What to Plant in the Autumn

Posted on 19/10/2020

Fall Planting: What and When to Plant in the Autumn

Spring is not the only season you should try to plant in. There are plenty of flowers and plants that need colder temperatures to thrive and bring out the best of themselves. Spring has not patented the panting process, and many seeds see their best growth period later summer / late winter. The ground in gardens is also usually better suited to plant in during autumn as the summer season usually softens it up with the combination of summer rains and very dry weather. When you plant during the fall, you will have to deal with the still hard soil left by winter’s frost. And many agricultural stores are in a hurry to sell all their fertilizers, seeds, and other products before the winter season begins, so you might find many good deals on the market.

But let’s focus on the big question. What to plant in the autumn?

• Cool-Season Vegetables

Many vegetables need the cold weather and winter’s dormancy to be able to later sprout wonderful produce for your stews and salads. They grow in the cold temperatures and bloom once winter’s frostbite is over. You can use the autumn season to plant cabbage, kale, lettuce, radishes, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and carrots – all great vegetables for healthy meals which you will need after all the winter colds are done. You can plant them in late August and provide frequent garden maintenance until the winter snows begin, then all you have to do is wait and see your wonderful and tasty crops come to life.

• Pansies

These beautiful flowers gain so much when planted in the fall. They will get their earliest development from the summer-heated soil and their roots will flourish to stalks which you only need to water every now and then and keep the soil around them moist. Once the after-winter thawing  begins, you can expect a full-grown vibrant colour that matches the life of summer, but during the spring.

• Trees and Shrubs

Autumn is the time when you should plant a tree, or find a place for a shrub you wish to see flourish. If the plant is sturdy enough, it will survive during the cold temperatures of winter and will meanwhile find the space to develop its roots and get accustomed to the surrounding natural environment. Once the blooming of spring comes, you will immediately see the result of your labour.

• Perennials

Many flowers survive more than one season and they don’t necessarily need to be planted during the spring to do it. After your lawn clearance is done, you should plan on planting some of the beautiful perennial plants like hostas, irises, or peonies. These plants require very little garden maintenance – the occasional weekly watering before  the winter frosts begin would suffice, and then you just leave the dormancy to do the rest. Once the flower is woken by spring’s calling, you will see it bloom and prosper and provide you with an excellent decoration for months and months.

• Spring Bulbs

English bluebell, daffodil, winter aconite, snowdrop, crown imperial, and many more are all flowers that absolutely need the cold weather’s dormancy to thrive before they bloom. Your lawn will look amazing after you plant these in the late autumn and leave them to grow into wonderful colours that will give your garden amazing scenery for your neighbours to envy.

Plant these flowers and vegetables in the autumn and enjoy the very moment their colours show. Autumn is not simply for watching leaves fall and wither and leaf clearance, and you don’t need to be a gardening expert to do it. Plant, water, wait, and harvest the fruits of your labour once it blooms.