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When Is The Best Time To Plant Trees? Answered!

Resources: Community

when is the best time to plant trees and benefits 1

As you may know, there are a lot of reasons to be thankful for trees. Trees provide us with a series of benefits. They keep us healthy; reduce violence; provide us with food and medicines; provide sound barriers, windbreaks, and protection from weather; add property value; stimulate the economy; and more.

With Arbor Day coming up, we thought it’d be a good idea to answer the commonly asked question, “when is the best time to plant trees?” as well as explain 5 great benefits of planting more trees.

When is the best time to plant trees?

Generally speaking, the best time to plant trees is in the fall and early spring.

There are several benefits of planting trees in fall and early spring. Generally, your tree’s species and the climate they’re located in (i.e: your geographic location) are the two biggest determining factors when it comes to deciding the best time to plant trees.

Both fall and early spring can be great times to plant trees; especially in the Northern Virginia, MD, and DC Metro area.

Fall (Late August to October):

  • Fall’s cooler temperatures and rainfall improve root growth.
  • This fall climate generally means less frequent watering on your part.  
  • The tree will build stronger resistance against environmental stressors.
  • Deciduous trees (ex: Maple trees) are best planted in the fall.

Early Spring:

  • Similar to fall, the cooler soil conditions support root development.
  • Spring rainfall can help you supply water for the new trees (just remember to supply enough water in the upcoming summer!).
  • Trees planted in the spring will have more time to develop before winter’s extreme climate.
  • Spring can be a good option for you if you have more time to devote to soil and root management. Careful, watchful eyes and proper tree care techniques are especially important in the spring: the tree will need to establish a strong root system and grow leaves and branches, all at the same time.
  • Slow-developing trees like birch, dogwood, willow, and magnolia trees, are best planted in the spring.

NOTE: If you’re considering planting an evergreen tree or planting an evergreen privacy screen, either fall or spring will be fine to plant the tree(s). Evergreen trees tend to be more adaptable to seasonal changes, as they don’t go dormant in the winter.

Spring fever is in – which rings especially true for us environmentalists. With nurseries stocking up and Arbor Day around the corner, now would be one of the best times to plant a new trees! In fact, one of our Certified Arborists recently planted a tree with his granddaughter in honor of Arbor Day.

Learn more about spring tree care
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Why Planting Trees Is Important

Now that you know the best time to plant trees, you may be wondering why it is important to plant more trees. While you may know the several benefits of trees, the act of planting more trees is significant on its own.

Below are 5 benefits of planting trees and why you should consider it:

  1. You’ll help Earth fight climate change. Trees are said to be the lungs of the planet. By planting more trees, you’ll help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. More trees will absorb and remove the carbon dioxide overfilling our atmosphere, reducing the carbon footprint left behind.
  2. You’ll be healthier: As you likely know, trees absorb carbon dioxide and then release the oxygen we need to survive; but, did you know trees also filter the air? By filtering the air, trees remove harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide from the air we breathe. This means, with more trees comes an overall increase in our well-being!
  3. You’ll be happier: Studies have shown that trees improve overall happiness and decrease the amount of stress, for people of all ages.
  4. You’ll support nearby wildlife. Many critters depend on trees for food and shelter. Planting more trees means providing more habitats for your favorite animals.
  5. You’ll improve your urban community. 100+ years ago, ancestors planted trees for us to enjoy and benefit from. One of these benefits is prevention against the creation of urban heat islands – in other words, providing cooling, relaxing shade for buildings and other infrastructure. Today, however, there sadly have been many trees that have been taken down due to urban activities.

By replacing old trees – whether removed by poor health or construction – you’ll not only improve your community’s aesthetics, you’ll also be giving future community members the gift of greenery.

Planting more trees this Arbor Day is an important step in doing the right thing for people and nature – which is what we’re all about.


The Importance Of Spring Tree Care

No matter when or what time of the year you choose to plant your tree, it will need proactive tree care and maintenance for it to reach its fullest potential and live its best life.

  1. With spring comes the perfect breeding ground for tree fungal diseases. If you’re concerned about your trees, it’s important to take action now – once the fungus is there, there is no going back.
  2. Looking for ways you can improve your tree’s health this spring? Check out our Spring Tree Care Guide or download it here.
  3. Alternatively, you can watch the video below to learn the top 6 things you can do for your trees right now.

If you’re out in your yard planting trees, or you become concerned about your existing trees, the best time to reach out is now; our Certified Arborists and tree service experts are happy to help! Simply call us at 703-573-3029 or book an appointment online to get started.

Call 703.573.3029
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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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