The colors of autumn are especially beautiful this year. Tree leaves are turning brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and even purple.

Want fall color in your landscape next year?

Read about the trees you've noticed around town that are currently “popping” with color. And, if you plant a tree now (or in early spring), you can have fall color in your landscape next year! Here are some excellent tree species to choose from that thrive in our area (USDA Zone 9b):

Chinese Pistache – Pistachia chinensis

The Chinese pistache is Ed Perry's favorite tree. Ed was the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for over 35 years at UC Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County. He chose this tree not only for its fall color, but because it produces good shade and has “well-behaved” roots. Opt for the male cultivar ‘Keith Davey.' Female cultivars have colorful berries which although pretty, are considered messy and not suitable for over a patio.  

Height: 30-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: You can't go wrong with this tree! Also, it is not closely related to the nut bearing pistachio tree.

Maple Trees – Acer rubrum

Cultivars like ‘October Glory' or those with the name ‘Autumn' in their title promise fall colors. Suitable to plant near sidewalks, these trees also have well-behaved roots that aren't disruptive to infrastructure. Just remember, this tree needs to be watered regularly in summer, otherwise the edges of the leaves will turn brown.

Light needs: Plant in full sun or partial shade.
Height: 40-50'
Water needs: Regular water. Does well in lawns, but water separately from the lawn.
Note: Sprinkler water will not be enough for this tree.

Bradford Flowering Pear – Prunus calleryana ‘Bradford'

This flowering pear has cheerful white blooms in spring and produce fall color during cool winters. Their roots are well-behaved so they can be planted near sidewalk. Please note, many cultivars of flowering pear have problems such as mistletoe and fireblight. Make sure you choose a Bradford pear. After bloom, this tree does drop small fruits that are messy.

Height: 40-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: although bred to be fruitless, the Bradford pear cross pollinates with other pears which is why it produces inedible “fruit.”

Japanese Maple Trees – Acer palmatum

If you have a partially shady spot and want a small tree, Japanese maples make a great choice. Tree leaf and bark color varies among the hundreds of cultivars available. ‘Burgandy' has purple leaves, ‘Sango Kaku' has coral-colored bark, and ‘Aoyagi' has bright green bark.

Light needs: Plant in partial shade, some species (‘Emperor One') are adapted to full sun.
Height: 6-20', varies. Do some research before choosing your tree.
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: This tree can give year-round interest!

Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba

This ancient tree existed long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. In fact, fossils of gingko leaves have been discovered from the Jurassic period! Ginkgo trees leaves turn a beautiful golden color in fall. Choose a male cultivar such as ‘Saratoga' or ‘Autumn Gold.' Female cultivars produce fruit that some people consider unpleasant.

Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 30-50.'
Water needs: Moderate water; can tolerate drought but won't look healthy.
Note: Excellent street or patio tree, also does well in a lawn.

Liquidambar – Liquidambar styraciflua

You'll need a large space for this towering tree that reaches up to 60' tall. If the roots are given enough space to grow, it makes a fantastic street tree that provides excellent shade. Disclaimer: although the leaves are colorful and beautiful, the tree produces copious amounts of seed “balls” that ruin the experience of jumping into a pile of raked leaves. Choose ‘Rotundiloba' which grows more slowly and rarely produces the spiny “balls.”

Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 50-60.'
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: Surface roots can crack sidewalks and come up in lawns.

Tree Notes – Choosing a Tree

When choosing a tree, look for one with leaves growing along the entire stem. Avoid trees that resemble a mature tree (with a long stem and a heavy top). The leaves are necessary to help the tree develop a strong trunk.

Tree Notes – Planting

Planting a tree correctly is essential to having a healthy tree. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Remove the tree stake.
Step 2: Dig a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the container.
Step 3: After removing the “root ball” (area of soil and roots) from the container, set it in the hole.
Step 4: Make sure the top of the root ball is lined up with the surrounding soil or a little higher.
Step 5: Fill in around the root ball with removed soil, do not cover over the root ball with soil. Make sure the root ball is still showing and is level with the ground.
Step 6: Create a basin around the base of the tree and water well.

