What to Plant This Autumn?
Fall brings a lot of changes into the world. The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors and winter is right on the doorstep. For much of the near 80% of American households that participate in gardening, autumn spells the end of the gardening season. However, it doesn’t have to.
There are actually many different types and kinds of plants that can be planted in the fall. These can prolong your gardening experience and the joy you may experience from it. Gardening is great for us in many different ways, so having a longer gardening period is always welcomed.
But with many different options for what to plant, how do you decide what to plant in the fall? How do you know what can and can’t survive the conditions? With that in mind, this blog post is going to look at how to choose what to plant this autumn, and also go over some general gardening tips for the fall.
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A Variety of Different Veggies
One of the best and most common things people will plant and grow are vegetables. Not only do you get to enjoy the act of gardening and help a plant grow, but you also get the benefit at the end of getting something delicious to eat or cook with.
While some might think that the growing of veggies ends once the summer ends, this isn't the case. Not only that, but many of the most popular veggies to grow actually thrive when being planted in autumn. Radishes, turnips, garlic, spinach and many others can successfully grow in the fall with ease.
Many of these thrive when the soil is cooler, so there is no better time to start planting them than when the hot summer sun goes away.
Bulbs that Bloom in the Spring
In addition to veggies, there are many types of other plants and flowers that are ideal for an autumn garden. One of the best examples are bulbs that bloom in the spring. Because they bloom in the spring, they obviously cannot be planted in the spring, so the fall is the best time.
These bulbs, altering being planted, will remain underground for months and will grow and mature during the winter. Once spring rolls around, these plants and flowers will be ready for their beautiful bloom. Some different types of spring bulbs include tulips, alliums, daffodils and many others.
Be sure to choose the ones you enjoy the most and you feel would look great in your home or yard. Ensure nighttime temperature dips relatively low before planting these, as planting them too early can cause them to emerge before they’re supposed to, and potentially subject them to cold weather that could destroy them.
Fall is the Best Time for Trees
If you are thinking about planting any sort of shrubbery or tree in your yard, fall might just be the single best time to do it. There are many reasons for this. One of the biggest reasons is that lower temperatures are easier on the plants and will prevent them from suffering from too much heat.
Colder air can lead to new top soil growing, which allows plants to focus primarily on developing roots, which is very important for large plants like trees and shrubs. Planting this early, as opposed to waiting to spring, allows roots the develop longer and get developed over the winter.
In order to help roots grow as strong as possible for your trees, but sure to provide the most ideal conditions possible, by watering the ground.
Now that you have a good idea how to choose what to plant this autumn, we figured it was also a good idea to provide you some general tips for planting and gardening in the fall.
Tips for Planting in Autumn
Know the Tools to Use
When doing any kind of gardening, it is good to be aware of what you need and what you should use. There are a million and one gardening-related tools, and you certainly don’t need to use them all. But there will be some you need to successfully plant your garden.
Whatever sorts of gardening or digging tools you need, including high quality broadforks, check at Easy Digging. You don’t want to attempt to start your fall planting without all the tools to make it possible.Consider Using Protective Covers of Some Kind
Depending on your climate and where you live, the fall can get fairly nasty and cold. Frost can quickly and effectively ruin many crops and plants, so leaving your garden uncovered could be a recipe for disaster. Using bed sheets, frost cloths or other materials will help keep the frost from damaging your plants.
Be Aware of How Long the Plants Take to Grow
Not all plants take the same amount of time to grow. Even similar or the same types of plants can vary in how long they need to fully mature. Know how far in advance you need to plant crops in the fall to ensure they can grow to their maturity without being interrupted by the cold of winter. Some may only take a few weeks, while some can be much longer.
Clean Up Old Growth
After the harvest of your spring and summer garden, you will likely have a lot of old growth. This could be leaves, plant debris or any number of other things.If you simply leave these, they could interfere with your autumn growth. Also, if you live in an area with snowy winters, leaving this mess will possibly leave you with much more to clean up in the springtime. Use this time to also get rid of any weeds, to give your autumn plants the best chance of success.
In conclusion, hopefully this article has made it easier to know what to plant in autumn, and other general gardening tips for the fall season.
