Fall Landscaping Services
If you’re considering adding privacy trees, arborvitae, spruce trees, ornamental trees, or new landscape plantings to your property in Essex County, NJ, fall can be one of the best times to get them in the ground.
For homeowners in Montclair, West Orange, Livingston, North Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Verona, Essex Fells, Roseland, Fairfield, and surrounding Essex County communities, fall is a great opportunity to improve backyard privacy, replace old or overgrown landscaping, and prepare your property for the following spring.
Whether you’re looking to create a natural privacy screen with Green Giant Arborvitae, add Emerald Green Arborvitae along a property line, install Norway Spruce, or completely replace outdated landscaping with new trees and shrubs, proper plant selection and installation can make a major difference in how your landscape looks and performs over time.
At RVG Landscape Design, we provide professional tree and shrub planting services throughout Essex County and Northern New Jersey, including privacy tree installation, arborvitae planting, evergreen screening, ornamental tree installation, shrub planting, and complete landscape renovations.
Why Is Fall a Good Time to Plant Arborvitae in New Jersey?
One of the biggest advantages of fall planting is that the weather is generally easier on newly installed trees and shrubs.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension notes that fall planting gives many trees and shrubs additional time to establish before the stress of summer. Cooler temperatures, seasonal rainfall, and reduced above-ground growth can allow more of the plant’s energy to go toward establishing its root system.
That makes fall an excellent season to consider installing:
- Green Giant Arborvitae
- Emerald Green Arborvitae
- Other arborvitae varieties
- Norway Spruce
- Other evergreen privacy trees
- Ornamental trees
- Flowering trees
- Foundation shrubs
- Privacy hedges and screening
- Replacement trees and shrubs
The exact planting window will depend on the species, weather, soil conditions, drainage, and the individual property.
Green Giant Arborvitae for Privacy in Essex County, NJ
Green Giant Arborvitae are a popular choice for homeowners looking to create a substantial evergreen privacy screen.
They work especially well on larger properties where homeowners want to separate their backyard from neighboring properties, screen a pool area, create a backdrop behind a patio, or reduce views of roads and surrounding properties.
When planning a Green Giant privacy screen, proper layout is extremely important.
You need to consider the mature size of the trees—not just what they look like on installation day. Spacing, property lines, sunlight, drainage, utilities, existing landscaping, fences, and nearby structures should all be considered before planting.
Our goal when installing privacy trees is to create a landscape that looks good when it is installed but also has room to develop properly over time.
Emerald Green Arborvitae for Smaller Privacy Areas
For properties with tighter spaces, Emerald Green Arborvitae may be another option.
Their narrower growth habit can make them useful around:
- Property lines
- Backyard patios
- Pool areas
- Fences
- Side yards
- Outdoor living spaces
- Smaller residential properties
The right arborvitae depends on the space.
Instead of simply planting as many trees as possible along a property line, we look at the area and determine what type of privacy planting makes sense for the available space and the homeowner’s goals.
Norway Spruce for Large Privacy Screens
Arborvitae aren’t the only option for creating privacy.
Norway Spruce can create a substantial evergreen backdrop on properties with enough space for their mature size.
They can work particularly well on larger Essex County properties where homeowners want a natural-looking evergreen screen rather than a narrow hedge.
Spruce trees can be used to:
- Screen neighboring properties
- Create separation around larger backyards
- Add evergreen structure to a landscape
- Create a backdrop behind outdoor living areas
- Screen roads or undesirable views
Site conditions matter. Drainage, sunlight, available space, soil conditions, and the eventual mature size of the tree should all be considered before installing Norway Spruce or other large evergreens.
Privacy Trees Around Patios and Pools
One of our favorite uses for fall planting is improving the landscaping around an existing or newly completed outdoor living space.
A beautiful patio or pool can still feel unfinished when there is nothing separating the space from neighboring properties.
Strategically placed arborvitae, evergreens, ornamental trees, and shrubs can help create a more private and finished backyard.
Instead of automatically installing one continuous row of the same tree, a landscape can also combine different plant materials.
For example, a planting design might incorporate taller evergreens in areas where screening is most important, ornamental trees for seasonal interest, and shrubs or lower plantings closer to the patio.
The result can feel much more like a complete landscape rather than simply a wall of trees.
Fall Is Also a Great Time to Replace Old Landscaping
Fall planting doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch.
Many established homes throughout Essex County have foundation plantings and landscape beds that have become:
- Overgrown
- Too large for the house
- Bare in certain areas
- Uneven
- Difficult to maintain
- Damaged or declining
- Outdated in appearance
Fall can be a great opportunity to remove old landscaping and create a new planting layout.
A landscape renovation may include removing existing shrubs, preparing or reshaping beds, improving soil conditions where necessary, installing new trees and shrubs, mulching, and creating a more balanced landscape around the home.
