Fall is for Planting (No Kidding!)

Fall is an excellent time to plant in all but the very coldest high altitude areas of the country.

Achillea x 'Moonshine'
Item # 10045 		Achillea 'Moonshine'
Moonshine Yarrow

each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Artemisia x 'Powis Castle'
Item # 22620 		Artemisia 'Powis Castle'
Silver Sage

each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Teucrium aroanium
Item # 94620 		Teucrium aroanium
Gray Creeping Germander

each $5.99
3 to 6 plants $5.79
7 or more $5.59
Gray Santolina
Item # 85620 		Santolina chamaecyparissus
Gray Santolina

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
  • Topic: Fall Gardening
  • Keywords: fall, fall planting, zones, climate, Fall Gardening, gardens
  • Date: September 2000

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Some folks look at the slogan “Fall is for Planting” as just a way for nurseries to sell more plants when business is slow in the fall. But the truth of the matter is that fall is an excellent time to plant in all but the very coldest high altitude areas of the country. Fall is the only time of year when you can plant dormant spring blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils. For many areas of Texas, California and the southwest where the summers are very hot and the winters are mild, fall is the best time to plant.

Check the Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the fall planting rule so we have made a short list of plants that should be spring planted in USDA zones 6 and colder. (See our “Growing the Roots” section of our fall catalog or the Gardening Tips section of this website.)

Here’s Why

During the fall perennials, shrubs and trees have very active roots. In fact these plants do about 80% of their yearly root growth in the fall trigged by the short daylight hours and cooler night temperatures. I spend a lot of time planting in the fall. Many of the new plants that I’m trailing were seeded this spring and have been growing all summer to be ready for fall planting. It is a fact that a plant with an established root system resulting from fall planting is ready and able to grow vigorously and flower heavily the following spring and summer. It also saves water. Newly transplanted in September, a perennial or shrub’s watering schedule actually decreases in frequency as the season progresses into October and November. For this very reason fall is a great time to establish new xeriscape plantings.

The Importance of Xeriscaping

The hot, dry summer we have suffered through this year in the western US has really driven home the point that xeriscaping should be first and foremost on our minds when planting our gardens and landscapes. It is common sense that we spend our time and money growing plants that are well adapted to our tough, erratic climates. This is the underlying principal behind xeriscaping. Saving water is only one of many reasons we choose to xeriscape.

This year in New Mexico has been exceedingly dry and follows four previous not quite so dry years. I have compiled a Top 20 List of the Best Xeric Perennials based on my experiences with them in the garden over the past five difficult years. Not all xeric plants are created equal and some are clearly more rugged and colorful under hot, dry conditions. One of my main criteria for selecting these plants is that all of these plants come into bloom most quickly with infrequent deep soakings. The other is that they don’t die readily in very dry conditions. (Some plants not on the list were a very close call, but I had to get it down to 20 species.)

I will go into more detail on how to use these plants in a xeriscape in future newsletters.

The time to start a xeriscape garden is not in the middle of a drought, as even xeric plants require a season or two of regular irrigation to re-establish their extensive root systems. Start planning and planting this fall. When the hot, dry weather comes next summer your garden can hold its own, while still providing color and beauty in your yard. Some excellent books by authors Jim Knopf, Judith Phillips, and Lauren Springer can be found in our book section that will provide additional information about xeriscaping.