Fall Planting: It Really Works

Believe it or not, fall is a great time to plant. Still, not every knows it. it. A friend of mine recently lamented that he'd been too busy this summer...

  • Topic: Fall Gardening
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: fall, planting, planting times, seasonal planting, Fall Gardening, gardens
  • Date: August 2005

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Believe it or not, fall is a great time to plant. Still, not every knows it. A friend of mine recently lamented that he’d been too busy this summer to put in shrubs. “Guess I’ll have to wait ‘til next year,” he said.

Then in grand proselytizing style, I began: “Fall is the best time to plant.”

His eyebrows rose with cynicism. “Just in time for winter,” he countered. But it didn’t take long to turn him into another convert to fall planting. The cooler air is one good reason. It lessens transplant shock and plants don’t need as much water.

Other reasons that gardening can continue until late October include:

  • The soil is warmer. During the heart of summer, the soil can sometimes be a little too warm. But fall soil tends to be just right, which makes the roots happy.
  • After the tops of plants have stopped active growth, all the energy of a plant returns to the roots. It’s during the fall that roots get a chance to absorb nutrients without needing to distribute them to the leaves and blooms.
  • Plants that get established in the fall have a better chance of making it through the heat of July and August.

So, if like my friend, you put off planting perennials, trees and shrubs this summer, you can get your planting done up to the first frost. Fall planting gives roots a few months to absorb all the goodies they can from the soil and establish themselves before winter sets in.