Tips and Tricks of Gardening-When is a good time to Plant Trees and Shrubs?
As spring begins to come, people have been asking when is a good time to plant trees and shrubs in the Tri-Cities or Mid Columbia?
First off let's cover when it not the best time to plant in our area.  Above 90 degrees F, is not a good time to plant for you or the plants because of the dryness and the heat.  Dehydration effects both people and plants.  The other extreme is if daytime temperatures are not above freezing, 32 degrees F. Generally this is three weeks in December or January where it doesn't warm above freezing in the day, and the ground freezes. It awful hard to get a shovel into frozen ground.

Below is a breakdown of when you can plant Trees and Shrubs and be successful with them as long as you take care of them.

Bare Root Trees and Shrubs (dirt has been removed from the roots)
Late November to Early April (depending on the species) but while the plant is dormant (without leaves) and the buds are closed or hard.  You can plant in the winter as long as you avoid that three week period of frozen ground.

Balled and Burlaped Trees and Shrubs
Freshly Dug or Balled plants ranges Mid October to Late April (depends on species). Evergreens trees and shrubs can be dug earlier and later than deciduous (plants that loose all their leaves in fall) plants. For Balled and Burlaped trees and shrubs that have been balled and then reburied; you can plant these trees from Mid September to Late May, or between the daytime temperatures of 32 and 85 degrees. 

Potted Trees and Shrubs
Potted Trees and shrubs can be planted year round.  However the best times to plant is Late January to Mid June and Mid September to Mid December.  Or between the daytime temperatures of 32 and 90 degrees.