Mulch can protect new plants

Technically you can plant woody plants -- trees and shrubs -- until the ground is frozen.

But Todd Jacobson, manager of horticulture for the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, said mid-November is a better deadline.

If you did not plant perennials and grasses in October, it's best to wait till spring. They are not as tough as shrubs and trees.

Whatever you plant in the fall, mulching of new plantings is very important.

Three or 4 inches of mulch around the base of a tree is advised. Go out as far as the dripline -- that means as far as the leaves extend.

But leave a "doughnut hole" around the tree. You do not want to pile mulch against the trunk, according to the arboretum's Web site.

Mulch prevents the soil from thawing once it has frozen. Freezing and thawing during the winter can cause the roots to come out of the soil, dry out and die.

Water before you mulch unless the soil is wet.

If you see a plant heave out of the ground during the winter, cover the roots with mulch until you can replant it.

-- Deborah Donovan