The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their winter predictions a few weeks ago, and most of us in the Southeast won’t need that extra rick of firewood.  The seasonal temperature outlook states that the southeastern United States (including Texas) will likely have above average temperatures this winter. 

“With droughts and severe winter freezes in the last couple of years, many people are planning to replace trees or just establish new ones before spring,” said David Broussard, owner of Bayou Garden Growers, LLC.  “Even in a mild winter, that is possible.”

Broussard said the key to winter planting is dormancy, and that happens even during warmer temperatures.  “The change of seasons and the plant’s genetics work together to make a plant rest,” he said.  “You will notice the leaves fall from deciduous trees and evergreens will have no new growth.  These trees are still active, but visible growth and development have paused. Really, it is how God made them to survive the winter and prepare to restart growth in spring.”

Once a plant is dormant and the soil temperatures are 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, tree planting becomes ideal.  “The sweet spot for a transplanted tree is when the soil temperatures allow the roots to keep growing while the plant is dormant,” Broussard said. “This gets the tree ready to have tremendous growth in the spring.”

Another way to give your tree a head start is to use plants grown in root pruning or grow bags.  “When we dig our trees the root ball is both intact and healthy with multiple root ends eager to get in the ground,” Broussard said. This root system also makes transplanting trees outside of the winter season possible. 

In addition to the prediction of warm temperatures, NOAA said to expect below average rainfall which means new plants will likely need water between rains.  “Planting during dormancy means you don’t have to do as much work to keep your trees alive than during other seasons, but during a mild, dry winter you may have do a little work to get the reward that is coming in the spring,” Broussard said.