Fall is for Planting

Many people think spring is the only time of year to plant. However, fall is also a great time to add new elements to our landscapes. In fact, I’m actually quite comfortable planting most permanent, woody plants in the fall for several reasons. So get that shovel ready, and I’ll elaborate.

There are several benefits to planting in the fall. Most importantly, fall planting allows root systems to develop without having to sustain new top growth. This means root systems can actually grow well into January or until they are frozen solid. Fall plantings also seem to require less water initially, although it’s necessary to keep the soil moist enough to insulate the root system. Finally, the plant will bounce back more quickly from any root injury, again, because there is no new top growth to support.

If you harbor the common misconception that the soils is too cold to plant in the fall, consider that the soils in the springtime is still quite cool preceding winter. In reality, fall plantings often go into soil that is still relatively warm for high summer temperatures.

Fall planting offers benefits to planter as well. Personally, I’d much rather deal in physical exertion on a crispy fall afternoon that sweat it out in bright springtime sunshine. Don’t get me wrong; I plant both spring and fall. It’s just a cooler job in the fall.

With so much to do in a landscape, you can use the fall months to extend the planting season by 6 to 8 weeks. The extra time can allow a more enjoyable, leisurely pace which keeps gardening what it was meant to be – a leisurely activity.

Now that you’re convinced fall is a perfect time to plant, let me just add a few guidelines and words of caution. There are some plants that shouldn’t be planted after the early part of September. These include almost all groundcovers, azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwood, redbud and magnolia. If however, the plant in question is a relatively small part of a larger planting or if it has been pre-dug or container grown, it’s okay to go ahead and plant with appropriate precautions. Ask the folks at your garden for their recommendations.

Also keep in mind that while it’s perfectly fine to plant late in the season, you should take care that the root ball of any given plant does not freeze and then thaw while exposed above ground. To prevent this, protect the root ball until planting time by keeping it in the garage or mulching it with peat moss or straw.

In addition, if you plant a larger tree in the fall, take care to secure it, to it’s position may shift in the harsh winter winds.

With these things in mind, you should have no trouble at all getting off to a great start by turning fall into another planting season.