Once the hot and humid Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, summers have passed, locals enjoy the cooler fall weather. Gardeners look forward to getting outside and preparing their gardens for planting fall vegetables. If you’re planning on planting new trees around your home, mid-September through mid-November is the ideal time for planting trees in the fall. Let’s look at why fall is the best time to plant trees in North Texas.
Cool Nights and Warm Days
Trees thrive when their roots can grow in soil over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and fall still has warm enough days to help keep the soil at an optimum temperature for root growth. The warm days also give the trees a chance to grow and thrive before going into the minimal growth they’ll experience in the colder winter months. The cool nighttime temperatures in the fall give the trees a chance to recover and will help reduce transplant shock for the newly planted trees.
Gives Trees a Chance to Recover
As we mentioned, trees go through a bit of a shock when they’re first transplanted. Signs of transplant shock in your tree include wilting or dying leaves, drooping or dying branches, or premature fall color. Some transplant shock is normal. However, you can give your trees an extra chance to recover by planting them in the cooler fall season.
Requires Less Watering
Trees need lots of water during late spring through early fall when the Dallas-Fort Worth heat is on. Because the temperatures are cooler during the fall, you won’t have to water quite as much as you will during the summer.
However, your trees will still require regular watering. You’ll just have to monitor how much water they’ll need, and how often they’ll need it. A professional tree care service can evaluate your tree’s watering needs to help them thrive through the fall season. Once your tree is past transplant shock and thriving, consider having your tree care specialist install tree lighting to add a festive and bright look to the area.
Prepares Them for the Next Hot Summer Season
When you plant your new trees in the fall, they’ll have several months to establish their root system. A tree with a solid root system can withstand the summer heat and have less stress during the hot months. One way to help your tree through the hot days and warm evenings is to cool the soil.
Adding the appropriate mulch material around the tree helps the soil retain moisture and subsequently aids in cooling the soil. You’ll want to consult with a professional tree care company to help you decide which type of mulch is helpful. In addition, you’ll want to know how much mulch to place around the tree and how far from the trunk to place it.If you’d like more information about what types of trees to plant in the fall in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, contact our team at North Texas Trees today. We can help you with best time to plant trees in North Texas along with planting advice, pruning, tree removal, and all your North Texas tree needs.