Get the Fall Planting Advange
The most valuable lesson flower farming has taught me (and I mean valuable like hundreds of dollars in dead plants) is that planting perennials in the fall is waaaaay easier than nursing them through summer heat and drought.
Seeing Goldenrod blooming on the roadside has become my signal to start thinking about planting perennials. This time of year is the BEST time to plant perennials.
Have you ever bought a perennial plant in spring and um... forgot to water it regularly through the summer months... Ha! Me too. Or let the weeds take over, that’s happened.
The excitement we feel in spring to be out in the garden fades pretty quickly in 90 degree weather. And ah, so do newly planted perennials.
It’s also easier to decide where to plant them, and it’s better for the plant's health.
Really, there are so many advantages to planting your perennials in fall, so here’s a breakdown of all the reasons why fall has become my preferred time to plant perennials:
Less watering required
We get busy in the summer. There’s lots of fun stuff to do and lots of stuff that has to be done. Unless you have an irrigation system in your garden, watering can be extremely time consuming in the summer. And the hotter it is, the more water your plants need.
When you plant perennials in the fall, you still need to water them, but the task is easier. For one, there are fewer weeks to get through before winter, but also the temperatures have started to cool down, so the plant needs less water overall.
Less weeding required
Most annual weed seeds germinate in spring when the soil warms. Weed seeds germinate in disturbed soil, i.e. around the root ball of the perennial plant you’ve just dug a hole for.
So not only do you need to keep your spring plantings well watered, you also need to keep them weeded. And all during what precious little summer time we get!
There are very few weeds that germinate in fall, and even if they do, annuals are likely to be killed by a frost before they get big enough to compete with your perennial plant.
Design a better garden
At the end of summer, it’s easier to know where to place something new in a way that works with what you already have. You can actually see what you have in fall, whereas in spring, you sort of have to guess or try your best to remember.
It’s easier to see gaps that you can fill, or compare heights and colors so that everything works together cohesively.
Plus, fall is a great time to move that rose bush you’ve been wanting to move for 3 years but keep missing the window to transplant… (mom…)
As you are adding new perennials, fall is also a great time to transplant existing perennials and refresh and redesign your garden a bit while your garden’s evolution over the season is fresh in your mind.
Spread out the labor
Spring going into Summer is a pretty busy time for most people. For me, I have lots of annual flowers that need to go in the ground, lots of seeds to start, and farmer’s market season to get ready for.
Dividing my planting schedule into “spring is for annuals” and “fall is for perennials” makes planning easier and lightens the load.
Instead of trying to plant your annual vegetable garden and your flower bed at the same time, doing the veggies in spring and the flowers in fall will lighten your load too.
But it doen’t just spread out the labor, it also spreads out the fun! I love planning and planting my garden, so being able to do it twice a year is twice as much fun ha.
Healthier plants
All of the above reasons are about why it’s better for US to plant perennials in the fall, but it’s actaully also better for our plants!
Even if you are a person who faithfully waters and weeds your spring-planted perennials, fall is still the best time to plant.
The soil is warmer and the weather more temperate in fall than in spring. Warmer soil helps roots establish more quickly, and fewer up and down temperature swings cause less stress on the plant.
Planting a perennial when it’s focusing on making roots (i.e. fall) instead of making shoots (i.e. spring) ends up with a healthier root system the following year.
The fall-planted perennial lives in a protected environment all summer (the nursery). A spring-planted perennial has to fight off insects and withstand heavy rains and wind out in the garden all season.
All the energy saved from not having to recover from insect or storm damage goes directly into the roots when you plant your perennials in fall. And that’s what you want. Roots. Foliage and flowers are just a beautiful byproduct of a healthy root system.
I hope this motivates you to get a jump on next year and plant some perennials this fall.
