Winter Fruit Tree Care: A Permaculture Approach

Winter Fruit Tree Care: A Permaculture Approach
Sat Jan 31, 2026 Time: 10:00am -11:30am
Join us for a hands-on, seasonally grounded workshop exploring how to care for fruit trees in the unique climate of the Houston–Gulf Coast region. Winter is our window for observation, pruning, soil building, and long-term design—an ideal moment to align tree care with permaculture principles of resilience, pattern literacy, and ecological partnership.

In this class, participants will learn how to:

Read the seasonal patterns that shape tree health in our warm, humid winters

Prune for structure, airflow, and long-term productivity

Build living soils using locally available organic matter

Support trees with guild plantings, mulch strategies, and water-wise design

Identify common Gulf Coast challenges—fungal pressure, fluctuating temperatures, heavy soils—and respond with regenerative solutions

Plan for year-round abundance using species and varieties adapted to our bioregion

Special Considerations for Citrus
Citrus is a signature crop of the Houston–Gulf Coast region, thriving in our long growing season yet vulnerable to sudden cold snaps. Through a permaculture lens, we’ll explore how to steward citrus as part of a resilient, multi-layered system.

Participants will learn:

How citrus physiology differs from temperate fruit trees—and why that matters in winter

Which varieties show the strongest cold tolerance in our bioregion

How to use microclimates, windbreaks, and thermal mass to buffer temperature swings

Soil and nutrient needs specific to evergreen, shallow‑rooted citrus

How to integrate citrus into guilds that support pest resistance, moisture regulation, and year-round vitality

Preparing for a Late Arctic Blast
Our region’s biggest winter risk isn’t months of cold—it’s the rare but damaging Arctic outbreak. This class will offer practical, regenerative strategies for protecting fruit trees, especially citrus and other tropical fruit trees, when a late-season freeze threatens:

Reading weather patterns and understanding freeze types

Timing irrigation, mulching, and pruning to reduce cold stress

Using row cover, frost cloth, and improvised structures without creating moisture traps

Leveraging stored heat from soil, water, and built elements

Emergency protection strategies for young trees, container citrus, and newly planted stock

Post-freeze recovery techniques rooted in plant physiology and patient observation

Participants will leave with a climate‑specific toolkit for winter stewardship—one that includes consideration for our humid Gulf Coast while building long-term resilience in their orchards, food forests, and home landscapes.

Location: Trees for Houston, Baur Education Center Classroom
Address: 1911 West 34th Street, Houston, TX

Presenters:
Carol Burton, Director of Permaculture
Carol has over twenty years of experience in school and community gardening education, collaborative design and installation of community school gardens and orchards. She is a Certified Permaculture Designer Consultant and a recipient of the Elizabeth Hull Abernathy Award from the Garden Club of America for outstanding contributions to environmental education of youth. She currently empowers community activists in a whole system approach to design their dreams and future selves through the Permaculture Design Certification program.


Randall Mosman, Community Gardens and Outreach Manager
Randall has been growing rare fruits on the Gulf Coast and in the Houston area for 20 years. He has a background in the arts which has taken him around the world where he has become familiar with a number of fruits not easily found in this region.