Planting Season In Austin

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 10/23/2025 ♦ Leave a comment

Planting season in Austin can be a challenge with such short windows of opportunity. Depending on where you’re from, planting seasons can vary wildly. While some have long planting seasons for plants, shrubs and trees, those of us in Central Texas have very small windows for perennial plantings and you will need to prepare well ahead of time for success. 

This view is over 70% edible plants and trees

Spring vs Fall Planting Season

When is the best time for planting in either season? Well, in spring you want to plant after the last frost which is typically early March. for Fall, it can vary from year to year but you want the temperatures to have dropped consistently into the low 90’s and upper 80’s. Some years that is in late September and other years it is in mid to late October. 
My general advice for my clients is to plant your trees and shrubs in the fall and save the smaller plants for the spring because our winters can be so unpredictable. 

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Why does the Timing matter?

Timing in Central Texas is very unique to many other states in the country because of our extreme temperatures of high heat and small periods of hard freeze. We also have low rain amounts which complicates establishing plants and preventing shock, or permanent damage during these extreme periods. In my 25 years of landscape, design and installation I have witnessed many landscape crews installing plants well into the summer months when the chance of survival would be significantly less because the root balls would not have enough time to establish in the punishing heat.

Planting in the more temperate seasons allows the plants to better establish and withstand the cold and heat, as well as prevent the shock of drooping and recovery over and over through the season. Many landscape companies will charge you a fee to guarantee the plants which really has to cover them for their errors more than it is for you. If you are given proper instruction on how to care for plants and they are quality plants that are planted at appropriate time you should easily have a 95% success rate with the plants and trees you install .

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Plan Ahead for Best Results 

A Landscape Design or Educational Consultation is your best bet for achieving success in your landscape for both the plants and hardscape selections. The money you spend on a professional like myself, you can potentially save several times over on costly mistakes and unqualified contractors. 
Below are examples of a Consultation Concept Sketch (top) and a full Landscape Design (below). 
These tools are very helpful for conveying your needs, but they take time to complete and someone in high demand can be booked for weeks in advance, so plan ahead. 

Educational Consultation and Design Concept

Complete Landscape Design

How do I care for my new plants over the summer and winter months?

Part of my invaluable service is to educate my clients on how to care for your landscape over these difficult seasons. My best advice is to remember that any plant or tree needs additional care and protection for the first two years. 

Irrigation is NOT a catch-all for plants and trees, it is in fact a back up plan for establishing plants and must be maintained and monitored during these periods.

Obviously, plants and trees have different water needs, but plants in shade vs sun, windy conditions, at the top or bottom of a slope, etc, will all need special attention. Your best tool will be a moisture meter to determine each plants individual needs. Walk the garden, test each area and eventually you’ll see the changes and learn to recognize each plants needs and patterns.

Embrace the environment that we are in by only choosing native and highly adapted, non-invasive plants. Understand our unique, seasonal challenges, learn how to water properly and pay close attention to each area of your landscape, as if it were a micro climate. Compost your beds well in spring, and fall to ensure soil health. Expect to pay more attention to even the most native landscape over the first two years to ensure it is established well before you take a break from it. And equally important as the rest would be to use only organic fertilizers and pest control.

Finally, be prepared, plan ahead and don’t miss your window to ensure the greatest level of success in the Central Texas Landscape.

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape and Design

”Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”