Butler County is having a cold snap this week and winter is looming. Yet, it's not too late to do something associated with spring: planting.

Get out the shovel and put some new trees in the ground.

“Any type of tree can be planted in the fall,” said David Himes of Green Valley Nursery in West Sunbury.

He said tree planting can continue until the top two inches of ground are frozen.

“The tree is basically dormant. The only thing that will grow right now are the roots,” Himes said.

Dormant trees require less watering, according to Brian Wolyniak, an urban forester for Penn State Extension's southwest region.

“Dormancy is dialing back the amount of water it has inside, in part because it's dropped its leaves,” Wolyniak said.

Himes said fall is also a good time to buy trees because they may be on clearance.

“Research the information about the particular species that you're looking to plant,” Wolyniak said.

“Does it have specific soil requirements? Is it a tree that's prone to drought stress? Is it tolerant of road salt if it is near the road? It doesn't even have to be a tree right by the road. If it is a lower area where a lot of water running off the road is going to collect, that's certainly a concern,” Wolyniak said.

Jeff Anna, regional park manager for Pennsylvania state parks in the western region, encourages planting trees that are native to Pennsylvania.

“They are heartier and will take the climate a little better,” Anna said.

He said to consider the amount of space available for the tree.

“The roots spread out about the amount that the top of the tree spreads out,” he said.

Before buying a tree, know what you want the tree to do, Anna said. For example, trees with fruit or berries will create food for humans and attract animals and birds.

“One that's great for attracting birds and is also a native is serviceberry,” Wolyniak said.

To have more privacy from neighbors, Anna suggested evergreens, which can protect birds from snow and wind, too.

“Smaller birds are more likely to come to a bird feeder if there is some cover,” Anna said.

“If I wanted to plant for shade, maybe I would want a maple ... a red sugar maple or silver maple because they are native to Pennsylvania,” said Anna.

Anna said tulip poplars are shade trees that people overlook.

“They bloom in the spring. They grow very fast. They will grow very straight and tall if in shade, but if they are in someone's yard, they will grow very wide and become a shade umbrella,” Anna said.

Wolyniak said ornamental cherries, Japanese tree lilac, ginko and Japanese Zelkova are trees that are not native to Western Pennsylvania but can do well here. They need less space than tulip poplars.

He also likes the native ruby red horse chestnut tree. Its spring blooms are red, and it is smaller than other horse chestnut and buckeye trees.

With a tree selected, do a good job of planting it.

“The hole itself should be wide and shallow,” Wolyniak said. “The depth of the hole should be about the size of the root ball.”

“If the hole fills with water when you dig it, you should create a drain in the bottom by putting in four inches of gravel, then the root ball. Then put the dirt back,” Himes said.

If the hole is dry, Himes said to fill it with water and let it drain out before planting.

“If you are planting it in clay, you should be replacing half the dirt you remove with peat moss,” Himes said.

Wolyniak said when there is clay, do not smooth out and compress the inside surface of the hole. That can prevent the roots from pushing through it.

“Just the very top of the roots, where they are coming right up into the trunk, that's where you want to get the top of the soil,” Wolyniak said.

Himes said three inches of mulch should go on top of the soil.

Wolyniak said, “Taper it off right near the trunk so you don't have any right up against the trunk.”

He said to water the tree now to settle the soil and to help the tree if the root ball dried out during transport or before planting.

“It probably won't need more water this fall,” Wolyniak said. “Start watering it in the spring and continue through the growing season.”

Both rabbits and deer will feed from tender young trees. To prevent this, Anna recommended fencing around the trees or using tree tubes around the young tree trunks. These also keep the trees warmer.

New trees started now will have a good head start for spring.

“If you can get a shovel into the ground to dig the hole, it's OK to plant,” Wolyniak said.

For more information about planting trees, type “Ten Rules for Planting Trees PSU” or “Planting and After Care of Community Trees PSU” into your Web browser.