What Trees Do I Need to Plant for Spring Preparation?

While winter isn’t the most ideal time for planting, it’s still okay to plant trees in the cold winter months. At the end of the day, your trees will be thankful to be in the ground than in a pot, no matter what. As long as you get them planted before a big freeze or snowfall, you’re in the clear. The rule of thumb is that as long as you can actually move the soil, you’re good to plant away.

If your December is going well and the snow hasn’t fallen and the ground is still movable, totally go ahead and plant those trees before spring so that once the weather gets warmer, they will start to flourish.

Popular trees to plant in winter:

While recommended trees differ depending on the area you live in, there are many that are safe to grow in the winter. You want to look for a deciduous tree, as those ones grow nice and strong and are able to withstand the winter. Evergreens can also be planted safely in the winter.

Consider trees such as:

• Cedar elm
• Drake elm
• Pecan
• Texas Ash
• Bald Cypress
• Live oak
• Afghan Pine
• Deodar cedar
• Cherry laurel

Once spring hits, then you can safely plant your poplars, willows, ash, elms, and birches.

Tips for planting trees in the winter:

1. Be careful with them

You want to make sure that once you plant them, you leave them be aside from watering. Don’t add too much fertilizer or prune them too often, you want to be gentle with them as they get colder because the roots and branches can be prone to breaking.

2. Water them

Cold means that it’s dry, and you want to make sure you water your trees at least once a week, or at least once every two weeks until the ground freezes completely. Then, you stop watering.

3. Protect them

Keep them insulated with mulch which will help keep the roots cozy during the colder days. If you fear that the weather might get really cold for the tree, you can also wrap them with burlap or leaves on cold nights and then uncover them in the morning.

Extra TLC in the winter

If you have been thinking of planting new trees, take advantage of the free time you have in the winter months and go for it. Trees planted in the winter can last until spring, but they just require a little more special care than they would if you planted them in the spring. The main thing to remember is that as things freeze, trees can get brittle and dry so you want to prevent any damage if they are left as is with some water during the cooler months.

If left alone and cared for, your trees will be ready to flourish in the warmer spring months and into the summer. You will be thankful that you planted the trees ahead of time, and you can use spring for a good spring clean-up!