Fall is a great time to plant another crop of spring greens such as spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, and mâche because they require cooler soil for seed germination and they mature quickly.
In general, aim to finish your fall planting about 6 weeks before your first expected frost date (8 weeks for evergreens). In Zones 3 and 4, you would count back from the latter half of September.
Plants like chrysanthemums, nasturtiums and asters are wonderful choices for seasonal planting arrangements. While perennials that will survive the winter are great choices, autumn is also a great time to explore new ideas will short-season annuals too.
Gardening in the fall provides a longer period with more 'good' days, as compared to the often tumultuous spring season. Plus, if you plant in fall you'll end up ahead of the game and won't have to rush to get everything done after winter. In fact, a good strategy is to plant perennials when you plant your fall bulbs.
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.
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.
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.
In temperate parts of the country (USDA zones 4 to 8), planting can even continue into November and December, especially crops like spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, and kale! In colder climates, some of these same vegetables are frost-tolerant.
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.
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.
Chrysanthemums say fall as much as turkey says Thanksgiving. Commonly known as mums, these blooms are an all-time fall favorite for a good reason. Available in an array of colors, including orange, red, yellow, and white, these autumn blooms are made for container gardens, pumpkin arrangements, and garden beds alike.
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.
And some of the annuals that are normally considered spring flowers will flourish in the cooler fall weather, if only for a short time. Mums, specifically florists' or garden mums, have become the go-to plants for a fall garden.
“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.
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.
Whether you're new to gardening, or a seasoned pro, building better soil is the single most important thing you can do to improve your gardening success. And fall is the best time to do it! To learn more, read Building Healthy Soil.
Flowers that come back up from their roots every year in the springtime are called “perennial” flowers. Some of the best perennial flowers to grow in a garden are peonies, daylilies, coneflowers, and hollyhocks.
They are best to plant in the spring, after the last frost, when temperatures are between 45°F – 60°F. Purchase bare root plants when you can plant them right away, so they don't dry out. When planting a bare-root perennial, dig a hole twice as wide and as deep as the root ball.