When to Plant Trees in Nebraska?

Trees offer shade and privacy, protect the soil in your yard from erosion, provide a safe haven for wildlife, and can even increase property values. You’re on the right track if you’ve decided to plant trees around your home or business. However, you will have to choose their location carefully and ensure you’re planting your trees at the right time of the year. Keep reading to discover the best time to plant trees in Nebraska — and to get some tips on the best trees to plant in Nebraska.

When to Plant Trees in Nebraska?

Basic Tips

When deciduous trees drop their leaves in fall, they also enter a dormant state that lasts until spring when their fresh new leaves unfurl and younger trees continue to grow. Deciduous trees need to be planted while they are dormant, but during a time when the ground is not frozen.

Evergreen trees do not experience dormancy like deciduous trees, but they do grow much slower in the winter months. Gardeners have more flexibility in deciding when to plant evergreens, but that can make it harder to decide on the best time.

You can plant trees in Nebraska in the fall or spring, however, both options have advantages and disadvantages.

Planting a tree during the fall means it won’t go through a stage of rapid growth until spring — ensuring it has time to adjust to its new environment. However, newly planted trees require frequent watering, and the young tree’s roots won’t have access to water once the ground freezes.

Extremely cold weather and frost can prevent new trees from becoming established and may come as early as September or October in Nebraska. This is something to keep in mind — and you may want to plant new trees in spring to avoid this problem, depending on your precise location.

How to Plant Trees

Once you decide whether or not you want to plant your trees in spring or fall, you can follow these steps on how to plant a tree:

1. Dig a saucer-shaped hole as deep as the tree’s roots and a little wider.
2. Remove excess soil around the tree’s root ball.
3. The base of the tree should be at ground level, or a little higher, once planted.
4. Settle the tree by loosely covering its root system with the soil from the hole you dug and patting it down. You may have to trim its roots a little.
5. Add a layer of mulch to protect the young tree.
6. Create a stake to help the tree establish itself, but don’t keep it in place for more than one year.
7. New trees must be watered regularly.

Best Trees to Plant in Nebraska

The best trees to plant in Nebraska include:

• Eastern arborvitae
• River birch
• Ohio buckeye
• Eastern cottonwood
• Coffee tree
• American elm
• Red maple
• Black oak
• Douglas fir
• Ginkgo biloba

Homeowners in Nebraska have many more exciting options to choose from, but all these trees have the potential to grow into thriving mature specimens.

Additional Information: Trees to Plant in Nebraska – Nebraska Forest Service

A Final Word

Planting and nurturing trees can be more complex than you might originally think. Climate, soil type, and lighting conditions all have to be considered — and that’s after you determine which trees can thrive in your area and when to plant them!

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We provide the Highest Quality Field Grown Nebraska Trees and Shrubs – directly to our customers, at the lowest possible price.

Whether you are looking for trees for:

• new home landscaping
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Simply select the tree(s) you want and they will be ready for pickup or delivery the following Saturday Morning. The trees are easy to handle and plant. Click here for more information.