Gardening in Autumn - A Case for Fall Planting

Most of us think of spring as the time to get our plants in the ground. I am sure many of you, as I do, have spent late winter and early spring eagerly waiting to get out into the garden. However, experts and horticluturists advocate that fall is actually the best time to seed and plant. While weeding and pruning continue, break up the work with planting native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Any plant on our availability list would work great for fall planting.

Fall Planting Season - Cooler air temperature and warm soil temperature

Fall planting season this year officially begins the first day of autumn which is signified by the autumnal equinox, on Friday, September 22nd. During an equinox the Earth's axis is tilted either away or toward the sun- something that only happens twice a year (during each equinox). Equinoxes are marked by nearly equal hours of sunlight and night.

However, you can begin fall planting as early as late August or early September. The real benefit of fall planting is that there is warm soil and cool air. If these conditions arise before the fall equinox, don't hesitate to plant.

Roots - Plant health is dependent on healthy roots

If given time and space, native plants will develop intricate root systems that allow them to withstand cold winter temps, drought, and hot summer days. Diagram referenced from Conservation Research Institute.

Warmer soil temperatures, cooler air temperatures, and shorter days encourage plants to send a greater amount of their energy into developing their root systems, versus sending the majority of their energy into flowers and top-growth. Fall planted plants will continue to develop roots from the time they are planted until the ground freezes. In the spring, gardeners have to wait for the soil to defrost and soil temperatures to warm up to at least 50F. However, fall plantings allow one to circumvent this waiting period.

Starting summer with a developed root system will give your plants a jump start! Plants transplanted in fall have similar qualities to well-established plants: they will grow quicker, be more robust, and develop into a nice size. They are also able to withstand drought and heat better.

Fall is also a good time to work with dormant native plants that do not like their roots disturbed. Two good examples are Lupine and Balsamroot: these beautiful native plants highly dislike root disturbance, but tend to survive and thrive if they are handled while they are dormant.

Planning - Plan while your memory is fresh

In the fall, memories of your garden at the height of the growing season are fresh. You have an idea of what areas were too dense, what corner needs a splash of color, where your favorite place to sit is. Planting in the fall allows you to build upon these fresh memories to shape your garden into the space you would like for the following seasons. Don't forget! Your garden is a living, changing entity. Take this time to re imagine it- change your routes through the garden, move things around, or try a new native plant species.

Time - Spring is a frenzy

Let's be honest. Spring is always crazy! There are always things that have to get done in the spring and they always have to happen all at once. Not to mention, nurseries are always crowded in the spring. Planting and weeding now will save you precious time in the spring. Plus, you will not have to wait for the ground to defrost which is the ultimate waiting game in the spring.

Notes of Caution

-Avoid planting evergreens in late fall

-Get your plants in the ground a couple weeks before the ground freezes. You can find estimates for what this will be in your area online or at a local nursery

-Don't fret a frost! A frost may kill the top of your plants, but the plant still has stored energy that it will use to grow roots

Sources:

Birds and Blooms

The Morton Aboretum

University of Wisconsin- Madison Arboretum