mind. When it comes to tending and caring for newly planted shrubs, especially during summer.
However, make sure that you do not over-water the new shrubs. This is dangerous because over-watering could be the reason for killing the roots. The soil becomes soggy and this leads to rotting and decomposition of the tiny roots.
Once roots are damaged or destroyed. The tiny plant loses its capacity of being in a position to draw water from the soil. Water is vital for transporting vital nutrients from the soil to the stems and leaves.
Without enough moisture available, the top growth will start wilting, and repairing it could be difficult. In many cases, it also could be impossible.
HOW TO FIND OUT IF THE SOIL IS DAMP?
You have some simple ways and means to find out if the soil is damp enough. To ensure that the tiny shrubs are able to get the required water and nutrition. You can just stick your finger to the ground.
It should be immediately next to the plants. If the ground is wet, do not water it immediately. If it is dry, make sure that you get the hose and start watering the place.
But as mentioned above, stay away from over-watering because it could be counterproductive and could cause irreversible damage.
EXCEPTION TO SUMMER-PLANTING
There are a few more avenues that could be considered effective alternatives for summer planting. There is something known as “barefoot” planting. These are plants that are sold and ready for growing.
They are washed and dug of soil. You can mail-order or can even be brought from land-based outlets. They may be a bit expensive but they are worth it because of obvious reasons.
In most cases, the bare-root shrubs and plants are still dormant. Also, leafless when they are sold towards the end of the winter.
You also could come across young shrubs that are balled. They are basically shrubs and plants that grow in a field. They are then dug up and the soil is attached and the plant is wrapped in burlap. So that they can withstand the rigors of transport.
They could be ideally suited for those who are planning to plant their sapling during the summer season. The soil protects the roots and therefore they are considered to be an ideal choice for planting in summer.
CONTAINER-GROWN PLANTS
Most plants and shrubs these days follow the container-grown option. This is nothing complicated. The plants and shrubs start their lives in pots in a nursery.
They are then sold the same way and they survive till you remove them from these temporary containers. And make them ready for home planting.
The good thing is that they are good enough to be planted in their new homes in gardens. And backyards provided the ground is not totally frozen.
Hence, when it comes to summer planting. Container-grown plants are considered to be one of the best options. However, again we should come back to the main point. Please make sure that the plants and shrubs are adequately watered.
Can You Plant Shrubs In The Summer?
While almost all variants of shrubs mentioned above grow quite well in summer. There are a few that are considered to be better than others. Butterfly Bush is a shrub that grows exceedingly well in the wild in many cold and extreme climates.
However, it also is considered to be one of the best options for those who are looking for a shrub that can be planted during the summer. They are known for their gorgeous flowers.
The flowers can be either white, pink, blue, yellow, red, or purple. They really add a lot of color and brightness to your garden and backyard.
Spent flower stems should be snipped off. This will ensure excellent growth. They can easily be planted in full sun and in fact planting in full sun is very much recommended.
CONCLUSION
While most shrubs are known to grow in extremely cold and hostile climatic conditions. There is nothing wrong with planting them during summer.
However, make sure that they are watered regularly and adequately. Make sure that you do not over-water or under-water these new saplings because of obvious reasons.
Follow the proven and time-tested methods so that you are able to get the best results out of it.
