We’re finally having a taste of fall with temperatures barely reaching into the 70’s in eastern North Carolina. What a change from the 90’s! Many of us are still removing debris from Irene and some (like me) are rethinkg our shade gardens that have now become much sunnier. Fall is the best time for planting most woodies and hardy perennials since the warm soils will promote root growth before the plants go dormant in a few weeks. Just remember that we can still have warm, dry weather in October and even into November so do not neglect watering new transplants.

Since so many trees went down in the hurricane, many are evaluating trees on their property. When in doubt about health and safetly of damaged trees consult a certified arborist before making an expensive and unnecessary removal decision. Often even damaged trees can be saved and will not pose a hazard. Large areas of decay on the main trunk are unsafe, as well as dead branches and poor branch attachment. Small trees that have fallen over can be safely righted and staked if they are less than four inches in diameter. Any tree over eight inches should be removed since root redevelpment is very slow on older trees and the risk of falling over in subsequent storms is likely.