Tree Notes – Staking

If you remove the stake from your new tree and it falls over, return the tree. Healthy trees should not fall over and do not need to be staked. In fact, a tree that can't stand upright that grows into a mature tree is likely to become a landscape hazard** in the future.

Allowing your new tree to sway with the wind helps it develop a strong trunk and root system. The only time it is recommended to stake trees is in areas with heavy wind. In this case, two stakes should be used, and then removed after one year. Learn more about tree staking in the Planting Landscape Trees publication below.

Tree Notes – Water

All newly planted trees need regular water for the first 2-5 years after planting. Regular water means keeping the soil moist but not too wet or allowing it to dry out. Once their roots are established, trees need deep water once or twice per month during the dry season (May-October), depending on temperature, tree species, soil type, and other factors.

Resources

Stanislaus County Tree Guide

Looking for more tree recommendations? Visit our publications page and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on our “Trees in Your Home Garden” publication at https://cestanislaus.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Publications/

Planting Landscape Trees

https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8046.pdf

 

*University research has shown that adding amendments such as compost and fertilizer to planting holes does not help trees; in fact, it can cause problem. Read more at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=46215

**worried you may have a hazardous tree in your landscape? Download this free guide for tips on how to inspect it. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8365.pdf

Around this time of year, Master Gardeners are often asked, “What is the name of the gorgeous flowering tree blooming in your parking lot?” Everyone describes the flower colors differently, with some saying they are pink while others say purple or red. What makes these trees so noticeable, is that flowers emerge in spring first, before their leaves do.

The trees around the Ag Center are Oklahoma Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis ‘Oklahoma'). This tree has a “cousin” that is a CA native, called the Western redbud, (Cercis occidentalis) which you may have noticed is blooming in the foothills.

Redbud trees may be single stemmed or multi-trunked trees. Both grow quickly and have heart-shaped leaves that turn golden in fall. They make an excellent street or patio tree since their roots do not disturb the sidewalk.

Both trees need regular water for the first few years until they are established. Once established, the Oklahoma redbud tree needs moderate to regular water, while the Western redbud tree needs less.

Thinking about planting a redbud tree? Spring is a great time! For tips on how to plant a tree, see our post, Planting and Pruning Ornamental Trees at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=30091

Citrus trees can be planted any time after the danger of frost has passed, which in our area is usually around mid-to-late March. It's a good idea to plant citrus early – try to have your trees in the ground by May – because a sudden hot spell may damage trees that are not well established. Citrus trees planted during the cool spring months will be better able to withstand the cold weather of their first winter than trees planted later in the year. Your favorite nursery or garden center should have a good supply of new citrus trees right about now.

Citrus trees grow best in loam or sandy loam soil, but you can grow them in most soils that have good drainage. If your soil drains poorly, you might try planting in a raised bed or on a mound. Plant your trees in an area that receives full sun, and allow enough room for the tree's mature size.  I don't recommend planting in a lawn area because it's difficult to irrigate both the citrus and the lawn correctly. Also, the grass tends to absorb many of the nutrients needed by the tree.

In the nursery, citrus varieties are budded onto suitable rootstocks and grown for one or two years. Trees are sold in containers. Choose a one or two year old tree, but avoid older trees that have been held in containers so long that they're root bound.

Dig the planting hole just deep enough to plant the tree at the same level that it was in the nursery. The diameter of the hole should be about 6 inches larger than the root ball. If the hole is too deep, the tree will settle too much after planting.  Trees that settle too deep are likely to be killed by crown rot, a fungus disease that frequently develops where the soil covers the bark of the tree.

You can place balled and burlap-wrapped trees in the planting holes without removing the cloth sacking that covers the roots. Plant them a little higher than they were in the nursery, allowing about 3 inches for settling. Try to have the uppermost roots branch out at about ground level after the trees have settled.

