Immerse yourself in fall planting, big rewards in spring

With the end of summer, often come the cries of “Say it isn’t so!” with wistful glances at a season cut too short. However, as all our collective whining isn’t going to make a bit of difference, it’s best instead to immerse yourself and realize all the great opportunities fall’s cooler weather presents; gardening being one of them. Fall, after all, is when Mother Nature plants her wildflowers, so it seems it would be safe for us to do so as well. Although, don’t just limit yourself to the wild kind; fall is a great season to plant many perennials, bulbs, bushes and trees. For wildflowers, the biggest advantage to planting in the fall over spring is an earlier bloom—typically two weeks earlier. Like fall-seeded lawns, fall-planted wildflower seed has a chance to “settle” into your site during the winter, and is all ready to burst into growth when a little warmer weather hits. Planting trees and shrubs in the fall can be as successful as spring planting, if the plants are properly planted and cared for. In the fall, cells of most woody plants are lignified (rigid) and suffer less stress due to water loss. Transplanting dormant trees thus reduces the demand on the plant for water. For many species, research shows fall-planted trees may develop more new roots, and a greater stem diameter and plant height when compared with spring-planted trees. However, the roots of fall-planted trees and shrubs need to have a chance to grow and begin to establish before the ground freezes. So give yourself at least four weeks between planting and when soil temperature drops to 40O Fahrenheit. Although you can plant spring, summer and fall bulbs this fall to come up next year, Spring bulbs must be planted in the Fall as they need to develop roots and then go dormant first before they grow. However, you need to plant them at just the right time. New bulbs (ones purchased this Fall) should not go into the ground until nighttime temps have been consistently in the 40s and low 50s for a solid two weeks, but there’s still a good six weeks left before your ground typically freezes hard. That’ll give the bulbs enough time to grow good roots before the ground freezes, but not so much time they can sprout this Fall and destroy the flower inside. Another advantage to planting anything in the fall is that there is usually more time to do it in. Springtime is often a mad rush to get everything cleaned up and planted after the long, cold winter. Also, there are far more “good days” for planting in the fall than during the unpredictable weather of spring. Weeds are easier to control in the fall as well. If far enough into the season, the weed seed that’s in the soil should be dormant, unlike in spring when it’s just waiting to spring forth. Planting perennials in the fall is smart for a few reasons (with the exception of ground covers and acidic-loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons). One, it gives them time to establish healthy root systems. New perennials planted in the spring must survive summer heat and stress with very young root systems while still producing enough nutrients to support months of growth and flowering. By planting shrubs and trees in the fall, roots have a chance to grow all autumn, and most of the winter as well, without having to supply nourishment for the busy growing season as well. Roots of fall planted plants will continue growing as long as the ground temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit which can give them several months of head start growth time. Also, plants put in the ground in the fall will need less water. While all plants need plenty of water while adapting to their place in the soil, by planting in the fall, gardeners are actively conserving what water there is without the summer heat to dry it up. Plants themselves use less water during this time as well due to photosynthesis being slowed down by the shorter days. Fall is also a great time to find garden bargains and discount plants. Saving large landscape projects until the autumn can really save the homeowner a wheelbarrow full of cash! It’s not unusual for mail order gardening companies to offer 50 to 75 percent off if ordering plants in the fall versus waiting until next spring. Proof, once again, that planning ahead is always a smart and money-saving thing to do! So plan to have yourself one of the best autumns yet; get outdoors as much as possible, enjoy the lingering sunshine and stunning colors, as well as the thoughts of how a little gardening now can bring a whole lot of color and beauty come springtime.