Fall Garden Planting Schedule

Trees and Shrubs

Fall is an ideal time to add trees or shrubs to your yard. The planting of trees and shrubs is best done during the cool fall temperatures. Even though the air is cool, the soil is still warm and nurturing for new plants.

Choose a tree that is balled-and-burlapped or in a pot as opposed to bare-root selections. Planting in early fall gives the root system time to get established before going dormant in the winter. As the tree or shrub prepares itself for dormancy, its energy is focused on the roots. This is ideal place to concentrate growth in new plantings.

The planting hole should be two to three times wider than the root ball but only as deep as the soil line on the trunk. Do not add soil amendments to the hole. This will discourage the roots from spreading out and cause a weak plant that is easily uprooted.

Grasses

Grasses benefit from being planted in the fall as well. In fact, this is the perfect time to start a new lawn or over-seed a thin lawn. The grass will grow faster and have less competition from weeds.

Speaking of weeds, fall is the also time to combat them. As weeds prepare for winter by pulling nutrients into the roots, herbicides are better absorbed as well. Better absorption means better results in killing weeds.

Fall is also the time to aerate if you have a half inch or more of thatch built up. Don’t forget to fertilize using a fertilizer that has slow- or controlled-release nitrogen. The N-P-K should be a ratio of 3:1:2 or 4:1:2. Fertilizer is best absorbed after you have aerated your lawn.

Fall Vegetable Gardens

If you are planning a fall vegetable garden, you need to consider several things. One is the type of vegetables you will be growing. Another item is to determine the first average frost date where you live.

Average frost dates are easy to find out. Simply call your county Extension Office or look on a garden zone chart. A great resource to look up average first and last frost dates is Victory Seeds’ frost date selector.

Vegetable selection is a bit trickier. You want to be sure that you are selecting vegetables that are frost tolerant. You can choose plants that are not frost tolerant if you look at the maturity rates of each one and do a bit of figuring before planting.

Seeds vs. Seedlings

If you are starting from seed you will want to start them early to allow for slower maturity as the days get shorter in the fall. If you are planting cold hardy vegetables this isn’t as critical.

For plants that die back when the first frost hits, you will need to calculate the days until harvest. You may want to add a few extra days to allow for slower growth. This way you are able to harvest your crop before the plant dies off.

As an example, a packet of cucumber seeds says it takes 50 days to harvest. If your average first frost date is September 20, you will want to plant your seeds by June first to allow for harvest before the frost.

If you are able to find plant starts at your local garden center, you will be able to plant a bit later. Using the same example of cucumbers, the seeds take eight days to germinate. If you have purchased plants you can plant about two weeks later and still be able to harvest before the frost.

Selections for a Fall Garden

Some vegetables you can consider adding to your fall garden planting schedule include:

• Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Sweet corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Peas
• Peppers
• Melons
• Squash
• Turnips
• Tomatoes

If you have a very early first frost some of these may not be an option for you. Calculate to be sure the plant will be ready for harvest in time. Some vegetables, like kale, actually taste better after a light frost. Others can be protected with row covers or a cold frame to extend the season further.

Dates for a Fall Garden Planting Schedule

Here is a sample of planting dates depending on your first average frost. In this sample schedule, the earliest planting would be for eggplant. The latest date is for radishes. Other vegetables would be planted sometime between the two.

If you are in doubt, check with your county Extension Office. Often they will have a chart detailing what can be planted each month. By following the guidelines in this article you can have a nearly year round garden and enjoy fresh produce on your table.

Benefits of Fall Planting

All of this may seem like a lot of work, but doing it now will give you a healthier lawn and a beautiful yard in the spring. Then you can relax while your neighbors try to figure out how to make their yard look as great as yours.