Is It Safe To Install New Plants During Summer? Absolutely!

The garden is in full summer swing, with the dahlias blooming, sunflowers stretching toward the sky and the grass growing like crazy.

So the time to put new plants in the ground is long past, right?

Actually, it’s not! Now is the perfect time to plant late-season annuals like ornamental kale and cabbage for pretty fall color.

Late summer and early fall is a great time to plant many perennials, too. Plants will do just fine this time of year, as long as they get plenty of water as their roots adjust to their new home.

In fact, late summer is prime time for several beautiful bloomers, who show off their best blossoms this time of year.

Perennials Perfect For Late Summer Planting

If you do plant in late summer and early fall, cover them with 2 to 4 inches of mulch in late fall. Since your late-blooming beauties were recently planted, the mulch will help prevent repeated freezing and thawing of the soil that can damage the roots.

Take a look at these late bloomers that are safe to plant even during the hot late summer months.

Bee Balm

Properly deadhead this native perennial, and enjoy its bright blooms all the way through summer. Bonus: It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Pincushion flower

This fast-growing, sun-loving perennial produces blue, pink or violet blooms from midsummer to fall.

Threadleaf Coreopsis

This clump-forming perennial produces airy stems of yellow daisy-like blooms throughout the summer. It loves a sunny border.

Late Summer Is Prime For Planting Trees and Shrubs

Trees and shrubs can also be planted in late summer and fall.

Evergreens should be planted from mid-August through September. This timing allows the evergreens to become established before winter rolls in.

Deciduous trees and shrubs (those that drop their leaves in the fall) can be planted from August through early November.

There are some slow-rooting trees that should really be planted in the spring, though. They include fir, birch, ginkgo, magnolia, ornamental pear, and hemlock.

Keep the water flowing — trees and shrubs planted in late summer and fall should be watered every seven to 10 days. Keep up the watering until the ground freezes.

Neave Can Set You Up

There’s plenty of great planting time left. Neave Landscaping offers a large selection of perennials, trees, and shrubs, and our experts can help you choose what’s right for your landscape.

Once the experts at Neave Landscaping help you select and install your perennials, shrubs, and trees, we stick with you, offering routine maintenance for all your landscaping needs.

You can schedule visits from our professionals to check your flowers, trim them and inspect for diseases and pest issues. We’ll turn over your soil to ensure that it provides the proper nutrition for your plants.

Check out our seasonal color programs that provide you with a beautiful, colorful garden for every season. Our trained staff will do all the planting, care and removal necessary to give you a garden that changes just as the seasons do.

If you’re in the Hudson Valley, call us at (845) 463-0592. If you’re in Westchester County, call (914) 271-7996; from Connecticut, dial (203) 212-4800. Or, fill out our simple web form, and we’ll contact you about setting up your free consultation.