Why do so many people ask if fall is a good time to plant? If you plant now, in the fall, then you will have much better gardens than planting in the spring. At least, that is how it works for most plants in the Central Great Plains Region of Kansas and Nebraska. Fall is my second favorite time of the year, after spring. And it is the best time for planting. But why? The main reason is because the soil is warm, and there are usually enough fall rains to keep the soil moist. With warm soil, root development occurs quicker than in wet, cool spring soils.
But the other reason for fall planting is because the year is nearly over, and you can begin planning for next year by planting now. Usually, by the end of August, I can see what spaces in my garden need something to fill in (I do have to remember where the daffodils are planted though). But because the garden is dying down (except the asters, goldenrods, and sedums of course), it is great time to add plants which may not look so good coming from fall plant sales. The reason many nurseries have fall plant sales is because they do not want to hold over plants through winter out of the ground. Not because they are not good enough to plant.
Fall Blooming Plants to Plant Now
Even though fall is already here, and the fall bloomers are just starting to show off, it is still an excellent time to add more into the garden. It is now that we see the different kinds of goldenrods and asters blooming, and is a perfect time to add those into the garden for next year. I recently found a new species of goldenrod (new to me) growing wild at a local lake, and thought it would be an excellent addition to the garden. So I am going to collect some seeds from it. And, as I look across the garden, I decided I want to add a border of tall, late summer and fall blooming perennials.
The following is a list of tall perennials for late summer and fall that I have made for my garden.
- Common boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum
- Tall boneset, Eupatorium altissimum
- Late boneset, Eupatorium serotinum
- New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis
- Tall Tickseed, Coreopsis tripteris
- New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia
- Golden Glow, Rudbeckia laciniata
- Fall phlox, Phlox paniculata
- Obedient Plant, Physostegia angustifolia
- Blue vervain, Verbena hastata
- Meadow blazingstar, Liatris ligustylis
- Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus
Grasses and Other Fall Perennials to Plant Now for Next Year
Besides the above perennials for my own garden, there are many other showy fall plants to add to your garden now. For now is the time to see what you are lacking in the fall garden. You can see the holes where a certain grass or perennial would benefit the garden. And you can see what is blooming now, and where to find it. Add the following fall blooming grasses and flowers the garden in the fall.
- Switchgrass
- Little bluestem
- Indiangrass
- Big bluestem
- Prairie cordgrass
- Prairie dropseed
- Goldenrods
- Asters
- Sedum
- False turtlehead
- Obedient plant
- Blue lobelia
- Blue mistflower
- Perennial sunflowers
- Bonesets
Adding Perennials to the Garden in the Fall
The lest could go on for a long time. There are so many perennials available to gardeners now. Of course, we all have our favorites. But I could talk all day about which perennials to add. And it gets harder and harder each year, because plant breeders are continuing to develop new cultivars of old favorites. So we must plan each season for the perennials we want to add to the garden. But fall is the best time to start planning for the future.
Some of my favorite perennials in the garden are:
- Daylilies
- Aster
- Milkweeds
- Sedum
- Skullcap
- Perennial sunflowers
- Mountain mints
- Hummingbird mints
- Ornamental onion
- Penstemon
- Goldenrod
- Hosta
- Siberian iris
Conclusion
Plant Now! For now is the time to put trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses into the ground for the next season. Fall is ALWAYS the best time to plant trees, even in a drought year. Perennials too should never be missed in the fall. Take advantage of fall plant sales and get your gardens ready for next year now.
Happy planting!
