September is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall to start blooming early spring.
Late summer or early fall is an excellent time to plant mums, one of the symbolic flowers of the season. Practically any time in September that strikes your fancy is a good bet, so long as it's at least six weeks before the year's first frost.
It's never too late. It just matters what you put into that garden. It's too late to grow tomatoes in your Chicago garden in September because you'll be getting cold weather soon, but you could still grow carrots, radishes, and lettuce plants.
Fall is the perfect time to plant wildflowers. You'll follow Mother Nature's cycle - flowers naturally drop their seeds in the fall, and they overwinter, then germinate and bloom in spring. Fall planting is an especially good time to plant in areas where you want to conserve water.
For April, May or June blooms, plant seed directly outdoors August-October. For June, July, August and/or September blooms, plant your seed outdoors March-June. Seedlings normally tolerate a light frost.
Fall planting will be much easier, so you should aim for getting your seed down late in the season, but before the ground freezes entirely.
The seed lies dormant all winter and is ready to sprout the first chance it gets in the spring. Any gardener who has ever cursed an effusive self-seeding plant knows that some seeds do very well when left outside in the cold all winter.
Flowers (Zones 5-10):
October is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall and start blooming early spring.
When it's October, people often wonder if it is too late to plant new seed. The good news is if you hurry, seed can still be planted in October with the hope that it will survive the upcoming winter. Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.
But if you start too late, they won't be mature enough for transplanting into the garden by spring. It takes a little practice, but in time you will be able to create your own seed planting schedule so you know exactly when to start each variety.
Depending on the type of seed, it is definitely not too late to plant grass seed in October. Cool season grass seed varieties like Jonathan Green Black Beauty grass seed do well with planting in October. The most important thing is to lay the seeds down at least 45 days before the first threat of frost.
Late summer and early fall, such as September, is the best time to plant chrysanthemums which are hardy perennials that will grow back each and every year with the proper care. Peonies are also perennials, so after you plant them once in September, they'll come back year after year with the proper care.
Flowers to plant in September
English marigold (Calendula) has deep orange petals, which are perfect for a hot border or for cutting. It's easy to grow – from an autumn sowing it should flower from May. Sow direct into shallow drills or on the surface of moist peat-free compost, in pots.
Autumn is a great season for annuals, perennials and evergreen shrubs to shine. In fact, some of the most popular flowers, like colorful mums, roses, dahlias, purple pansies and yes, even bright yellow sunflowers all bloom around September and October.
Marigolds are a great fall-blooming plant. They produce bold colors and striking flowers and are great for fall landscape displays. Many marigold plantings in the late summer and fall will actually outperform a spring planting in terms of lasting in the landscape.
In heavy winter areas, that means from late September or October up until the ground freezes. (If you don't have much frost in your area, you should plant just before your rainiest season begins.
Violas and Pansies
These hardy little flowers not only have gorgeous blooms but can survive almost anything winter has to dish out. Violas and pansies grow best in partial shade but need a minimum of four hours of sunlight a day.
Marigolds have been a fall favorite for a long time. You may even remember them from your grandmother's garden! That's because these hardy annuals bloom well into fall and can even survive a light frost. They aren't bothered by pests or critters either.
For many garden plants in fact, a soil temperature below 50°F can be a problem. With temperatures in the 40s, seeds will readily absorb water, but not start to grow. This creates an opportunity for disease and rot, which can result in damping-off or poor growth.
Wildflower seeds don't need to be planted in holes; however, they should be tapped down to encourage growth. After you've scattered them over the soil, use the back of a shovel, your hand, or your foot to gently press them into the ground.
Some seeds will also take their time germinating. While most will be up in four to seven days, for some it's normal to take three to four weeks to get going.