Small Trees with Great Fall Color

It's fall-color season, the best time of year to shop for plants with eye-catching autumn foliage color. Here are some of our favorite deciduous, small trees that will set your landscape ablaze in fall. Most stay below 25 feet to 35 feet high. For lists of shrubs and vines with great fall color, click here.

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum). Delicate small trees that come in hundreds of varieties differing in leaf shape, tree form and fall color. Many stay below 15 feet. high. In hot, dry-summer climates, plant in partial shade; morning sun is ideal.

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis). A lovely, deciduous tree that covers its bare branches with pink or white flowers in early spring. The variety 'Forest Pansy' has purplish foliage.

Fringe tree (Chionanthus sp.). A beautiful spring bloomer with lacy white flower clusters and yellow fall color.

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Large pink or white flowers in midspring are followed by red berries. Leaves turn intensely red before dropping in fall. Needs partial shade in areas with hot, dry summers. Ask for disease-resistant varieties in eastern states.

Hawthorns (Crataegus sp.). A large family of small trees, most with white, pink or red spring flowers followed by red berries and bright yellow, orange or red fall color.

Flowering pear (Pyrus calleryana). An upright tree with white spring flowers and bright green foliage that turns orange, red and burgundy in fall. ‘Bradford’ tends to be weak-limbed and over-planted in many areas. ‘Trinity’ (orange fall color) and ‘Chanticleer’ (orange to purplish red fall color) are better choices.

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). A summer-blooming deciduous tree with large clusters of crapelike blooms in shades of white, pink, red and purple. The bark is good-looking, shiny and peeling; fall color is yellow to red. Performs best in hot-summer areas. Ask for varieties resistant to powdery mildew.

Other small trees with great small color to consider include Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina), Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha), June berry (Amelanchier sp.), Mountain ash (Sorbus sp.), Persimmon (Diospyros sp.) and Sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum).

Check with your nurseryman or cooperative extension service for local adaptation.

Garlic is King

Few herbs are as versatile and beloved as garlic. It has been grown since ancient times and is a key ingredient in diverse cuisines from Italy to China to Mexico and back again. Garlic is easy to grow as long as you plant it at the right time of year. In mild-winter areas where the ground doesn't freeze, garlic is best planted in fall and harvested in early summer. In colder areas, plant in early spring for late-summer harvest.

You may think that "garlic is garlic," but there are actually many varieties. Nurseries and mail-order catalogs offer selections with names like 'Inchellium Red,' 'Chet's Italian Red,' 'Susanville' and 'Chinese Purple.' Varieties vary in flavor, size and color, and perform differently under varying climate conditions. Experiment with different varieties to see which ones do best for you. Elephant garlic is actually more closely related to leeks. It produces huge bulbs with mild flavor.

Plant garlic in full sun and well-drained soil. Purchase disease-free cloves (often called sets) from nurseries or mail-order catalogs. Plant them about 1 inch deep and 3 to 4 inches apart with the pointed side up. Leave 12 to 15 inches between rows. Fertilize the planting bed with Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action All Purpose Plant Food Granules and water thoroughly.

Garlic is ready to harvest when the tops start to dry out and fall over. Gently lift the bulbs with a spading fork and allow them to air dry (if its very hot move the bulbs to a shady spot to dry). When dry, cut off most of the tops and store in a cool, dry spot out of direct sun.

Fall Care for Young Trees

Autumn is also an important time to check the health of young trees. Even though many will soon be going dormant, actions you take now will help them get through winter and grow vigorously next spring.

First, make sure young trees are well-watered. Even dormant trees can be subject to desiccation if the soil is dry. If a tree grew poorly last summer or had yellowing foliage, make a light application of a complete fertilizer according to label instructions. The roots will be able to absorb the nutrients even after leaves have dropped.

If the tree is staked, make sure it is not tied too tightly. A loosely tied tree will develop a stronger trunk and won’t become girdled. If you live in a mild-winter climate, make sure grass and weeds are not growing near the trunk. There should be a mulched, weed-free area around the base of the tree.

As mentioned above, fall is also a great time to protect young trees from next year's insects. Apply Bayer Advanced™ 12-Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate now and protect your new investment for up to 12 months.

How to Plant a Tree from a Container

Since it is planting season, and we're talking trees, it's a good time to review planting procedures. Here are the basics:

Dig a hole slightly less deep (about an inch) than the depth of the rootball and at least twice as wide. Make the bottom flat and the sides rough, not smooth.

Remove the tree from the container by setting it on its side and gently pulling on the lower trunk. If the rootball doesn't slide out easily, cut the pot off with shears.

Set the tree in the bottom of the hole, making sure the top of the rootball sits slightly above the surrounding soil level.

Fill in around the rootball with the original soil, tamping gently as you fill in. If your soil is very sandy or clayey, amend it by blending in organic matter (add about a third by volume), such as compost, before filling the hole.

Build a 4- to 6-inch-high soil berm around the tree. This is your watering basin, and it should be just a bit wider than the top of the hole.

Fill the basin with water and let it drain. Repeat the process at least two more times.

Remove stakes that are tied tightly to the trunk. If tree cannot stand on its own, use a two-stake method of support, placing one stake on each side of the tree (outside the rootball). Secure the tree loosely between the two stakes using flexible tie. The tree should be able to move slightly in the wind.

Mulch and water frequently, making sure not to let the tree's rootball dry out.