Moon Valley Texas Blog

3 Reasons to Plant Trees in the Fall

Written by Jessica Downs | 9/28/18 3:00 PM

The fall season is the best time to start prepping and planning for new additions you have been wanting to include into your landscape. The weather is finally perfect for you to be enjoying the outdoors again. It also gives you plenty of time for your transplants to be ready for next year.

Cooler Temperatures

With the temperatures dropping and the weather starting to cool down in the Southwest region, plants and trees will have the best chance to transplant safely into their new site. With less sun and heat shining down on them, plants and trees will not require as much water as they would need during the summer. They can even benefit from the moisture that is slowly starting to build back up in the air.

Warm Soils

As low as the temperatures are getting by the day in Texas, the ground is still warm from the blazing summer season. This makes the perfect environment for new transplants to have successful root growth. The warm soil also decreases the chances of transplant shock to the plant.

Head Start on Spring

Planting in the fall also guarantees that the roots have the most time to establish a system and be ready to start focusing on the top growth when spring rolls around. Adding plants in the fall also makes for a more enjoyable time for you with less bugs in the air and get you ready for entertaining and appreciating your new yard.

Top 3 Trees to Plant in the Fall

Stone Fruit Trees

Stone fruit trees are great trees to prep and plant in the fall season before the ground gets too cold. This gives them enough time to focus on root growth and get established into the soil before the warm spring/summer season shows up.

Peach

With full sun exposure and regular fertilization, Peach trees will thrive and produce an abundance of fruit each growing season. These trees are easy to grow and can add more benefits than just giving you fresh fruit. They add color with cream, pink, and red flowers and their dense foliage and branches make them good options for creating a privacy screen.

Plum

A plum tree has the obvious benefit of providing delicious plums directly from your yard. They need full sun as well but that shouldn’t be an issue for Texas. They are also sometimes used specifically as a border tree, privacy screen, or an accent for the landscape.

Nectarine

The recurring theme for these stone fruit trees are that they all love full sun and show off some impressive colored flowers in the spring. The Nectarine tree is no different! It’s always great to be able to grow your own food and know where it came from.

Shumard Oak Tree (Quercus shumardii)

The Shumard Oak tree is a great choice to include into a landscape. It is a medium to large tree whose canopy has a wide spreading reach to create a large area of shade. This tree is a fast-growing species of oak that is very long-living and durable. This Oak tree is known for its large dark green leaves that can grow up to eight inches long and overall classic look.

Another benefit of having the Shumard Oak tree is the beautiful vibrant red orange colors that take over tree during the Fall season that will get you into the holiday spirit. This would be the perfect tree to set up a tire swing for the family!

 

 

Live Oak Tree (Quercus virginiana)

The Live Oak tree is a beautiful evergreen tree that would be a great addition to any landscape when you’re looking for privacy. This tree grows large with dense, shady green foliage that can block unwanted views. Besides creating privacy, these evergreen Live Oaks feature a wide-spreading crown that can provide lots of shade.

This tree is well-known for being very drought tolerant once it is established in the soil, and for the minimal care required to keep their good looks and health intact. Plant one in your front yard and let your children explore the sturdy limbs and create privacy from nosy neighbors.

After it is established, all this tree really needs to succeed is to soak it up in the full sun.                                                                                                               The care for a Live Oak is minimal to none. The local wildlife is sure to like this tree as well.                                                                                                       Just add some bird feeders or houses and get ready for some guests!

Come by and see all of our fall inventory at any of our Moon Valley Nursery locations. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions or get a design started!