Fall Planting

I really do love this time of year.  It's still busy but not crazy busy like the vegetable garden and fruit orchards keep me from late July to early September.  I'm about ready to put the canner kettles away; the cold room shelves are full.  The cool, crisp nights lead to good sleeping weather. 

There are still things to do, though.  It's not too late to plant deciduous trees and perennials, although the latter will need some mulch for the winter.  My planting season has been cut short by an injured foot, but I did manage to move some tree seedlings from places they'd planted themselves but weren't welcome.  I can still always find room for these little treasures and sometimes I'm even lucky enough to just be able to let them grow where they land.

I also managed to remove the perennials I've used for containers throughout the summer and find places in the gardens for them.  I can feel better about tearing those containers apart at the end of the season when I know that I will be able to enjoy those plants in a new setting next year.

In North Dakota, fall is a great time to do planting.  The roots of the transplants need about six weeks of ground temperatures above 40 degrees to become well-established.  The ground temperatures cool much more slowly than air temperatures, so here we can generally plant through the month of September and oftentimes into early October.  Bulbs and dormant deciduous trees can be planted almost till the ground freezes.  Evergreen trees and shrubs should be planted by the end of September for them to be established well enough to survive the winter.

Fall transplants love the cooler temperatures - there is much less stress on the plant, allowing for better root development.   Often, moisture becomes more abundant again as we move into fall, and the cooler days and much cooler nights keep the moisture in the soil longer.  There are fewer diseases and pests to plague the tender transplants in fall.  While the plant may look a little worse for the wear this year (it may even look dead, but resist the urge to pull it out), it will reward with lush foliar growth next spring because of the vigorous root development that took place the preceding fall.

Another advantage of fall planting is the prices.  Many garden centers don't have the resources to overwinter plants, so they clearance them as fall approaches.  The later it gets in the fall, the lower the price goes.  Last year, I picked up several nice viburnums for $1.00 a piece - their original price was $19.99.  True, I had to really use my imagination to see the glory that could be coaxed out of their bedraggled little selves, but with a little trimming, some TLC, and fall planting, I had some beautiful new shrubs this year.

Just as it is with spring planting, adequate watering is critical.  The new transplants need to have a half to one inch of water each week right up until the ground freezes.  Then a three to four inch layer of mulch to protect the crown of the new plant from the freeze and thaw cycles of winter, and the scene should be set for a nice new planting to emerge in the spring.