WHAT TO PLANT BEFORE THE GROUND FREEZES
Fall is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs, in your Indianapolis yard. The shoulder seasons, autumn and spring, are easiest on plants that are just establishing themselves. The days are a little shorter, and the temperatures are more moderate, so new plants don’t get too much sun or heat stress. Rain is more frequent, so they’re less likely to struggle for water. Plus, in the fall, the soil is still warm from the summer, making for a comfortable environment for newly planted roots. It’s a great time of year for plants to focus on settling into their new home.
Here are a few tips for fall planting in Indiana.
SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS
Spring-flowering bulbs, like tulips, daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops, aconites, anemones, hyacinths, and fritillaries, need a few months of chilling in the soil to bring them out of dormancy to start growing in the spring.
Late fall is the best time to plant these bulbs. It will give them enough time to put out some roots and start collecting nutrients and water before the ground freezes for winter. Then they’ll be ready to pop up when things warm up in spring.
Most bulbs should be buried about three times as deep as they are tall, and then watered moderately. Its also a good idea to put a thick blanket of mulch, 2-3 inches deep, over the area to help insulate them through the winter.
PERENNIALS
Whether you’re adding new perennials or splitting the ones you already have, fall is the perfect time to do it. Transplanting into a new location puts perennials under a bit of stress, so doing it when the weather is more moderate makes it easier for plants to recover and adapt to their new surroundings.
Consistent moisture, often more common in the fall with rain, is super important to help perennials establish a sound root system. If you’re planting new perennials, make sure to loosen the roots well, especially if the plant is particularly rootbound, and dig a wide shallow hole. The top of the pot’s soil should be just about level with the top of the soil in the hole.
Get your plant into the planting hole as quickly as possible after taking it out of its pot. Then, backfill halfway and water it well, filling the rest of the hole with soil.
If you’re splitting existing perennials, make sure to dig quite far out from the plant, and get as much of the roots as possible. You can try to tease apart sections to plant in new locations, or you can slice them apart with a sharp, clean knife or spade. Ideally, you want to get the new piece into holes as quickly as possible. If you can’t get them relocated right away, pot them up in old pots and water them well to keep the roots from drying out.
All perennials will benefit from a nice thick layer of mulch to insulate their roots through the winter.
TREES & SHRUBS
“A thick layer of mulch is essential for new trees and shrubs to get through the winter safely.”
Planting trees and shrubs in the fall gives them an extra season to establish roots before putting out new leaves or fruit. However, while flower bulbs can be planted quite late, you don’t want to wait too late in the year to plant trees. If you’re adding trees or shrubs to your landscape, we suggest getting it done before the end of October.
The principles for planting trees and shrubs is pretty similar to what we outlined for perennials above. The planting hole should be much wider than it is deep. The top of the soil on the root ball should be level with the top of the hole, and you should backfill the soil part of the way, tamp the soil down, water, and then finish backfilling.
A thick layer of mulch is essential for new trees and shrubs to get through the winter safely. Its also critical to make sure that trees planted in the fall are properly staked to keep them stable and sturdy through winter winds.
Trees and shrubs are an investment. If you’ve never planted them before, you may want to consider having them planted for you to ensure they’re planted right and will survive the winter. Our expert staff can get your trees and shrubs in place for you and give you essential information about taking care of them through the winter.
You’ve still got time for planting this year, so don’t write off the gardening season yet. If you have any questions or want to pick out some new bulbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs, stop by our garden center! We offer a great selection of all the things you need to get planting this fall.