It may seem completely counter-intuitive because everyone always talks about how you plant things in the fall, or spring, or summer, but not many people discuss the winter. With winter right around the corner, there’s no better time to discuss just how effective it can be to plant a new tree in the winter.
Types of Trees for the Winter
It all starts with deciding what kinds of trees you want to plant. And it may seem like deciduous trees would be a poor choice, but your young sapling is unlikely to have many leaves anyway, because what it cares about when it is first growing is the roots. The roots of a tree are what provide your main nutrients, especially in the winter. This is what lets the tree grow. So take your pick of trees as long as you know they will have sturdy roots, many people recommend Pecan, Elm, or Bald Cypress trees as a great deciduous choice and Oak or Afghan Pine for evergreens. This is because those trees are slower growing and that means less prone to brittle wood, which could break if your winter is too cold while they are young.
Where to Plant the Tree
Next you need to determine the site, and this is the most important of all. It’s best to decide a site after the snow has fell if you are in a region with snow, or almost immediately before you are expecting it. This is because you need to dig up a region and plant the tree. If you dig it up before the snow falls then you have nice turned soil that the tree can thrive in, if you dig up after, you can determine which areas are too hard of a soil or frozen to deal with. Don’t forget things like the average size of your tree and staying away from hard lines in the ground as well. The last thing anyone wants is losing their electricity because their new tree’s roots wrapped around the underground cables.
The Planting Process
Finally you have the hard part; digging up the area to plant the tree. This is all about making sure to dig a wide hole, but not necessarily a too deep of one. If you are digging up before snowfall then dig a hole that is about five times larger than the container your tree is currently in, and then pack down a bottom layer of soil, so it is loose but not too loose so you will end up with a sinking sapling. Otherwise dig a hole to the base of the pot or roots the tree currently has and then plant your tree down.
That’s all it takes. Of course, you still need to remember to soak your tree; recommendations include melting snow if you are dealing with it, rather than hosing down the tree. Otherwise just sprinkle the tree regularly if you aren’t getting normal rains.
