Autumn is perfect time to plant

LAYTON — Astute gardeners know fall is the perfect time to add woody plants to the landscape.

And Jerry Stevenson, owner of J&J Nursery, probably plants more trees than anyone else in Utah. According to Stevenson, J&J is the largest operation in the state in terms of field production and one of the top five or six in the state in terms of greenhouse production.

Stevenson got his start on the family farm in Layton where they grew many crops. After attending Utah State University, Stevenson came back to the farm and looked for other possible uses. He started a fruit stand, and as business grew he expanded into wholesale produce and then in to farm chemicals and fertilizers.

But he was still looking for ways to expand. After visiting nurseries in Idaho and the Northwest, he decided to try planting some nursery stock.

He admits it wasn't easy at first. He started with six to seven acres, figuring anything less would not be worthwhile. While the nursery had a steep learning curve at first, Stevenson now feels the nursery is producing excellent trees.

Stevenson said fall is an ideal time to plants trees for several reasons. At the top of his list is labor utilization. Think how busy you are trying to get everything done in your own garden in the spring. Multiply that many times over and you may get an idea of how busy nurseries are during that time. Fall planting lets Stevenson keep employees busy year round.

Another reason is that the plants adapt better in the fall. In the spring, newly planted trees are exposed to increasing temperatures. This means that they have to get their roots well established and start to absorb water before the temperatures get warm. In addition, tender leaves that are emerging in the spring are susceptible to scorch. Premature hot weather can puts trees under extreme stress.

Soil moisture is another factor. The spring weather is often unpredictable, and the soil is usually wet. That makes it hard to prepare and hard to plant. By contrast, the soil in the fall is usually dry and temperatures are warm. In addition, trees planted in the fall have several months to establish their roots. They can adapt to their environment before they are exposed to hot temperatures.

Another reason for planting in the fall is that many nurseries do not want to overwinter stock and offer some excellent bargains. Shop carefully and look for quality.