Ornamental Trees Can Transform a Landscape
Not every tree needs to be planted for privacy.
Ornamental trees can become focal points within a landscape and add seasonal interest around front entrances, patios, walkways, lawn areas, and landscape beds.
Depending on the property and site conditions, homeowners may consider flowering or ornamental trees such as dogwoods, serviceberries, magnolias, and other varieties appropriate for Northern New Jersey.
Ornamental trees can be especially useful when renovating older landscapes. They can add height and visual interest without necessarily creating the dense screening of an arborvitae or spruce.
The right tree should be selected based on the location rather than appearance alone.
Sun exposure, drainage, available space, mature size, soil conditions, and surrounding hardscape should all influence the decision.
Why Proper Drainage Matters When Planting Trees
One of the most overlooked parts of tree installation is what is happening below the surface.
Trees and shrubs need the correct soil and moisture conditions to establish successfully.
A low area that remains saturated after rainfall may require a completely different planting approach than a dry, sunny portion of the property.
This becomes especially important when investing in a large privacy planting project with numerous trees. Installing the right tree in the wrong location can create problems even when the tree itself is healthy.
Don't Choose Privacy Trees Based Only on Their Size Today
A common mistake is choosing plants based entirely on how they look at the nursery.
A privacy tree may look small when installed, but homeowners need to think about what happens several years later.
Before installing privacy trees, consider:
Mature height and width: How large will the tree eventually become?
Spacing: Is there enough room for each tree to develop?
Property lines: Will the trees eventually extend significantly onto a neighboring property?
Sunlight: Does the location receive enough sun for the selected species?
Drainage: Does water sit in the planting area?
Structures: How close are the trees to patios, pools, driveways, fences, and the house?
Long-term maintenance: Will the homeowner realistically be able to maintain the planting as it matures?
Professional planning at the beginning can prevent a landscape from becoming overcrowded later.
Fall Planting Services in Essex County, NJ
Fall Planting Services in Essex County, NJ
RVG Landscape Design provides professional fall planting and landscape installation services throughout Essex County and Northern New Jersey.
Our planting services can include:
- Green Giant Arborvitae installation
- Emerald Green Arborvitae installation
- Privacy tree installation
- Evergreen screening
- Spruce tree installation
- Ornamental tree installation
- Shrub installation
- Foundation planting
- Backyard privacy landscaping
- Pool and patio landscaping
- Removal and replacement of old landscaping
- New landscape bed installation
- Mulching and bed preparation
- Complete landscape renovations
Whether you’re looking for a few ornamental trees or an entire backyard privacy screen, the planting plan should be designed around your property and long-term goals.
Planning a Fall Planting Project in Essex County?
September and fall weather can be an excellent time to start thinking about the areas of your property that felt exposed throughout the summer.
Maybe your new patio needs privacy.
Maybe you can see directly into a neighboring backyard.
Maybe your pool area needs a natural screen.
Or perhaps the landscaping around your home is simply outdated and ready for a change.
Instead of waiting until next spring to begin planning, fall provides an opportunity to complete many tree and shrub installations now and give suitable plants time to begin establishing before the following summer.
Professional Tree & Shrub Planting in Essex County, NJ
If you’re considering Green Giant Arborvitae, Emerald Green Arborvitae, spruce trees, ornamental trees, privacy trees, or a complete landscape planting renovation, RVG Landscape Design can help you determine what works best for your property.
We provide professional landscape planting services throughout Essex County and Northern New Jersey, with planting plans designed around privacy, appearance, available space, drainage, and the long-term growth of the landscape.
Ready to improve your privacy or update your landscaping this fall?
Contact RVG Landscape Design to schedule a consultation for fall tree, shrub, and privacy planting services in Essex County, NJ.
Yes. Fall can be an excellent time to plant arborvitae and many other trees and shrubs in New Jersey. Cooler temperatures can reduce stress while roots begin establishing before the following summer. The appropriate timing still depends on weather, soil conditions, and the specific plant.
Both can provide evergreen screening, but they serve different spaces. Green Giants are generally better suited to areas that can accommodate a larger tree, while Emerald Greens are commonly used where a narrower planting is desired. Site conditions and available space should determine which is appropriate.
Fall can be a suitable planting period for many evergreens when site and weather conditions are appropriate. Norway Spruce requires enough space for its eventual size, so it is generally better suited to larger planting areas than narrow residential screening locations.
There isn't one privacy tree that is best for every property. Green Giant Arborvitae, Emerald Green Arborvitae, spruce trees, and other evergreen species may be considered depending on available space, desired screening height, sunlight, soil, drainage, and the overall landscape design.
There isn't one universal cutoff date. Planting conditions depend on the species, current weather, soil temperature, frozen ground, and the amount of establishment time available. Earlier fall planting generally provides more time for root establishment before winter.
