Do You Want to Plant in Winter?

You can plant any cold hardy tree, shrub or fruit tree during the winter (except palms) but don't forget the mulch! Surface mulches provide a blanket of temperature control and preserve soil moisture so that planting during this time will be successful. It is inexpensive insurance.

Surface mulch as a blanket on the soil surface, decomposing and improving the soil

Soil temperatures need to be at least 45° F for roots to grow and establish plants. Seldom do our soils get below this temperature after the first few inches below the surface.

Make sure you add an equal amount of Viragrow compost, Viragrow planting soil mix or bagged EZ Green compost to your backfill surrounding the roots of these trees and shrubs. Unlike some others, all of our soil mixes are full of nutrients so you don't need to add any extra fertilizer to the soil at the time of planting.

Viragrow compost

EZ Green composted chicken manure

Make sure the planting hole is deep enough to accommodate the roots of the plant. You do not need to dig deeper than this unless the soil is so hard it can not drain water freely. Dig the hole at least three times the diameter of the root system and mix our soil amendments with all of the soil before you put it back in the hole. It is always wise to have the hose running into the planting hole when you are putting back the soil around the plant roots. This helps to eliminate air pockets and helps the plant stand upright.

Nearly all plants will perform much better with 3 to 4 inches of organic surface mulch applied after planting. Use our Redwood mulch or Gorilla Hair for that exquisite finished look.

Viragrow Delivers!