Fall is Good for Root Growth Planting in the fall takes advantage of this – allowing our landscape plants to meet next spring with a strong root system ready to power lots of new growth as soon as it warms up.
During the Spring, rain and unexpected cold snaps can make working the soil impossible. Fall tends to produce more good planting days than Spring. Another significant advantage during the Fall is that common garden pests and disease problems are less of a problem.
Perhaps obvious to long time gardeners, warm season vegetables and flowers such as tomatoes, peppers, green beans, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, marigolds, sunflowers, and others that are sensitive to cold temperatures make sure to wait until spring to plant these!
You can plant up to 6 weeks before your ground freezes.
If you're unsure, mid-November is a safe planting deadline for nearly everyone.
The Best Cool Season Root Crops to Grow in October
The cool season has so many options for root crops: radishes, beets, carrots, fennel, turnips, rutabaga. These veggies all love cool weather and grow best when planted by seed directly in the soil.
Less stress – Cooler temperatures also are less stressful to new plants. Hearty roots – When the air temperature is cooler than the soil temperature, plants put more energy into root growth without new top growth, which results in heartier root systems and stronger plants overall.
Technically, you can plant perennials any time your soil is workable. Practically, the best times to plant perennials are spring or fall. These seasons allow plants to get settled and grow new roots before summer's hot, dry weather arrives. Planting in summer is okay, but you'll need to water frequently.
It's up to the gardener, guided by the local conditions, and present weather patterns, to offer some watering in the fall season and right on up to the first frost is as a good gardening practice.
Morning sun is tends to be superior to afternoon sun because it will dry dew from leaves of the plant, which reduces disease, and it is cooler. Most plants, even those that tolerate full sun, will appreciate even momentary respite from the afternoon sun.
April is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost. It's still not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds as well. Be sure to check your gardening zone for last frost dates.
Fall Fertilization of your shrubs, garden and plants leads to a beautiful, healthy spring garden — it's the ideal time for feeding if you do it right. When temperatures drop to 40 degrees or lower, plants are stimulated to produce higher concentrations of the materials they need to resist freezing.
The actual planting of your seed in fall is the same as it is in spring, except the weather is usually better and you can choose the time. Choose your site and best planting time. Full sun is best, and a "border area" between lawn and woods or a more natural area is perfect.
As long as the soil temperature is above 40 degrees the roots will continue to grow. Fall planting takes advantage of favorable soil temperatures and moisture conditions that promote the root growth needed to sustain plants through their critical first year in the landscape.
A good rule of thumb: If winter is a stressful time for your plant (often the case for evergreens, which are not dormant in the winter), you'll want to consider spring planting. If your plant is dormant in the winter and the summer is most stressful (most herbaceous perennials), fall planting is often ideal.
Most flowers should be planted after your region's last frost date. Planting flowers in spring is the most popular time, but perennials do fine if planted in early fall in the North and late fall in the South.
Cool Season Plants for September
Arugula and other small greens, plus root crops like 45-day radishes, are great to sow from seed now and harvest before frost comes. Some leafy greens like spinach are frost tolerant. My hardy kale will stay in the garden, weather permitting, into the spring and beyond.
There are a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers that are perfect for fall planting. You can select from tulip bulbs, mums, pansies, calibrachoa, and vegetables like broccoli and kale.
Fall is the best season to plant hydrangeas, followed by early spring. The idea is to give the shrub plenty of time to establish a healthy root system before blooming. The best time of day to plant is early morning or late afternoon.
Many cold hardy perennials, shrubs and trees are excellent candidates for fall planting. In general, plants with USDA cold hardiness ratings of 3, 4 and 5, are the best candidates for fall transplanting in cold winter climates.
Cool Season Plants
These cool season herbaceous perennials can go in the ground up to two weeks after first frost. They will actively set roots even if there's an occasional hard freeze until soil temperatures settle below 50 degrees.
Syngonium, also known as arrowhead plant due to the arrow-like shape of its leaves, is one of the best fast-growing indoor plants. It is very low maintenance and propagates on its own. If you plant it in the ground, it will become bushy within a month.