In fact, many plants — such as spring bulbs and perennials — need to be planted in the late summer or early fall months, depending on your zone, in order to generate enough energy to bloom in the spring. Not to mention, it's never too late to add some colorful annuals to your outdoor space!
Tender annuals — Tender annuals thrive in warm soil and warm air temperatures. They should only be planted once temperatures reach and stay above 55°F. They can be severely damaged or die if they are exposed to frost or temperatures below 32°F.
Some good candidates to plant now include hydrangeas, daylilies, lilies, sedums, ornamental grasses, peonies, and bearded iris. Just be sure you keep your new plants well watered if the weather is hot and dry. Mulching the beds also helps preserve soil moisture.
It's not too late to plant in your garden! In much of the country, summer still is full steam ahead in August. In other regions, the hint of cooler evenings mean the growing season is beginning to slow down. But regardless of where you live, there's plenty of time left in the season left for growing things!
Answer: Late summer (late August to mid-September) is an excellent time to plant many perennials. It is also a good time to move or divide perennials, such as peony, daylily, garden phlox, and oriental poppy.
Plants in the Cole or Brassica family are perfect crops you can plant in August. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts all do very well in the fall. One very important thing to keep in mind is that you plant all of these plants from seedlings NOT SEED's.
From early fall through most of November is one of the best times of year to plant spring-blooming bulbs, cool-season annuals and vegetables, as well as many trees, shrubs, and perennials.
While spring may be the most common season to tend to your flower garden, that doesn't mean you can't grow something beautiful this fall! August is often the perfect time to start planting because it encourages root growth in the soil before things start freezing, giving your garden a head start for the spring.
In fact, many plants — such as spring bulbs and perennials — need to be planted in the late summer or early fall months, depending on your zone, in order to generate enough energy to bloom in the spring. Not to mention, it's never too late to add some colorful annuals to your outdoor space!
For this Blooming Period, we're highlighting some late summer/fall favorites: callas; China asters; lisianthus; perennial sunflowers; and zinnias.
Tip. Mid- to late-August is often an excellent time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn't still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress. But don't wait too late to plant, or you'll have a very short window to enjoy your flowers. Check the growing requirements for each plant.
Starting too soon can result in a weak, lanky plant, while starting too late can give you one that is just not ready for the outside world—both will struggle to survive!
Some cool-season annuals can tolerate soil temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit; however, most cool-season annuals will grow best in soil temperatures at 65 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
Most annuals and vegetable should be planted when the soil is 70 degrees. The average soil temperature for the last five years on May 1 is 62 degrees. Over the last five years the average date the soil temperature reached 70 degrees was on May 17.
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.
Passionflower is a perennial vine (meaning it comes back every year) that dies back in the fall; it needs rich well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun. With winding tendrils, this vine can climb vertical structures like trellises and armatures created from chicken wire or similar materials.
A number of fast-growing summer veggies and herbs can still be planted in July and August. If you have an open spot in your garden due to a lost crop or the end of a spring harvest, there are a few fast growers that you can plant in the heat of the summer.
This method encourages the plants' roots to reach deeply for residual water, even when the surface of the soil appears dry. The standard rule of thumb is to give your flowers and vegetables the equivalent of at 1 inch of water per week (and as much as double that amount in the peak of summer).