Now’s the Time to Plant

 

  

Why Fall Is Prime Time for Planting  

Fall’s combination of cooler air temperatures, consistently warm soils, and reduced pest and weed pressure gives new plantings an ideal window to focus energy on establishing strong root systems rather than on top growth. Even as temperatures cool through the fall season, root growth continues in soils averaging down to about 48 °F (9 °C), giving fall-planted roses, shrubs and ornamentals a robust underground foundation before dormancy sets in. This head start helps them withstand winter stress and burst into growth come spring. 

In addition, the weather isn't quite as tricky as it is in the spring, and you don't have that "spring rush" feeling to get everything done after winter.   

Perennials, ornamental grasses and shrubs, as well as edibles, such as strawberries, raspberries, grapes, blackberries and rhubarb can be planted now, as well as Butterfly Bush, Potentilla, Spirea and other flowering shrubs.   

The key to planting in the fall, just like every other time of the season, is to prepare the soil.  The advantage this time of year is the soil is warm and drier, making it easier to add amendments. In our typical clay soils, adding organic material to the planting site is key.   

We stock locally produced bagged soil amendments such as Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost. Bagged amendments make it easy to take home and place in the garden. Rich in trace minerals, organic material and beneficial microbes, Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost improve the soil’s physical and biological health, essential for initial planting as well as sustained growth.  Amendments should be incorporated into the planting site at a 50:50 ratio with the existing soil.   

Plan to dig the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and once again as deep. Once the planting hole is dug, fill it with water and observe how long it takes to drain. If it takes more than five minutes, add more organic material.   

Remove the plant from its container and break up the root ball, center it in the hole and back fill with amended soil, using enough to create a shallow basin to facilitate watering.

As you’re filling the planting hole, apply ferti•lome liquid Root Stimulator to reduce transplant shock and stimulate strong root development.   

Keep plants evenly moist. This is best done by checking each plant daily and hand watering as necessary. Water slowly. Fill the moat you built around each plant and let the water slowly seep in. Don’t rely on automatic irrigation for the first few weeks.   

  

Plant on a cloudy day or in the evening. This will give the new plant some time to begin acclimating without the stress of direct sun and higher temperatures.    

When the ground gets cold, usually around Thanksgiving, add a 3" to 4" layer of natural mulch. This will hold in the moisture, keep the ground cold and stable through the winter helping the plant maintain dormancy and less likely to trigger new growth during the brief warm up periods we experience during our typical winter season.  

Plan to water all the plants in your landscape every 4-5 weeks during the winter, when the temperature is above 45 degrees F.

In summary, planting in the fall gives perennials, edibles, trees and shrubs time to establish and develop strong root systems, thus giving them vigorous head start next spring    

   

 

 Now’s the time to Revive® your lawn. 

 

Heat stress is a common challenge for lawns this time of the season. The prolonged high temperatures can aggravate existing conditions such as compacted clay soil, as well as poor watering, fertilizing and mowing practices. This will cause the lawn to look thin, weak, or have many dead patches throughout. Underlying all of this is the fact that most of our turf grasses are cool-season grasses, adapted to the cooler weather of spring and fall. During the heat of the summer, they tend to stop growing and sometimes will go dormant.  

 

To help your lawn recover, it’s important to follow the best practices for mowing and watering, combined with Revive®, Humate and an iron-based fertilizer.  

 

Some summer lawn problems come about due to poor mowing and watering practices. At this point in the season, your mower should be raised to its highest setting, and you should be mowing twice a week. Mowing higher and more frequently will reduce moisture loss and minimize heat damage.  

 

Watering correctly is important too. Watering your grass every day encourages shallow root systems. When the weather turns hot and dry, these short, shallow roots can’t supply enough water, and your grass begins to dry up and die. A better approach would be to water deeper and less frequently. This will encourage grass roots to grow longer, reducing the heat stress effects on your lawn.  

 

If you start to experience runoff while you’re watering, turn the water off and let it soak in before you resume watering. This soak and cycle method will help reduce waste from runoff and the water at the root system, where it's needed.  

 

In addition to applying good watering and mowing methods, it’s important to improve the soil your lawn is growing in.   

 

The keys to building better soil in existing lawns include spring and fall aeration, regular applications of organic material and using granular Revive® three times a year. Revive® is a local product designed to improve soil structure which encourages strong root development and improved water and nutrient uptake.  

 

By using Revive® the water you put on your lawn moves down to the roots more effectively and there’s less loss due to evaporation and run off.  

 

In conjunction with Revive® we recommend you include humate in your lawn maintenance schedule. Humate is a highly concentrated soil conditioner derived from the remains of decomposed organic plant materials.  Feeding your lawn humate will make your soil healthier, increase microbial activity and enhance nutrient uptake. Humate is available in granular form in Natural Guard HuMic. You apply it using a fertilizer spreader.   

 

Revive and HuMic are chelating agents.  Chelating agents increase nutrient availability to plants. This means more of the fertilizer you put on your lawn goes to feed the grass.  

 

Now’s the time to add ferti-lome Lawn Food Plus Iron. This product contains Nitrogen, Potash and Chelated Iron, and is designed to green up your lawn and keep it green long term. That's because ferti-lome Lawn Food Plus Iron contains chelated iron. It's important to use chelated iron in our heavy clay, high pH soils because your grass can absorb it more effectively than non-chelated iron. This is true any time you're adding iron to your lawn, trees and shrubs. Always look for products which contain chelated iron.  

 

Revive® and HuMic plus best practices mowing and watering will help ensure a healthy lawn through the rest of the season.