Is There Still Time to Plant? (Or Better Still…Should I?)

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 12/02/2011 ♦ Leave a comment

Is there still time to plant? The answer is yes, you should plant, but timing is everything. We have two short planting seasons in Central Texas and they are spring and fall and a little winter.

Planting Seasons are Short 

During the fall months you can plant smaller perennial plants and shrubs but beware that an early freeze could compromise their success. Be prepared to cover them if necessary and be mindful that they will need to be watered through the winter months.

if you are looking to plant trees, they can be planted from fall to February and even March if it’s still cool enough. Unlike other states that plant in the summer, Texas is too hot for that so we have a short cool season window to plant trees, roses, fruit and berries.

When choosing a tree to plant, I suggest you use as small a tree as you can ( 5-15 gallon size) as the smaller the tree the faster it will grow. A large tree has been in a bucket for many years and will struggle to acclimate in the ground, they also have larger roots that will have a hard time navigating through our hard soil, not to mention the cost! Try to avoid jack hammering rock to plant a large tree, you may be digging a tomb for your huge tree/root ball to drown in. A small tree can be planted in a shallower hole and can be mulched with a higher berm to encourage the tree to take the path of least resistance. Use a liquid root stimulator to encourage root growth when you plant your new tree and water once daily for the first couple of weeks, then every few days and finally once a week or so until established which can take up to 2 years.  Irrigation is not sufficient to establish a new tree, hand watering is best. Also, be sure to stake your tree, the swaying motion tears the small thread like feeder roots from the root ball and forces the tree to re-grow them over and over, never getting fully established.

If you are trying to get some fall bulbs in but prefer to wait for the “sale” bulbs and get them in in time for Spring, the best way to “cheat” too late in the fall season is to simply plant the bulbs a little closer to the surface of the soil, but not too close or they may be damaged from the frost. In my experience, the best bulbs for our area that come back every year are bearded and dutch Iris (Louisiana iris prefer a wet spot), Daffodil ( “Sir Winston Churchhill” and “Peruvian” are my faves), Lilies of all types, Gladiola’s, Paper Whites, Amaryllis and Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile). Bulbs like dry feet for the most part so be careful not to over water.

Finally on to fruit…Mmm, there are many great fruit plants and trees for Texas and again should be planted in the winter months. figs, blackberries, persimmons, pomegranates, pears, plums, peaches, loquat, nectarines, raspberries and various grapes to name a few. Same as before, make sure they are for our zone, they thrive in our soil condition (alkaline, not acid…that means no Blueberries or Cherries) and that you do not plant a fruit that requires water we do not have. Fruits have specific “chill hour” requirements, if you buy a tree with too few chill hours, (meaning how many hours of freezing you get each Winter), you will end up with fruit showing up too soon and suffering damage in a late freeze, if you plant one with too many Chill Hour requirements, you will  never see fruit. There are certain fruit trees that only grow up North for that reason.

Be sure when purchasing a fruit tree that it doesn’t require a mate for pollination. There are many self fertile virtues to choose from.  When choosing flowering tree, be sure to stay as native to your environment as possible for best results and drought resistance. 

Basic rule of fruit, roses and trees…Obviously, plant native and adapted, low water, low maintenance. Space properly with plenty of room for each plants mature size to avoid diseases and harsh pruning and always prepare your soil and planting site with organic matter before you plant.  Remember, compost can save the world 😉

Peggy Martin Climbing Rose, full sun to 15 ‘, cascades of pink roses spring and summer.

The next planting opportunity for flowering perennials will be spring and this will begin in late February or early March, or when ever the last freeze has passed. This can be done typically into late April or early May, or until the weather stays in the 80’s or below. 

Paprika Yarrow is an excellent plant for Central Texas, evergreen, colorful and medicinal.

Before you plant in any season, I suggest you begin by reviewing my many articles about plants and trees, or visit my Youtube channel or Facebook page at Lisa’s Landscape & Design to discover some truly unique tree, plant and shrub choices.
You can also search the web for trees and plants that are native and adapted to Central Texas. Be sure the trees, plants and shrubs you use are intended for zone your hardiness zone which in Central Texas is 8a/b. I might avoid Oaks when possible due to Oak wilt, but if you are a lover of Oaks (and I cannot say I blame you), choose a White Oak like Bur, Monterrey, or Chinquapin which have smaller vascular systems and a better chance of survival if exposed to the disease.

Kieffer Pear is a super Blight resistant, low water low maintenance pear tree that is super delicious, crisp and sweet. Great for table and cooking!

For planting any time of year, do your homework for light and size requirements and be sure to make plenty of room for the mature plant or shrub. Spacing your plants too close together is a maintenance nightmare and it ends up looking like a blob of plants when what you want is to maintain the integrity of each plant you planted.

Expect to have to water the plantings throughout the winter and summer months months at least once a week or every other week (depending on temps and wind) to the depth of one inch for at least the first two years. Unless you get a good soaking rain, (then you can wait a week or two) your plants are going to need your help well until they are well established.

Watering before a cold front can also protect your new plants, trees and shrubs from painful, burning freezing temps by decreasing the soil temps a few degrees. I also recommend you cover your tender perennials with frost clothes when temps are below freezing to protect the roots. Deciduous plants will of course still die back on top but below ground they are protected.

Also, be sure not to “cut back” your new plants until late spring when you see some new growth. be patient here, don’t assume they are dead after the winter, if you have a late bloomer, give it a little tug and if it doesn’t come right out it is probably still alive.

Spring planting requires extra attention in the summer months and this will vary greatly depending on the sun and wind conditions. 

use proper planting techniques for successful installation and learn to mulch properly. With all planting (trees, shrubs and flowering plants) you will only dig the hole slightly deeper than the bucket and twice as wide. You mix the soil from the hole you dug with compost and place a small amount in the bottom of the hole so your tree/rose/fruit is 1-2 inches above level with the existing ground, then fill in the sides with the remaining mixture. Add root stimulator as recommended and water thoroughly. Add mulch up to to the soil that the plant originally came in but not over it. After mulching you should see the bell shape or flare of the tree at the ground level, it should not look like a lollipop stick. When planting Roses, you should see the graft union (that nubby thing on the bottom of the bush) above the ground, not below the soil when planted. When planting shrubs or perennial plants you should see the soil the pot came in. Mulching too close to the plant can prevent adequate water consumption, but you do want to mulch up to the plant or shrub as we get closer to winter months to protect the plant from harsh weather.

Proper tree berm and watering technique

By using proper timing, water and planting techniques, you’ll be well on your way to successful landscape in no time. If you’d like help with a landscape consultation or design, contact me at Lisalapaso@gmail.com for more info. 

Happy Gardening!!

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape & Design (“Like” me on Facebook!)

“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”

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