Why Fall Is A Great Time To Plant Shrubs
Written by: Lindsey Griffith
Shrubs make a statement in the landscape, adding long-lasting structure, privacy, and flowers and foliage. Whether it's a boxwood adding evergreen beauty or a hydrangea adding flowers to a privacy hedge, planting shrubs is a great way to accomplish your garden goals. Spring presents a great time to get shrubs and other plants in the ground, but what about autumn? Here, we'll discuss why fall is a great time to plant shrubs like hydrangeas and roses.
3 Reasons To Plant Your Shrubs In The Fall:
Strong Root Growth
The warm soil and cool air is the perfect environment for plant roots to establish in the ground. Since there is little growth above ground, all that energy is stored back in the roots, helping quickly establish the shrub in the landscape.
Head Start In Spring
Planting shrubs in the fall sets you up for a head start to spring and summer blooms as roots have already had time to establish by the following growing season. When planting in spring, plants typically use the first spring and summer to develop hardy root systems, thus putting out less flowers.
Less Heat Stress
Newly planted shrubs and perennials, even heat-tolerant ones, may become stressed during long periods of high temperatures, forcing them to expend energy to keep above-ground growth from scorching. Minimizing heat stress is another great reason to plant shrubs in the fall, especially for gardeners in Southern climates who experience high summer temperatures.
How Late Is Too Late For Fall Planting?
A rule of thumb for fall planting is to get shrubs in the ground at least 6 weeks before the ground hard freezes, which typically happens after consecutive nights of below-freezing temperatures. The average first frost varies by growing zone, with Northern climates working to get plants in the ground before the end of October, while Southern climates can typically plant through December. Learn more about fall planting and frost dates at the blog: Frost Dates Explained (Gardening For Each Zone In Spring & Fall).