Huntree Newsletter Fall 2026

Hi there.

Here we are in October already.

Perk up your front porch with mums and flowering cabbage, kale, and pumpkins.  It’ll make you smile every time you walk outside.  We have them!

We have a full month of ideal time to plant.   You might be surprised to know that roots actively grow during the fall when the tree looks like it’s sound asleep.   Planting now gives your plants a power boost for a next year’s growth.

Looking for a narrow Maple?   Come check out ‘Sugar Cone’ Red Maple.  It’s sweet!

Looking for a seedless Red Maple with super bright red fall color?  Then ‘Sun Valley Maple’ is for you!  Looking for a fast growing native shade tree?  Tuliptree is a great choice.

Another native tree is the little known Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).  It’s a fast growing native with little white flowers in early spring for pollinators and butterflies.  Full sun, 60 ft. tall, glossy fruit in fall for the song birds.

It’s apple picking time.   Don’t want to fight the crowds at the orchards?  Plant your own fruit trees.    We got ‘em.   We’ve got Empire, Fugi, Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Mutzu, Pink Lady, Yellow Delicious.    Plant 2 different varieties for good cross pollination.

Yes, it’s time to cut back your perennials.  Prune them back down to the ground….  Except Lavender and Perovskia (Russian Sage).  They have woody stems.  Treat them like small shrubs.  Give them a light pruning to shape them up.

Shrubs can be pruned at this time also.    There are always exceptions to every rule, right?  So… do not trim these in the fall:    Forsythia, Lilacs, Serviceberry, Quince, Viburnums if you want the flowers in the spring.     The pink and blue hydrangeas (Big Leaf Hydrangea, macrophylla) need to just have their flower heads pruned off.  Do not cut the plant down to avoid cutting off flower buds for next year.

Bring in your house plants.   Give them a spray with horticultural oil or Neem Oil beforehand to kill any unwanted critters lingering on them.    While you are at it, check to see if any need to be transplanted.   Move them up to the next sized pot.   Be sure there is a drainage hole so water doesn’t collect in the bottom and rot the roots.   Once they are in the house, you can fertilize once a month.

Ready to pull up your tomato plants?  If they are still loaded with green tomatoes, put the tomatoes in a paper bag in a single layer with an apple.  They will ripen perfectly in a week or so.

Bulbs are here and waiting to go to their new homes.   They can be planted any time now, through mid-November.   Come in and select your tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, scilla campanulata (late spring bloomers will extend your spring color!)   Remember that the deer will not eat daffodils.  Yay!!!    You can force tulips and daffodils to bloom in pots.  Pot them up, put in a location where they get cold treatment of 12 weeks at 40 degrees.  If you put them in the refrigerator, be sure to seal them in a plastic bag so they don’t dehydrate.

We are well stocked with deer repellants.   Just thought you might need to know that.  We also have deer fencing.

We will continue to have regular hours through October, 7 days a week.  Monday through Saturday  9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 4:00.

Wishing you a great month!

Jan and the Huntree Gang

Categorised in: Newsletter

This post was written by MHarrison9