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Planting and watering shrubs and trees in winter

7 years ago

I plan on getting a large quantity of 1 gallon container grown wax myrtles and some trees at auction soon. I have seen several websites say it's ok/good to plant during winter. I have seen little that specifically talks about watering during winter. Should I plant these container shrubs when I get them and water twice a week, as recommended for fall, or is there a better method for winter? I live in North central Texas. The forecast doesn't predict anymore freezing for awhile, but it's still in the 30's at night.

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
dont know anything about TX planting times .... call your county extension office .... if no one chimes in here ...

BUT .... you water.. when a plant needs water ... insert finger and learn how to figure it out ...

and that is in a pot or mother earth ....

relying on someone elses opinion of when a plant needs water .... can lead to problems ... they are not in your microcosm .... micro climate.. your yard ....

it would be good to know where your plants are coming from.. to determine what stresses need be addressed when they arrive ... you cant take a hoop house grown plant.. and put it in blazing sun ... e.g. .. its not a temp/heat issue.. its a sunburn issue .... contact your seller if need be ....

ken
Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
USDA Zone? Kind(s) of trees? If there is any question about hardiness of particular items spring planting is best. Meanwhile don't leave anything out to freeze hard before going into the ground. Plunge bottoms of plants into loose protective material like mulch or sand, or place entire plants under cover (cold greenhouse, porch, garage...) if significant frost expected before planting completed.

And mulch well after planting, to insulate the soil from quick frost penetration and drying out.
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It's better to water less frequently and more deeply. Twice a day for 5 minutes is way too often, and not nearly deep enough, for almost any kind of plant. Established trees that go dormant in the winter will only need to be watered once a month in December and January. But they need to be watered deeply, down to 3 feet. Newly planted trees and smaller perennials will need to be watered more often than that, but 6-10 days sounds about right, and depending on the size of the plant, 6" to 1' deep. You may need to get a soil probe to tell how deeply you've watered, and how long it takes to get that deep. You push the probe into the soil and it will stop where the water stopped. I got my soil probe from the Pima County Ag. Extension during one of their open houses for $5. I was using a length of rebar before that, but it was a bit too thick and had no handle, so it wasn't easy to use. --Maureen
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twisted- search some old threads for daphne and you'll see you're not alone. they are picky but worth it. now that you have this one happy, i'd highly recommend working on getting another one going in a another spot, because typically they'll last about 5-8 years before they very suddenly succumb to the fungus that's endemic here. daylily- congrats, but you've been warned! couple yrs ago i was bragging on mine living 8 years and i lost it the very next year. i've only seen or heard of 3 or 4 around here that have made it past around that amount of time living. by succession planting you always have one to enjoy. once you have success with one, you'll be addicted and always want them. some folks are having good luck keeping them in insulated containers- which is what i think i'm going to do the next time i find one on sale. big boxes mark them down at the end of winter when the general public doesn't know what they are and so only buy them while blooming. makes for good buys for those with sharp eyes! every single, solitary time i see a coral bark maple i lust after them. i am going to HAVE to get one soon. they are sooo pretty. only question is where to squeeze it in where i can ogle it all winter long. :)
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It depends on a few factors - how damp the soil was before the plants went into dormancy, if there's a mulch or snow cover, if you're getting any snow melt. Around here, its high desert, very low humidity, rarely any snow cover, but most stuff is mulched. I soak things pretty well in October and thats usually enough. However if its a dry winter, with little snow, come March and April and the wind starts to blow, it can dry things out to the point that perennials start to die. The gardeners joke around here is to use a moisture meter, the kind with the long spike. If the soil is so dry that the spike bends when you try and poke it in, you need to water. :-)
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I wrap my little lilacs, that are the same size as your plants, in Jobes tree wrap, and then I close-pin burlap around each one, tightly. Neither voles, nor rabbits have gotten through. And hopefully neither will turkeys. :/ I really like what you've done. It's impressive. I wish I was handy like you and could do something like that.
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
I would think that this would be a fairly ideal time to plant in TX since there is more likely to be rain and the temperatures more moderate than in spring. I agree with Embo's suggestion to mulch the soil well around the plantings to keep moisture and temperatures more even.

Perhaps it would be best to ask on the TX forum. Be sure to tell them where in TX you are.

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