When amateur gardeners think about fall, the first thing that pops into their mind is dead leaves, cloudy days and the approaching winter. No one would ever think fall could be an ideal time for planting, would they?
That’s a wrong assumption!
Experienced gardeners and those who do this for a living know that fall is the perfect season to make changes to your garden, either by seeding new plants or relocating the existing large ones.
A garden is perpetually changing, plants grow and mature. Your gardening efforts don’t end with planting the seeds. Much like children, you have to support the plants as they grow into adults. Plants like perennials are a perfect example. While some become huge over a course of a single season, others can take a few years before they reach their full size. As a gardener, you have to cater to either scenario.
Fall is a great time to split the large ones up and move them to a different, less crowded area that might need a little green boost. Likewise, don’t give up on others that seem to be moving nowhere. Try to give them one more season of increased care or move them to a different location with more favorable conditions.
If your garden has thin soil, soil lacking organic components or has low fertility or PH value, fall is also an ideal time for maintenance. For example, you could add some lime and compost and nourish the ground.
But why fall? Here are the main reasons fall is actually a great season for gardening:
The Soil is Warmer
Even though the temperatures are generally lower during the fall, the soil has preserved most of the heat from the sunny summer days. While on the outside the leaves are falling off and plants seem to be going to sleep, deep underground the roots are actively growing, earthworms and microbes are busy and the plant life is pretty much active. Even when there’s a thin frosty layer on the soil, it might take weeks before the frost penetrates the ground. Therefore, if you plan on planting on growing, do so while the soil is still warm.
The Roots are Active
Fall is the time when plants are expanding downwards and taking firm root. During the spring all of their energy is focused on upwards growth and developing new flowers and leaves. That’s why you should add new plants like trees, shrubs or perennials in the autumn. The plants will focus all of their energy into rooting, which will make them stronger and ready for spring. That strength comes from the fact that they have already firmly rooted and the roots are longer and stronger, focusing all of their energy above the ground.
More Water
Depending on where you live, fall is usually one of the moistest seasons. As we previously explained, during the fall plants focus all of their energy into rooting, and that takes a lot of water. Fortunately, the soil absorbs the rain that falls during the season to create vast supplies as the water evaporates slower due to the lower temperatures and lack of sunlight.
Contact RALCO Landscapes & Maintenance at:
3443 Camino del Rio S #222, San Diego, CA 92108, USA
619-259-5553