What is The Best Time to Plant Trees?

There’s a saying we adore, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is today.” Fret not if you’re just getting to the stage of planting now, there’s plenty of time for your trees to establish. Need some help from professional landscapers in Sonoma County? Follow these tips to ensure that your tree is thriving 20 years (and more) from now!

What is The Best Month to Plant a Tree?

Planting trees when they are dormant is generally best to ensure a plant both establishes quickly and thrives long term. However not all tree types are dormant during the same month or stay dormant for the same duration. Additionally, various tree types express dormancy in different ways, for example an evergreen tree will keep its leaves year round while deciduous trees drop their leaves. And just because a tree has dropped its leaves doesn’t mean it’s fully dormant. Read below for some tree types and ideal timing and soon you’ll be blooming beautiful in every season!

Bare-Root Fruit Trees

Oftentimes fruit trees can be bought in ‘bare-root’ form, meaning without any pot or soil on their root system, and these types of trees are only available in the winter. The advantage of buying bare root trees is that they are much cheaper and there are far more varieties available than purchasing trees that growers have put into pots, as it is more expensive for them to do so and then maintain them. Usually growers will only pot up very popular varieties to reduce the risk of having leftovers that don’t sell, therefore fewer varieties are available.

Deciduous Fruit Trees

Most fruit trees are deciduous and will drop their leaves in the late fall well after they are done fruiting such as peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, cherries, and more. It is ideal to plant these types of trees when they are deep into dormancy, meaning not right after they drop leaves and not right before their spring buds break. Usually this means December-February are ideal times for planting. Even though soil temperatures are cold, it will give the trees time to settle in before waking up and using stored energy to bud out and grow new leaves. Consider working with a landscape designer to create your ideal landscape.

Evergreen Fruit Trees

Citrus trees are evergreen and keep their leaves year round. Citrus are best planted in the spring when soil temperatures are rising and the trees have completed a fruiting cycle. Fall also works as temperatures fall and peak summer heat passes, but citrus fruit in the winter and planting them in the fall when they are using energy to produce fruit rather than establish roots isn’t ideal.

Ornamental Trees

Ornamental trees can come in both deciduous and evergreen form but generally both perform best when planted in the December-February range just like a deciduous fruit tree and for all the same reasons. Evergreen trees will also do just fine in fall and spring, however fall is a bit better as roots have time to slowly develop over the winter and early spring before temperatures rise in the summer which results in more robust and healthy sustainable growth during their first summer.

You can learn about winter pruning and care for fruit trees and more with our online resources!

Let’s Grow Together! Inspired Landscapes

Whether you’re envisioning a lush fruit tree or a stunning ornamental addition to your landscape, Inspired Landscapes knows that timing is everything! Could you use some hands-on help or advice? Our skilled landscapers in Sonoma County are here to guide you every step of the way, from choosing the perfect tree to planting it with care! Contact Inspired Landscapes today to transform your outdoor space into a thriving, vibrant haven!