[dropcap]F[/dropcap]all and winter are the perfect times to plant trees in Texas. Our soil does not freeze and our temperatures don’t often fall below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, making it easier to transplant than any other time of the year.
In addition, cooler temperatures allow us to get away with less watering after planting and a longer period of establishment before the hot temperatures head our way again. Larger shade trees, i.e. oaks and elms, are especially grateful for an earlier planting date.
Another benefit is that there’s less transplant stress on a tree that’s dormant. Even evergreens tend to take a top growth ‘break’ during the winter. To make sure that you have a healthy tree even when it has lost all its leaves, scratch the end of a few branches through the bark with your fingernail. If you see green, the tree is still alive to the tips of the branches – a very good sign of viability.
