Gardening Tip: September is Planting Month

Fall is a great time for planting native plants

For many Four Corners gardeners, the question of when to plant trees, shrubs and perennials is an important one.  Some advocate planting in spring, when the ground is damp and before temperatures become too hot. But there are also good reasons for planting in the fall, particularly when establishing native plants.  Here at Mother Nature’s Montrose Garden we’ve tried both planting seasons with good success.  But our major planting has always been in the fall.  Here’s why.

First, the late summer/early fall monsoonal rains often soak the ground, making planting and establishment easy.  Fall rains also give the plants a good start; there’s nothing like a good rain to perk up newly planted specimen.

Another advantage is the fall temperatures.  In general, temperatures are moderately warm and the days are still fairly long. Moderate temperatures are optimal for many of our native plants.  In fact, many native perennials have a second growth spurt in the fall. Air and soil temperatures that are neither too hot nor too cold are just right.  And in many areas, the cold weather is still a month or six weeks away, in mid to late October.  That’s often plenty of time for a new plant to prepare for winter.

There’s a third good reason for planting in fall: local native plants are programmed to grow – and particularly to establish their roots – in the fall.  Once again, the plants are adapted to our rhythms of temperature, soil moisture and humidity.  The optimal fall conditions promote growth in general.  As an added bonus, many plants can actually sense the shorter days and cooler night temperatures. This provides added stimulus to put down a good root system. 

 

Place your plants out to be sure you like the location.

In summary, planting native trees, shrubs and perennials in September works with the patterns of nature to give new plants a good start.  The trick is to plant as early in September as possible – but not when the weather is hot, dry and windy.  That’s why many Four Corners gardeners’ plant in the second or third week of September.

On the topic of planting, here are a few additional tips to increase your success with fall planting of Western native plants:

• Be sure the ground is moist.  If rains have not moistened the ground, give the whole area a good soaking the day before planting.  

Hole size: slightly bigger than pot size

·         Dig a planting hole that is just a little bit wider and deeper than the pot in which the plant is growing (above). The old ‘wisdom’ of digging a big hole doesn’t work as well for native plants.  The sooner a native plant’s roots can grow into the garden soil the better; a smaller hole accomplishes that.

·         Don’t amend the soil in the planting hole. Amendments are not needed, and may actually discourage good root growth.  Just backfill the bottom of the hole with a little loose soil; that’s all you need to do.

·         If the soil surrounding the hole is dry, fill the hole with water and let it drain before planting.  Once again, this will encourage roots to grow out into the surrounding soil.

Hit sides of pot to loosen plant.

Gently remove plant

·         Remove the plant from the pot gently. Hit the sides and bottom of the pot firmly with your hand to dislodge the plant.  Then turn the pot upside down, and let the plant drop into your hand (above)

Loosen roots with your palm or fingers

·         Loosen the roots by rubbing the root ball with the palm of your hand (above).  Just a gentle rub, all over, to loosen pot-bound roots and stimulate them to grow.

·         Check the depth of the hole. The potting soil surrounding the plant should be level with the ground.  Add or remove soil as needed (below) before placing the plant in the hole.

Pot soil should be level with garden soil.

·         Fill in the planting hole with garden soil.  You’ll have plenty left from digging the hole.  Be sure to fill in the holes all around the plant.

·         Press down soil firmly around the plant.  We often also gently step on the soil to be sure that plant roots are in good contact with the soil.  This step is critical for getting roots to grow into the soil and establish a good root system quickly.

·         If no rain is predicted, water in the plant with a good sprinkling with a hose or watering can.

·         Mark the new plant with a colored flag. You may also want to identify the plant with a permanent marker.  For more see: https://mothernaturesmontrosegarden.blogspot.com/2019/10/gardening-tip-mark-your-perennials.html

·         Take a picture of the new plant for your records.

·         Reward yourself with your favorite beverage!

 

For a copy you can print see: https://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/garden-tips-planting-native-plants

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We welcome your comments (below).  You can also send your questions to: monaturesmontrosegarden@gmail.com