Overview

As summer fades and cooler days approach, it’s the perfect time to shift your focus to fall tree care. At Adam's Tree Service, we know Texas homeowners face unique climate conditions that require tailored strategies to keep trees healthy year-round. This guide outlines exactly what you need to do this fall to prep your trees for winter and ensure a vibrant landscape come spring.

Introduction

As the Texas heat wanes, your trees begin transitioning into a slower-growing phase. While they might appear dormant, the fall season is a critical window to strengthen root systems, repair summer stress, and prep for winter's challenges. Following a proactive checklist now can help keep your trees thriving all year long.

Let’s explore the essential fall tree care steps every Texas homeowner should take before the first frost hits.

Inspect Trees for Summer Damage

It’s always best to kick off your fall checklist with a good tree inspection. This gives you a clear idea of what you’re working with and where to start. Summer in Texas can be brutal, and even healthy, mature trees might show signs of stress from heat, drought, or storms. Given that, an inspection can save you a lot of trouble down the line.

Here’s what to look for:

Wilting or scorched leaves
Broken or hanging branches
Cracked or splitting bark
Leaning or unstable trunks
Fungal growth at the base

Issues like these might seem concerning, but with the right help from trained arborists, most problems can be rectified. Spot them early, and you’ll be able to move through the rest of your fall tree care checklist.

Seasonal Tree Pruning

Fall is an ideal time to prune trees, especially once they begin to go dormant. While you can prune at any time of year, doing so at the end of summer or the beginning of fall reduces the chance of disease transmission or damage and helps shape the tree for future growth.

Focus your pruning on:

Removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches
Eliminating cross-branching limbs
Reducing excess weight on limbs that could snap in winter
Improving overall tree structure and air flow

Something to keep in mind: Avoid over-pruning. Trees rely on their foliage to generate energy, so it’s best to remove no more than 25% of the canopy at a time.

How Does Fall Pruning Reduce the Risk of Disease or Damage?

As trees begin to go dormant, they naturally protect themselves from the risks of cold winter weather. During this time, they’re better able to heal from pruning cuts and can do so well before the spring, when insects and diseases pick back up again. Spring is also a time when their energy becomes focused on growth. Pruning in the fall allows them plenty of time to heal before they start expending their energy elsewhere.

Fertilize Tree Soil

Texas soils can be nutrient-poor, especially after a hot, dry summer, which leaves trees depleted and vulnerable heading into winter. That’s why fall fertilization is so important. It helps replenish their energy reserves before the colder months arrive.

It also encourages strong root growth while the tree is naturally focused underground. By feeding your trees at the onset of fall or right as summer ends, you’re setting them up for success during their dormant months.

Isn’t Fertilizing More Useful in Spring?

This is a common thought, but fall fertilizing actually gives your trees a head start. As the growing season winds down, trees shift their energy to root development, and that’s exactly where fall nutrients go. Fertilizing during this time helps them build strength below the surface when photosynthesis slows and access to nutrients becomes more limited.

Watering Your Trees in the Fall

Even though temperatures start to cool down, many parts of Texas stay dry well into early winter. That means your trees still need consistent moisture as they ease into dormancy. During this time, it's best to water deeply but less frequently—about once or twice a week is the sweet spot, depending on rainfall.

Follow these tips for the best results:

Water young or newly planted trees.
Prioritize trees that are prone to drought stress.
Water early in the day to reduce evaporation.
Avoid watering at night, especially before a cold front.

Replace Dead Grass With Fresh Sod

If your lawn suffered over the summer, fall is the ideal time to replace dead or patchy grass with fresh sod. Once the grass is completely dried out, efforts to water, fertilize, or aerate may no longer work. At that point, laying sod becomes the most effective solution. Cooler temperatures and more consistent moisture make fall, or even late summer, a great time to pull up dead grass and install new sod.

What Does Dead Grass or Fresh Sod Have To Do With Fall Tree Care?

More than you might think. New sod helps your trees by rebuilding the soil and holding moisture where it’s needed most, especially around the roots. A healthy lawn keeps the ground moist and reduces soil erosion during fall and winter rains.

Following a regular watering schedule can only go so far if the surrounding grass is dead. Alternatively, replacing it gives your trees a stronger foundation heading into the colder months.

Refresh Mulch To Protect Roots

Mulching might not seem like a big deal, but it’s one of the easiest ways to protect your trees year-round. By the end of summer, mulch can start to break down or get blown away, especially with the Texas heat and unpredictable weather. That’s why fall is the perfect time to check on it and refresh where needed. Even just a few minutes spent adding fresh mulch can make a big difference in how well your trees handle cooler temperatures and dry spells.

Benefits of Fall Mulching

Insulates soil temperature during Texas’ winter swings
Retains moisture through dry spells
Suppresses weed growth
Prevents soil erosion from wind or rain

Mulch Guidelines

Use natural mulch like wood chips or bark.
Apply 2 to 4 inches thick.
Keep mulch 3 to 5 inches away from the trunk to avoid rot.

When applied correctly, mulch creates a stable growing environment that supports healthier root systems through fall and into winter. It may seem simple, but its impact on your trees’ overall health is hard to overstate.

Plant New Trees

While spring often gets the spotlight, fall is actually one of the best times to plant new trees in Texas. Cooler temperatures help reduce transplant shock, and seasonal rains support strong root development. Together, these conditions give young trees a better chance to establish themselves before the next summer rolls around.

Planting new trees in the right season helps create a stronger, more balanced landscape. When done properly, it improves soil coverage, enhances moisture retention, and builds a healthier environment for your existing trees.

Tree types that thrive in fall include:

Live oak
Cedar elm
Red maple
Chinese pistache
Bur oak

These hardy, Texas-friendly species are well-suited for fall planting and stand the best chance of long-term success when given the right start. So if you’re thinking about adding new trees, fall is the perfect time to include planting in your tree care checklist.

Control Pests and Diseases Before Fall

Just because summer is winding down doesn’t mean pests and fungi are going away. Many insects and diseases stick around, hiding in bark or soil, and they often return in the fall or early spring if left untreated. That’s why late summer is a smart time to break the cycle and protect your trees before cooler weather arrives. A few simple steps now can make a big difference in your tree’s health during the months ahead.

Follow these tips for the best results:

Remove fallen leaves or fruit that can carry disease into the soil.
Check your trees for signs of borers, scale, or fungal growth.
Use dormant oil sprays to control overwintering insect eggs.
Apply fungicides if your trees are prone to issues like mildew or leaf spot.
Ask a certified arborist before applying treatments you're unsure about.

Being proactive before fall sets in helps your trees head into the cooler season stronger and less vulnerable to recurring issues.

Prepare Your Trees for the Fall With Our Arborist Services

Fall tree care involves a few tedious but important tasks, and if you want them done properly, they add up to a lot of work. While you can tackle some of it on your own, having certified professionals handle the work ensures you’ll get solid, reliable tree care that holds up through the seasons. From pruning high branches to spotting early signs of disease, Adam's Tree Service’s certified arborists know exactly what to look for and how to handle it safely.

Best of all, it can all be done in a day or two, depending on your trees' needs. There’s no fuss, no delays, just expert tree care that lasts through every season.

If you’re ready to check off your fall tree care list, reach out to our team at (817) 357-2931. Our certified arborists are here to give your Texas trees the seasonal support they need to thrive.