Planting in the Cold: Why Autumn is the Professional’s Secret Season – Ken Lain

Halloween is upon us, and while the kids are thinking about candy and costumes, the pros are thinking about shovels and soil. There’s a common myth out there, one I’ve spent thirty years trying to bust, that the planting season ends when the first frost hits the pumpkins. In reality, October 31st isn’t the end of the line; it’s the beginning of the most successful planting window of the year.

If you look at any professional landscaper’s schedule, you’ll see they are busier now than they were in May. Why? Because the ‘pros’ know something the average gardener doesn’t: plants love a cold start. Here is why planting in the cold is the secret to a high-performing mountain garden.

The Underground Rush

While the top of the plant is heading into dormancy, the ‘engine room,’ the root system, is doing the exact opposite. In our mountain highlands, the soil stays warm long after the air turns crisp. When you plant a tree or shrub in late October and November, the plant stops spending energy on growing new leaves or flowers. Instead, it directs 100% of its resources into building a massive, deep root system.

When you plant in the spring, that plant has to fight two battles at once: growing new roots and pushing out new leaves to survive the coming July heat. A fall-planted tree has a six-month head start. By the time the first heatwave hits next summer, that tree already has its ‘feet’ deep in the ground, making it far more drought-tolerant and resilient.

The Benefits of “The Big Sleep”

There is a biological advantage to planting now called “vernalization.” Many of our most beautiful mountain plants, like Peonies, Lilacs, and Fruit Trees, actually need a period of cold to reset their internal clocks. Planting now allows them to experience a natural winter cycle in their permanent home.

The ‘transplant shock’ seen in June is almost non-existent in Autumn. In the cool air, plants don’t lose moisture through their leaves nearly as fast. It’s a much gentler transition from the nursery container to the backyard garden.

Ken’s Fall Planting Essentials

To get professional-grade results, you have to use professional-grade techniques. Even though the plants are going to sleep, they still need a ‘last supper’ to ensure they have the required minerals for winter root development.

• 7-4-4 All Purpose Food: I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll repeat it, this is the secret sauce. It’s organic, so it won’t force weak, leafy growth that’s prone to freezing off. It builds the “bones” of the plant.
• Rooting & Grow: When Autumn planting, I always use a rooting hormone. It signals the plant to immediately start knitting those roots into the surrounding soil.
• Cedar Mulch: This is the blanket. A 3″ inch layer of mulch keeps that precious soil warmth trapped underground, extending the root-growing season by weeks.

What to Plant Right Now

Fall is for Planting and the perfect time for Conifers & Evergreens. Austrian Pines, Deodar Cedars, and Blue Spruces thrive when planted in the cold. It’s also the premier time for Garlic and Spring Bulbs. If you want a garden that looks like a professional designed it, you plant your Daffodils and Alliums today, right now!

Pro Tip: Shop Mountain Bulbs at Top10Bulbs.com

The “Why” Behind the Water

The biggest mistake people make with fall planting is putting the hose away too early. Even in the cold, roots need moisture to stay alive. A dry root in frozen soil is a dead root. Give your new plantings a deep soak once every week or two (depending on snow/rain) throughout the winter. That moisture acts as an insulator, protecting the roots from deep-freeze damage.

A Journey of Patience

Gardening in the fall is an act of faith. You dig a hole, put in a plant that looks like it’s going to sleep, and you wait. But come May, while your neighbors are at the garden center buying plants that have to struggle to catch up, your yard will already be established, vibrant, and ready to soar.

Don’t let the frost scare you off. Grab your coat, grab your shovel, and let’s get those “professional” roots in the ground today.

Join Me at the Garden Center!

Learning the ropes takes time, but you don’t have to do it alone. We host free garden classes every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Watters Garden Center.

October 31: Brown Thumb Bootcamp – A Plant Killers Class to Success

Our in-person classes wrap up this Saturday! Stay tuned for the official launch of our first-ever online winter classes. Learn more and enroll online soon.  

Until next week, I’ll be helping new local gardeners with Fall Planting here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com