You should handle trees in containers in much the same way. Carefully remove the container and place the tree in the hole at the correct depth. Be careful not to break the ball of soil surrounding the root system. After you have the tree properly placed, fill the hole three-fourths full of soil and tamp the soil around the root ball. Then finish filling the hole. Be sure to form a basin around the tree and irrigate thoroughly.

Do not put any fertilizer in the hole when planting your tree because it may damage the roots. It's safer to apply fertilizer to the surface of the soil after you've planted. If you use manure, use it lightly because roots may be damaged by salts which manures contain.

Citrus trees do very poorly in dry soil, so be sure to pay close attention to irrigation, especially during the first summer.

Ed Perry is the emeritus Environmental Horticultural Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Stanislaus County where he worked for over 30 years.

It's a cold winter's day here in the Central Valley. But instead of curling up in a cozy chair with a cup of tea, I'm out in my garden, planning and prepping for my spring planting. For me, this is the fun part, walking the gardens, looking at the raised beds, empty pots, and bare earth. I imagine what I'll place where, and jot down what needs to be done to prepare these spaces. Then it's inside to peruse the seed catalogs and online sites, make notes, and dream about the coming spring.

Planning your garden now, I feel, will save you headaches and money, come spring. By taking the time to understand how much space you have (or don't have), whether or not you wish to plant directly in ground or containers, or a combination thereof, and what types of plants grow best in your area, you'll only purchase what you need. In addition, you can decide whether or not you wish to devote the time to starting your seeds indoors or in a greenhouse, plant the seeds directly in the garden beds, or if transplants are the way you wish to go.

Some other things you'll need to take into consideration when planning your spring garden is how much sun you have in each of the proposed planting areas. If uncertain, take a look at the surroundings now. While you'll not be able to gage precisely how much sun they'll have come spring and summer, you can take note of things that could possibly shade them or hinder the sun from reaching them. Are there a lot of trees in the area that will shade them once their leaves have returned? Will that patio cover keep the sun from reaching them? Perhaps the arbor next to the west bed will be covered in greenery when the Wisteria blooms, blocking out the sun. If you are contemplating shade plants, are there locations that may be too sunny for them? Taking the time to scope out the positioning for your new plants will give them the best chance to grow and thrive.

If you are thinking of planting spring veggies, take under consideration what you and your family will actually eat. If the kids detest string beans, then planting a huge area full of them is probably not a good use of the space, your time, or money.  However, if zucchini is something you eat frequently, then two mounds may serve you better than one.

Winter is the best time to prepare your planting areas for your spring garden. Whether you are planting flowers, or veggies, in raised beds, containers, or in ground, getting your soil ready now is key. The time you spend this winter prepping and amending means that you'll be able to plant immediately once the threat of frost has passed (usually around mid-March here.) In addition, placing amendments, such as steer or chicken manures, in your garden now will give them a chance to “mellow” and break down, so that the soil is ready for transplants and/or seeds.

Now is also a good time to get control of any weeds in your proposed planting areas. Removing any weeds now, before the weather gets warmer and they decide to seed, means less work for you come spring and summer. I like to get down, move the soil with a trowel, and pull out any stray roots or seeds that I see. You may even find grubs and larvae of Hoplia beetles that you can remove, saving your precious roses and flowers this spring.

Many of us reuse our favorite pots and containers year after year. As such, these pots will need some TLC and prep as well. All the old soil will need to be removed and the pot cleaned with a solution of one-part bleach to nine parts water. Submerge in solution and soak for at least 10 minutes. This sterilizes them, removing any insects or diseases from the previous plant in the pot. 

Planning and prepping your garden now for your spring planting will give you that head start to a successful, satisfying, and fun gardening adventure. So, get out your seed catalogs, notebook, and take a walk in your yard or garden space, and imagine all the possibilities. Happy Gardening!