Megan,

Now is a perfect time to plant a tree; I prefer it over November. And if you’ve a potted tree – they can be planted any time!

Bagged trees wrapped in sawdust (that have generally been kept in coolers) need to be planted soon; like those you see at Fred Meyer, they’re considered ‘bare root’ - recently dug and ready to plant.

If you go to a small nursery that grows their own trees there may be a ‘mound’ of truly bare root trees with sawdust piled around their roots. Those that sell are obviously in need of immediate planting; the rest will be potted up and sold through out the summer and fall...

I prefer buying non-potted trees because there are generally a lot of root’s cut off to fit them into their 5 gal. pot; and after a season in said pot they can become root-bound.

So plant away- it’s the perfect time in my book!