Unless the plant is particularly tender, I'd say go for it! The sooner, the better, as this will give the roots some time to grow before the ground really starts to get cold.

Cheers,

Dan

I'm a little more iffy. It's almost the end of October, I'd only do bulbs now, but I'm more conservative. I think the roots need some time to settle in. However, I readily admit I'm not a tree or shrub expert. I'd say wait till early spring.

This past weekend I moved some perennials. I made sure I took a large amount of soil around the roots. They seem to be doing okay. I usually only do bulbs at this point but something got into me and I just couldnt' wait till spring. :-)

Now is an excellent time to plant nearly all trees and shrubs in this zone. You can plant until the ground freezes.

I'm been planting tons of stuff-we've had an unusually extended fall (rather warm), combined with end of season plant sales-I say, give it a shot! I've been trying to keep newly planted things watered, but other than that, it will be survival of the fittest. This is a good time to plant, expecially trees & shrubs.

As long as you mulch and water (and keep watering as needed any time the ground isn't frozen), planting this late should be fine in zone 7, at least for deciduous trees and shrubs.

Evergreens require a bit more care to avoid letting the plant get desiccated before it has established a good root system in its new home.

I have a mob of perennials to put back in their places (after work done by the power and phone companies), and am a bit concerned about that. They're hardy enough to leave in their pots as long as they are surrounded by leaves as insulation, but there's a choice between having them turn to mush if left in their pots and accidentally covered, and having them dry to a crisp from frost heaving.

I just planted the LAST (I swear, you honor!) of 545 tulip bulbs for next spring. I could never have done it by hand. My DH (dear husband?ah, now i what the initials mean) attached an auger to our regular drill, so now I just drill and pop, cover, mulch and water. At my age I could never had done it by hand, nor, would I have tried. And, at our Kmart, they have Martha Stewart Darwin tulip bulbs, $5 fo 50!! I don't buy "celebrity" products usually, but these bulbs look real healthy. When my DH bought the auger, the guy who sold it for $20 said to him"It's a lot of $$$$ for something you may only use once. How about 545 times and counting? I'm in heaven. My neighbors can't wait for spring to see the results. AND, all this in a woodland setting, tree roots everywhere! It's going to look spectacular in the spring! You're only OLD when you stop dreaming about the future.

Good for you rascalthomas. I adore tulips. Actually, I love all spring flowers. I love when the bulbs start poking through. I find it so exciting.