Wow. It is finally September! At the time of this writing, the temperature has dropped from the triple digits to the upper 90’s. Be patient my friend – it is almost here. What am I talking about? Fall that is. And most professional gardeners will tell you “fall is the time for planting.”

In my last article, I talked to you about the value of proper landscaping and how to shade your home. In the upcoming months I plan to give you tidbits on how you can plan and plant your landscape. I also hope to give you pointers on what you should be doing to properly maintain your landscape. Remember, landscaping is an investment. Trees, shrubs, flowers, grass, water features, walkways, patios and decks are all part of the big picture. The reason why I say tidbits is because one would have to write a book about landscaping to cover everything. That reminds me. Before planning any landscape you need to do your homework. Pick up a book such as Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening or do a lot of online research. You need to know things such as what kind of plants and trees are best for this area as well as how big certain trees and shrubs grow.

This month I plan to give you pointers on how to plan and plant a tree. Trees take top priority in planting your landscape because they take the longest to develop. Fall to early winter is the best time to plant trees, because it gives them a season to develop before the stressful months of summer. You may think that trees aren’t growing in the winter just because you do not see any leaves, but that is not the case. They are busy at work developing their roots! Plant roots grow anytime the soil temperature is above 40 degrees. This may happen all winter in Texas.

First of all, you must plan where to plant and what type of tree to plant. You always plan before you plant anything. You can always get rid of it when it’s on paper but once planted… Ask yourself many questions: “Do I want something upright or spreading? Do I want colorful blooms? Do I want fall color? Do I want an evergreen that stays green all winter? How large is it going to get? Is it going to take away from the looks of the house?” Some of the answers can only be answered by you, whereas others are just rule of thumb. For instance, you would not put a spreading tree close to your house, and you would not put a large tree under power lines. This is where your research comes into play. You can only find out how large a tree is going to get by doing research. You really need to think about the future and know how large it is going to be, because you would never plant what is considered a large tree more than 15 to 25 feet close to your home. Small to medium trees, such as crepe myrtles, can be as close as five feet. Location is everything. You should not plant a tree that is not deeply rooted too close to a driveway or sidewalk, because, in years down the road, the roots may crack them. In Robinson Ridge, we don’t have to worry about power lines, but we do have to think about underground piping. Just do your homework; you’ll be ok.

As part of your planning, you should always keep the saying “you get what you pay for” in mind. You should purchase from a reputable nurseryman, and not someone selling from the back of his truck. A reputable nurseryman will stand behind their tree(s) if something were to happen.

You have decided on what kind of tree to get, where to plant it, and where to get it from. Now comes the time to plant. You should follow these general guidelines:

1. Dig the hole only as deep as the root ball or one to two inches shallower in heavy soil. The hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball.

2. If the tree is in a container, take it out. If it is a ball and burlap, you are going to place the whole thing in the hole. Handle the tree carefully by the root ball and not by the trunk. If it is a ball and burlap and is secured with twine or nylon tie, cut the twine but do not cut off the burlap. The photo shows the difference between a ball and burlap tree and a container tree.

3. Backfill the hole using the original soil. This will aid the roots in spreading out further. Backfill about half of the hole and then settle the soil by adding water to remove the air pockets. Finish filling the hole a few inches at a time, settling it with water along the way.

4. Only stake the tree if it is tall enough and needs the support. Studies show that trees grow stronger if they are not staked. So do not stake it unless needed! Make sure that one stake is on the south side of the tree, as we get a lot of southerly wind. Use rubber ties or, if using wire, make sure that it padded at the tree with burlap or rubber tubing (like pieces of an old garden hose). Remove the stakes after a year.

5. Add mulch three to six inches deep around the tree but not touching the trunk. This helps to conserve soil moisture.

6. Make sure to properly water your newly planted tree. ONLY water it when needed. Check the soil moisture with your fingers. If it is dry or just slightly damp at about four inches, then it is time to water. More trees fail from over-watering than from under-watering.

There is so much more to planning and planting trees than I have mentioned in this short article. Check out the book I mentioned above. I also recommend reading the article "TREE PLANTING AND CARE" by extension horticulturist John Cooper, which can be found on the Denton County website. It contains good information of the native trees of Denton County.