Although fall may look like the end of the gardening season, it’s actually the best time to add trees, shrubs and perennials to your garden as well as seed your lawn. Here’s why:
Spring has a relatively short planting window, particularly in our area of the country. It’s not uncommon to go from final frost to hot days in a relatively short time. This time span also includes days or weeks of mud as the ground thaws or thaws/freezes, which make for poor planting conditions, as do spring’s rainy days.
It takes the soil time to warm up from winter’s cold, so in the spring, new plant roots grow slowly in the chilly ground. In the fall, plants get off to a faster start as they shift their energy from their spring job of producing new leaves, flowers, fruit and shoots to their fall duty of devoting their energy to root establishment and growth in soil that is warm and nurturing.
Shrubs, trees and perennials planted in the fall aren’t subjected to summer’s heat and drought when they’re very young and fragile. They have time to establish strong, healthy root systems so when summer does come around, they’ll be ready to handle the heat.
Your lawn benefits from fall planting as well. In the spring, weeds often beat grass seedlings to the punch when it comes to vigorous growth. Seed your lawn in the fall, and not only will the seedlings establish good root development, they’ll also have an advantage over the weeds come spring with ample energy reserves in these roots. Your grass will also be stronger and sturdier to withstand summer’s heat and drought when planted in the fall.
Need another reason to plant in the fall? It’s easier on you! Spring soil can be wet and heavy, while the drier fall soil is far easier to work with. We’re ready to spring forward with all of your fall planting plans, so give us a call here at Farmside and let’s get started!
