At our farm, the sound of gobbling turkeys signals that spring is in full swing. Plant life is changing too; tiny, bright green leaves are appearing on shrubs and some early wildflowers are beginning to bloom. Many of our seeds are coming out of moist storage in the fridge, where they have been for the past few months to simulate a mild Colorado winter. It’s an exciting time!
Planting a native garden in the spring is certainly possible, and can be a fun way to ring in the season. However, a common question we get is if plants will survive when planted later in the fall. The answer is yes, and furthermore, you can really take advantage of the unique characteristics of native plants by doing so! When I worked on restoration projects in New Mexico, we opted for fall plantings in wild areas due to several benefits:
Fewer Initial Inputs
Perennial plants live for more than one growing season and will go dormant over the winter. When we plant in the fall, we only water the plant when transplanting, and then up to twice a week for a few weeks. In a year with typical winter precipitation, dormant native plants won’t require any supplemental water over the winter. As most pests and weedy species will be late in their life cycle, you will also spend less time managing them.
Plant Vigor
Planting seedlings in the fall means they will miss the hottest part of the year and be subjected to milder temperatures. This will help ease their transition from the cushy greenhouse setting to life in the field. In fall, plants will invest more growth into their roots instead of above-ground growth to prepare for winter dormancy. Then, once the winter is through, fall-planted seedlings can begin root growth in the spring at their pace, before you would typically be able to outplant. This extends the growing season and improves first year survival and growth 1.
We hope you enjoy the beautiful spring season! If fall planting sounds like it might be right for you, there’s still a lot you can do for your native garden as temperatures warm up. It’s a great time to make a species list, create a planting plan, or do some site prep (ie. weeding, mulching) to maximize your transplanting success in the fall.
References
- Dumroese, R. Kasten; Landis, Thomas D.; Luna, Tara. 2021. Raising native plants in nurseries: basic concepts. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-274. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 84 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-274