By Tammy Thornton
Well, the kids are “back” to school either virtually or physically, and evenings are cooling off. But gardening season is anything but over. While quarantined, many people took up gardening as a new hobby and are ready to call it a wrap for the year. However, fall weather provides the perfect conditions for starting cool season crops, moving misplaced perennials, and planting bulbs that will bloom in the spring.
After the dog days of summer, your plants can look a bit beat up by the harsh temperatures of July and August. But as autumn approaches and the sun relents, our plants breathe a sigh of relief. Some have already succumbed to the heat and have decided to sleep underground until spring. But others relish the cooler temperatures and throw an end-of-the-year party. You may see a new wave of blooms on forgotten plants. It’s not the riotous explosion of blooms like in spring, but a subtle peaceful beauty. This is an excellent time to plant perennials, divide those that are overgrown, or shift misplaced plants in the garden. My gardening friend, Esther, and I have joked that our plants are on wheels. Gardens are always in flux, and as plants mature and conditions change, you may find that some of your plants need to be shifted in the garden. It’s very gratifying to move out-of-place perennials around to a new location that looks just right. But moving plants is always a risk. When you disrupt their root system, you must give them the best transition to their new home possible to increase your odds of success. Moving plants in summer often proves fatal as they suffer stress from the heat beating down on them. In fall, however, the weather is perfect and newly planted perennials, bushes, and trees will have time to establish their root systems before winter sets in. Though the nights are cooler, we can still have hot daytime temperatures, so be sure to water transplants well.
Fall is also an excellent time to plant seeds of cool weather plants and fast-growing vegetables and herbs. While basil and tomatoes thrive in the heat, cool-season vegetables such as spinach, peas, and broccoli require lower temperatures to set fruit and mature. Some of these vegetables, like kale, can even handle a light frost and will become sweeter as their starches convert to sugar. Others, however, must grow to maturity before first frost. Check seed packets for “days to maturity” and count back from your estimated first frost date, allowing a few extra days for germination. In our South Jersey area, that may be between October 20 and November 15, depending on your source. Be sure to look up your first frost date by zip code, since temperatures can vary widely the closer you are to the shore. Some reliable sources for the first frost date are The Old Farmer’s Almanac (almanac.com) and davesgarden.com. I’m looking forward to planting cilantro, spinach, and Brussels sprouts. If you are new to gardening, try growing something easy like spinach, lettuces, radishes, or beets. These are fast growers and easy to grow in containers if you lack space. How fun to grow your own salad in one pot!
One of my favorite fall gardening tasks is planting spring-blooming bulbs. For me, leafing through gardening catalogs of flower bulbs is like taking a kid to a candy store; it’s hard to limit myself. The choices are endless: fringed tulips, parrot tulips, single tulips, and triumph tulips. Then there are grape hyacinths, alliums, daffodils, anemones, and bluebells. Every spring, when I see those beautiful flowers blooming, I wish I planted even more in the fall. Choose healthy bulbs from reputable sources. Bulbs should be full and firm like a healthy head of garlic. Speaking of which, if you want to harvest garlic next year, this is the time to plant those as well. Planting bulbs is a lesson in patience, endurance, and hope. We plant a tear-shaped bulb deep into the ground, and wade through the cold, dark season of winter. But in the spring, our long wait is rewarded with a beauty only possible because of the hardships of winter.
Shore Local would love to hear about your fall gardening experiences. Please send your pictures, questions, and comments to shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton is a mom of four, a substitute teacher, and a Sunday school teacher. She is passionate about gardening and cooking, and loves the beach.
