Is Planting in Fall a Good Idea?

Yes. There are lots of good reasons to plant in the fall. Bur first, what, exactly, do I mean by fall planting. When should you do that?

When is the best fall planting schedule.

NOW! As soon as you feel the evenings getting cool, and the days are still warm. In Toronto, usually that means mid-August. Some people will plant right up until the ground freezes in December. I've always been more cautious. For evergreens, I would like to be done before the end of September, and for other plants before the end of October. You can budge those dates with the added wisdom of exactly what you are planting - super hardy hostas or more marginally hardy giant rhubarb.

Warm Soil, Cool Evenings

In the spring, the soil is still cold. Who likes to kneel on that to plant - and who thinks the roots of your new plants really want to reach out into it? But, by late summer, the soil is warm. Everything is more comfy. The days may be hot, but evenings are cool. This means that plants have a chance to recover from the day's heat stress over night. This makes for a good combination for plants to grow and get established. It also makes for a nicer work environment for the gardener! Enjoy these last long evenings of the summer.

Larger Plants

You are more likely to luck out with a larger plant in the fall. This is simply how the nursery industry works. In mid-winter plants get planted for the busy spring market. Then, those that don't sell will be cared for through the season, likely be cut back to maintain them in their pots, and kept growing all summer. Come fall, they are simply bigger plants, although they may not look as nice and fresh as in the spring. If they don't sell in the fall, the nursery will likely up-size them to a bigger pot and sell them for more money the next spring. Note: I said you are ore likely. Some plants may have sold out during the season, and be into a second planting being rushed to market. But, on average, you'll end up with a larger plant.

More Predicable Moisture in the Soil

Grandpa might tell you that rain is more predictable in the fall. I'm not sure how true that is, but when it isn't so hot, water doesn't evaporate from the ground as fast. So, there is a more even moisture in the soil. You should still plan to water your new plants, but it shouldn't be as onerous as it would be in hotter weather.

Loads of Plant Availability

The nursery industry understands that knowledgeable gardeners plant in the fall. They gear up for fall availability, just like they did in the spring. So, you can expect to have good availability of most plants. Particularly in the case of Plants in the City, where we are getting our plants directly from local grower farms, there are hundreds of plants to choose from. Of course, it is possible that one or another of your selections may be sold out for the season. In that case, make a decision, would you rather select a close substitute, or wait for spring for that particular plant.

Fewer Pests and Weeds

Many of our pests and weeds follow predictable annual schedules. Particularly the annual weeds (crab grass, rag weed, you know the culprits) tend to sprout in the spring. Those are done by now. Similarly, many of our more pesky insects (Japanese beetles I'm looking at you!) follow a seasonal schedule. Since winter is approaching, there aren't a whole lot of insects whose schedule involves feeding on newly planted plants in the fall.

Fall Sales

Many retail nurseries have fall sales; we know that people wait for those. Mostly, these are a situation where the store has stock that it needs to get rid of before winter. Some of that stock may have been sitting on benches in the sun for a bit too long. Be careful what you buy on sale. There are undeniably deals to be had, but also buying a mostly dead plant may not be much of a savings. Since we get our plants fresh from grower farms, and their prices don't change for fall, generally neither do ours at Plants in the City. We never have sales to move poor quality stock, but we may have a sale simple to boost sales. Stay Tuned!