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Caring for Your Landscape Plants During Central Texas Winters
Winter in central Texas brings its own set of challenges for landscape plants. While our winters are shorter than in other regions, the freezes and temperature swings can stress trees and other perennial plants in your yard. Let’s look at how you can help your landscape thrive through the cold season.
What Makes Central Texas Winters Unique
From November through March, Central Texas experiences regular freezes and temperature swings that can stress landscape plants. Our clay soils, which tend to hold water when cold and wet, can create additional challenges for plant roots during winter months. Understanding these conditions helps us make better choices in caring for our landscapes.
Keeping Trees Healthy Through Winter
Trees form the backbone of your landscape, and several factors contribute to their winter health. Proper soil moisture, mulching, and professional care when needed all play important roles in winter tree care.
For established trees, check soil moisture at a depth of 6-9 inches. If it’s dry at that depth, water slowly and deeply to encourage healthy root development. In our clay soils, this means applying water at a very slow rate – almost a trickle – to allow proper penetration and prevent runoff. A good rule of thumb is if you see water pooling or running off, you’re watering too quickly. This slow-watering approach is particularly important in winter when cold, wet conditions can lead to root suffocation if soil becomes waterlogged.
Young trees need careful monitoring throughout winter – check soil moisture at the root ball depth (typically 12-18 inches) and water when needed based on soil conditions. Again, the key is slow application to ensure the water reaches the entire root zone rather than running off the surface.
Mulch helps protect tree roots and retain soil moisture. A layer of organic, composted mulch around your trees provides important benefits during winter. We’ve created a guide about mulch application to help you protect your trees.
Winter can be a good time for major tree pruning, but this task is best left to professionals. Professional arborists understand how to make proper cuts that allow trees to effectively compartmentalize and protect themselves from decay.
Protecting Your Other Perennial Plants
Perennial plants, from flowering sages to ornamental grasses, also need attention during winter. These plants have different needs than trees but are just as important to your landscape’s health and beauty.
When it comes to watering perennials, less is usually more during winter. Check the soil moisture by touching it – if the top two inches feel dry, it’s time to water. As with trees, water slowly to allow proper penetration into our clay soil. Be especially careful not to overwater, as cold, wet soil can lead to root problems.
Winter cleanup of perennials should focus on removing damaged, dead, or diseased plant material, including both foliage and stems. This helps prevent disease spread and maintains plant health through the cold season.
Preparing for Freezes
When freezes are in the forecast, preparation can help protect your landscape. Check soil moisture levels and water if needed, following proper watering depths for different types of plants. For trees and larger shrubs, check moisture at root depth. For smaller perennials, check the top few inches of soil.
Have frost cloth ready for tender plants. Unlike plastic, frost cloth allows plants to breathe while providing protection. Remove coverings during the day when temperatures rise above freezing to prevent plants from overheating.
When to Call a Professional
Some situations call for professional expertise. Consider calling an arborist if you notice:
- Cracked or split bark on trees
- Large dead branches that need removal
- Signs of disease or pest problems
- Concerns about tree stability
Professional guidance early on can prevent small issues from becoming big problems.
Looking Ahead to Spring
Winter provides an excellent opportunity to plan for the coming growing season. Take notes about which plants handled the cold well and which struggled. This information helps with future plant choices and care decisions. It’s also a good time to schedule a professional tree health evaluation to ensure your trees are ready for spring growth.
If you found learning about caring for your landscape plants during central Texas winters helpful, check out the other posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. Also, follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.
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ArborTrue is a science-based tree-service company in the greater Houston area. We also serve Austin and other parts of Central Texas. We provide a range of services including tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, tree planting, arborist consultations, and more. Call us today at 832-980-8733 (Houston) or at 512-546-3833 (Austin) or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.
