Summertime passes by quickly, but that doesn’t mean that you’re out of time to garden this year. On the contrary, now is the perfect planting time for a fall garden.
Fall gardening can be fruitful, rewarding, and often more pleasant than gardening through the hottest part of the year. Cooler temperatures above ground, residual warm soil temperatures from warmer weather, and increased moisture are requirements for planting a lot of wonderful trees, flowers, and vegetables.
Learning more about cool weather planting will extend the enjoyment you’re able to get from your landscape throughout the entire growing season.
Fall planting is typically done from the end of August through October, once temperatures start to cool down, but before the first frost date. These cooler months ranging from late summer to early fall are not only gentler on us, but are gentler on many plants as well. These temperatures encourages plants to grow and become healthy and established during the remainder of the favorable weather, before the ground freezes.
If we plant trees and perennials with care during this time of year, we give them the opportunity to become well-established by the time early spring arrives. This is a great reason to plant in the fall, because if your plants are already thriving at the start of the growing season, they can reach their highest growing potential for the remainder of the season. This jumpstart allows the plant to achieve its maximum blooming and fruiting time when the next season arrives.
Another reason to plant in the fall is that in doing so, your plants don’t need to battle intense summer heat when they are at their most vulnerable. A young plant, whether a seedling or a sapling, is simply not as hardy as it will be after maturation.
A small, vulnerable plant requires intensive watering in the heat of summer. Planting in the fall will help you to avoid exposing your young plants to harsh conditions, and will save you time and effort when it comes to protecting them from heat and drought.
Here in Massachusetts, there are a great number of plants that will benefit from an autumnal planting.
First on the list are spring bulbs. Flowers such as tulips, daffodils, and crocus need to be planted in the fall so that they will bloom when early spring arrives. These bulbs require a great amount of time in a dark and very cool environment, and burying them before extreme cold arrives makes sure that they will overwinter sufficiently, receiving the correct amount of cold and darkness prior to the first warm days of spring.
Many trees and shrubs that grow well in our area benefit greatly from fall planting. Flowering shrubs such as hydrangeas and rhododendrons do well when planted in the fall. Their root systems are able to become established in the cool months, allowing them to have deep-reaching roots by the time the hot, dry summer rolls around.
Non-flowering plants such as boxwoods and maple trees should be planted in the fall for the same reason. Planting in cool weather helps to grow healthier plants that can withstand the heat without you having to water them too often.
Adding a layer of mulch after planting and watering will double down on ensuring success, as the mulch will insulate the roots and help the plants retain moisture.
Another category of plants that should be planted in the fall are herbaceous perennials. A popular choice in many landscapes, these perennials are loved because they are attractive plants whether they are blooming or are only displaying foliage.
Hostas, black-eyed Susans, and salvia are some herbaceous perennials that grow well in our area and benefit greatly from fall planting. By getting them in the ground now, rather than in the spring, you’re allowing these perennials to grow to their maximum size and produce as many blooms as possible in the upcoming growing season.
Along with your decorative garden beds, your vegetable garden still has a lot of growth potential come fall.
There are lots of vegetables that are better suited for cold weather. Leafy greens waste no time when it comes to germination, giving them the ability to go from seed to food in a very short number of weeks.
If you have some seed packets with leftover spinach or lettuce remaining from your spring planting, don’t hesitate to toss them into a bed! When grown in cool weather, these greens are much slower to grow bitter and bolt. And, though they love partial shade, cool weather can help them to better tolerate being planted in full sun.
Root vegetables, like carrots, beets, onion and turnips can grow bitter or overly spicy in the extreme heat of summer; therefore, they are well-suited for fall planting due to their cold-hardy nature. These cool-season vegetables tend to be quick growers, and thrive from planting until first frost. Some varieties may even tolerate light frost on their foliage, and can be harvested right up until the ground freezes.
So, if you’re looking to add diversity to or expand your landscape, consider all the ways in which you can do so with fall planting.
If you have the desire to enhance your lawn during the cool months but aren’t sure where to begin, a landscape service will have the expertise to guide you into discovering which plants, shrubs, or trees will work best in your particular area, and can execute best practices to ensure your garden’s success.
To learn more about creating a custom landscape for your home, download our free ebook, Personalized Landscape Design: Why You Should Leave It to the Professionals. If you're ready to begin your own home landscape project, you can schedule a free project discussion with our experienced team of landscape professionals.