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.
Fall is a great time to plant perennial herbs, which come back year after year and thrive in either pots or planting beds. Plant herbs such as thyme, oregano, mint, and sage any time from summer to mid fall, and you'll be able to harvest now and up until a hard freeze.
Mid-August to mid-October is an ideal time of year to plant new trees, though, that time frame can be stretched into November and December. To be 100% sure, measure soil temperature early in the morning for a few, consecutive days. If your soil is consistently 50° F or higher, you're good to plant.
“For trees, shrubs and perennials fall is a great time to plant,” said Weston Miller, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. “If you plant mid-September through mid-November, the soil is warm and gives plants a long time to establish.
Although each plant's needs may vary and some will be more winter-hardy than others, in general about a month before the last fall frost is sufficient in giving the plant enough time to establish itself and take root.
The date that your ground actually freezes varies from year to year, of course, and some areas won't have frozen ground at all. If you're unsure, mid-November is a safe planting deadline for nearly everyone. - Get everything in the ground before the ground freezes.
Fall is Good for Root Growth
Warm soil temperatures encourage root growth – more so than in the spring when the soil is still warming up. Plus, with the shorter days and cooler air temperatures, plants spend less energy on growing foliage and flowers and more on building a strong root system in preparation for winter.
You can transplant perennials anytime until the ground freezes in the fall, or wait to transplant them in the spring. Fall is an excellent time to transplant herbaceous perennials because your plants will then have three seasons to establish a good root system before hot summer weather sets in next year.
Planting in fall allows these plants to establish root systems that they can then bulk up over the winter. Also, in fall, there's usually more rain– which means less maintenance for you.
Autumn is a great season for annuals, low-maintenance 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.
You can sow seeds for winter vegetable crops, like salad greens, radishes, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, English peas and kale. Look for transplants of other cool-season vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Herb transplants also appear in garden centers during winter.
The most vigorous growth of plants will be in the summer when the sun is up and out the longest. During winter, the sun is neither as high in the sky, nor in the sky for as long as it is in the summer. For your plants, that means less light. For some plants, this may trigger dormancy.
It's true! Planting perennials in the fall is an easy way to enjoy a bigger, more beautiful garden the following year. While most gardeners are more accustomed to planting in spring, fall is also an ideal time to get perennials established in your garden.
Pansies and Violas
Fall is the good time to plant pansies and their smaller cousins violas because the still-warm soil temperatures give their roots time to grow enough to survive the winter.
While you can plant a late planting to the first frost date, it's always best to allow as much growing time as possible. If you missed the spring planting, then calculate which vegetables you can grow now and still have a harvest before the first frost.
Because of fall's cooler air temperatures and predictable precipitation, plants are able to grow stronger with minimal stress. It is more likely to rain in the fall, which means plant roots will absorb more nutrients and require less watering. Nitrogen spurs vigorous, leafy growth and rich color.
Did you know even as late as November there are all sorts of fall vegetables that you can be planting right now? While most people are putting away their gardening tools, there really is no end to the gardening season especially in Southern California.
One obvious sign of dead floras is mushy and fragile stems plus roots. Once a plant has reached this stage, no home remedies will save it.
Plant your fall vegetables so that the crops you choose have time to reach maturity before the first frost in your area. Find your first frost date, then count backward based on days to maturity for each type of veggie you want to grow. That's your ideal planting date.
Some fast growing fall crops like lettuce and radishes can be planted into late September, but many desirable fall crops like broccoli and carrots need several months of prime-growing conditions to mature before frost and low light levels set in. When in doubt, plant your fall crops a little early.
Planting in September
Plant now beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celery, fava beans, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, both head and leaf lettuce, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peas, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.