Spring planting is also difficult for gardeners, who have to maintain new facilities with regular watering or risk losing them. Planting in autumn gives plants time to settle down, and some of them settle down completely the following summer, so there's no need to water them. The transplant causes stress on plants as they enter a new environment. This shock is reduced when planting in autumn because the plant is entering a dormant state.
Growth is moving from surface to subsoil and root systems are storing energy reserves for next year. Fall transplants have this vital time for root development before winter. Transplanting in spring, on the other hand, causes additional stress and plants may barely recover from the transplant shock before the demands of summer are met. Overall plant health will improve for next year by starting the transplant this fall.
The more spring gardening tasks you complete in the fall, the more time you'll have to spend in the garden next spring. A few perennials divided in fall, along with a newly planted shrub or tree, will give you more time to tackle other projects next spring. The colder nights and the increase in fall rainfall are less stressful for plants and more beneficial for the growth of new roots. In addition to planting new trees, shrubs, and perennials, you may want to divide or transplant existing plants in your garden.
Fall is the perfect time to do so. Because plants are inactive, they don't use energy on the surface. Moving or dividing plants in fall, when they don't have to concentrate their energy both above and below the ground, is much less stressful than doing so in spring or summer. See the season in a cool way with these top 10 reasons to plant in the fall, then trade that rake for a shovel and start digging.
With deep plum blossoms with a rich fragrance, Woodstock Hyacinth is a magnificent addition to the spring garden. Fall is also a good time to add specific plants for winter, such as colorful or unusual bark or dramatic shapes that impress with or without leaves. Cold temperatures, along with several other benefits, make fall an ideal time to add new plants to your landscape, divide perennials that grow too big, and, in some regions, plant a vegetable garden to harvest in fall and winter. Colder fall weather causes less stress on new plants, allowing root systems to establish themselves in a comfortable environment before winter.
Look for deals on bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs that bloom in spring, which can be planted in the fall, until your area is affected by severe frost. In spring, actively growing weeds compete aggressively for water, light and nutrients, fighting new plantations for every ray of sunshine and every drop of rain. Weeding less around new plants is good for gardeners, but less competition with active weeds is even better for newly planted plants.
