You may have heard people say that fall and winter are the best seasons to plant trees and shrubs. Winter is also great time of year to look for bare root trees and shrubs that you can often order in bulk for much cheaper than potted material. What you may not realize is that the same applies to native perennials and grasses too. In my opinion, fall is one of the best times of year to get plants in the ground here in Middle Tennessee, and it's absolutely one of my favorite seasons to be out planting.
Warm Soil, Cool Air, Happy Roots
As we move into fall, the air starts to cool off particularly in the evenings (thank goodness!), but the soil holds onto its warmth for much longer. That combination is ideal for root growth. Plants aren't spending most of their energy pushing out new leaves and flowers the way they do in spring, so instead they focus that energy underground, building the kind of strong root systems that carry them through winter and set them up to take off the following year. Cooler air and less blazing hot sunshine during the afternoons also means less stress on the plant overall while those roots get established.
Mother Nature Takes Over the Watering
Middle Tennessee summers are usually hot and veeery dry, which means a lot of hand watering to keep new plantings alive. As a self described 'lazy gardener,' summer planting is usually a recipe for disaster for most of my plants. But, in the late fall, we can almost always count on the precipitation starting to increase. You'll still want to monitor and water your plants in for the first week or two after planting, after that Mother Nature usually takes it from there.
Getting Ready for Spring Pollinators
When you plant natives in fall, you're putting in small plants that will go dormant for the winter and then explode with growth the following spring and summer. That growth is exactly what early pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds are looking for. Planting now means your garden is ready to feed them right when they emerge in our gardens come spring. And what a delight to have pollinators appear as soon as possible next year!
Great Timing If You've Been Fighting Bermuda
If you've spent the summer months working on killing off a Bermuda lawn, (which we generally recommend tackling during its active growing season from May through September) fall is the time to fill that space with native plugs that can get established and prevent new weeds from taking over the barren ground next year. Once the Bermuda is knocked back, fall planting lets you move straight into establishing the native plants you actually want in that space. (Bermuda grass removal deserves its own post, stay tuned for my thoughts on that menace!)
Honestly, It's Just a Beautiful Time to Be Outside
Fall in Middle Tennessee is hands down my favorite season, and I am sure I am not alone in that. The heat and humidity of summer finally ease up, the bugs calm down, and the low light is drop dead gorgeous in the late afternoon. If you've been putting off garden projects because it's been too miserable outside to enjoy them, this is your season. It is such a joy to get your hands in the dirt without being a total sweaty mess. So whether you are just adding a few plants to your garden beds here and there, or planning a full 'kill your lawn' overhaul, now is the time to plan and in just a month or two let the planting begin!
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