What to Plant in Fall

As summer transitions into fall, you’ll need to make some changes to your garden. While summer is known for colorful blooms and fresh herbs, fall gardens can also be bountiful.  If you are wondering what to plant in the fall, take a look at these tips to ensure a beautiful garden all throughout the fall season.

What to Plant in the Fall: Vegetables

If you love to grow your own food, fall is a great time to plant several crops. Start by consulting the USDA hardiness zone map to see what plants will survive and thrive in your area. There are several quick-maturing vegetable plants that can be planted early in the fall. These include tasty and hearty vegetables such as carrots, beets, beans, radishes, green beans, and zucchini.

Greens that might suffer from frost such as spinach, lettuce, and cabbage should be planted early on in the fall. You will want to harvest your greens before the cold weather hits.

Root crops can be planted later in the fall season because they handle colder temperatures better. The soil will also protect them from unexpected frost. The aforementioned quick-maturing vegetables can be planted and harvested multiple times before winter really sets in. Other vegetables that do well when planted in the fall include broccoli, brussel sprouts, parsnips, cauliflower, and, of course, pumpkins! Root vegetables that grow through a frost are often said to be slightly sweeter, so you might notice a difference in taste between your first round and last round of fall season vegetables.

What to Plant in the Fall: Flowers

Nothing accents your landscaping quite like pretty flowers. Pansies add a lot of color, grow quickly and vigorously, and can grow up to 8 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Marigolds are also a great choice, with the added bonus of adding the classic orange and yellow fall colors. Marigolds are robust and will spread quickly if given the space. 

Fall is also an ideal time to plant bulbs for spring. You won’t get to enjoy the flowers right away, but you’ll love seeing your garden bloom when spring rolls around.  Narcissus bulbs will bloom in shades of white and yellow and come through in a variety of shapes and sizes. Crown Imperials bloom in beautiful oranges and reds, and their bulbs do very well through the cold weather. Freesia bulbs also work well for fall planting, and will blossom in red, white, red, lavender, and orange tones.

What to Plant in the Fall: Trees & Shrubs

If you want to get a little more intense with your fall planting, you can incorporate larger plants such as trees and shrubs. During the autumn season, soil is still warm enough to promote good root development, making it an ideal time for tree and shrub planting. Since you will be digging deeper holes throughout your yard, it’s extremely important to contact your local utility companies to make sure you don’t hit any lines. You’ll also need to plant trees along their natural soil lines. When in doubt, work with landscape design professionals. Hackmann Lawn would love to work with you to add new shrubs and trees to your yard.

Fall is the season of change, so why not change up your landscape design? Contact us with your ideas and we’ll work with you to create the perfect yard.