For those who maintain a number of trees on their property, including those who look to plant new trees every so often, the upcoming Utah winter is something of a planning stage. This is the only major season in which you generally won’t be planting any new trees — all three others (fall, spring and summer) feature opportunities for planting depending on the tree species you’re interested in and some other factors.
At Green Pointe Tree Care, we’re here to help with numerous tree care services, from tree fertilization through disease control, horticulture and many others — and several of our solutions assist clients who have recently planted trees or are considering doing so in the near future. Here’s a quick primer on each of the three non-winter seasons and which trees are generally ideal for planting during these time periods.
Spring: Evergreens
For those looking to plant various evergreen tree species such as Blue Spruce, Arborvitae, White Pine and Juniper varieties, spring is generally the best time to plant, especially if you live in a less-than-ideal climate. This is because evergreens tend to prefer colder weather and can develop more quickly during this season than virtually any other — additional benefits include the fact that many seeds and seedlings can be obtained in winter months.
Now, this doesn’t meant that it’s impossible to plant evergreens in other seasons. However, the process is more difficult and less advised — generally speaking, you’ll have to wait for optimal conditions to plant thanks to spring’s unique combination of ample sunshine and temperature fluctuations (which helps ensure that your trees can adapt as needed).
Late Winter or Early Spring: Fruit Trees
Fruit trees should be in the ground either by the late parts of winter or, more typically, the very earliest parts of springtime. This is the best time to plant apple or pear trees, regardless of whether they are seedlings or grafted. However, it’s important to note that some fruit trees won’t thrive during winter months, including apricot and cherry varieties — if you’re planting one of these species, be sure to wait until March or even later.
Late Summer or Early Fall: Maple Trees
Finally, maple trees need to be in the ground before any freezing begins — this is why, while mid-fall is ideal, there’s nothing wrong with doing this in the late summer to ensure freezing is still far away. Maple trees also grow well in partial shade, which makes late summer afternoons an optimal window for planting.
For more on which tree species and varieties are best planted within the given seasons of a year, or to learn about any of our tree spraying, disease control or other arborist services, speak to the staff at Green Pointe Tree Care today.