Anytime the ground is workable, meaning not frozen and the temperature is above freezing, you can install most perennials, shrubs and trees. Since summer planting is not the greatest idea, the question now becomes “spring or fall?” Spring time is acceptable to install plant material but the best time is actually fall.
The ideal time for planting flowers in Ohio is from late May to mid-October. So, if you're ready to add a splash of color to your landscaping and a sweet aroma to the air, we're about to enter the proverbial calendar year sweet spot for planting flowers in the Buckeye State.
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.
Quick Takeaways. Important factors to be considered when creating your vegetable planting schedule include hardiness zones, soil temperatures, and frost dates. Ohio sits firmly in the Zone 6 hardiness zone with some small areas in Zone 5. Vegetable planting season for Ohio begins in March and extends to November.
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.
The general advice for gardeners is to get their crops in the ground by the end of June at the latest, but that doesn't mean you should give up hope now that it's July. There's some wiggle room for planting late in the season, depending on your hardiness zone and how strategic you are about what goes in the ground.
Vegetables such as spinach, peas, kale, and carrots are good choices for an early spring garden. You should wait to plant tomatoes, melons, and peppers outside until late May or June. Some other vegetables are best suited to be planted weeks after frosts, such as corn and beans.
1) Plant before frost. Check your local area's frost estimations and plant perennials at least 6 weeks before the first freeze. 2) Don't fertilize -- fall-planted perennials will be going into winter dormancy in their next stage of life and new growth (encouraged by feeding) will be killed when the first frost comes.
Many perennials are grown from tiny plugs that reach salable size while growing in a pot. Generally, these container-grown plants are excellent candidates for late summer and fall planting in your garden. It's usually best to divide plants shortly after they have finished flowering.
Spring-blooming perennials, especially in the bare root form, are best planted early in the fall. Planting in the fall while the soil is still warm will give the roots enough time establish properly. This allows the plants to emerge from well established roots, with a stronger start, the following spring.
Zinnias are one of the easiest annual flowers to grow in Ohio gardens and containers. They're brightly colored and perfect for cut flower beds or pots on a sunny deck. Zinnia plants thrive in full sun and well-drained soil and bloom from mid-summer to fall.
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!
The fall planting season in Ohio begins in early September and runs through November.
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.
Late summer planting
Choose quick-maturing crops. Spinach, lettuce and greens, beets, carrots, peas, and beans can be sown now. Most seeds will readily germinate in the garden now because the soil holds heat well into autumn; warm soil (in the 70°s) is ideal for seed starting, as long as the weather is not too hot.
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.
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.
Plant daylilies in the late spring or early fall for best results. However, if you find a plant that you simply must have during a summer sale, bring it home and plant it immediately. Just keep an eye on it and water frequently during the first few weeks.
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.
By the beginning of August, cole crops like broccoli and cauliflower should be transplanted into their final location. The middle of the month also marks the last chance to complete regional garden chores such as direct sowing root vegetables and many leafy greens for late fall production.
Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths, and Alliums are all examples of spring flowers that need to be planted in the fall, in order, for them to bloom the following spring. From late September to early December fall bulbs can be planted.
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.