Fall Planting: Why It Might Be Better Than Spring and the Best Time to Plant

Ever heard that fall is the ideal time for planting in North Carolina? Maybe you’ve been walking around our garden center and heard one of our top-notch employees explaining its benefits, or maybe a friend with a green thumb told you once. And it may sound strange at first given most think of fall as a time when plants begin to ready themselves for winter, but that is one of the exact reasons why it's the best time! Keep reading for more reasons and maybe you’ll consider incorporating some new plantings into your fall activities this year. 

What Can You Plant?

Just about anything can be planted in the fall, from trees to shrubs, deciduous or evergreen, big or small material, and especially perennials both sun and shade-loving! The sky is the limit on what you can plant due to the nature of the autumnal season and the ways it can benefit your plants, especially for the coming spring. 

What are the Benefits?

1) ROOT ESTABLISHMENT 

While you can’t wait too late to plant in the fall, when you do get the timing right (September through October is usually the sweet spot for our climate) the root systems of your plants will thank you in the spring, especially early spring when we are likely to get a rogue cold snap. The still warm earth of fall allows for root systems to latch nicely into the soil, preparing them for a nice long winter’s nap before the ground freezes.  

2) REDUCED STRESS 

The usually more moderate temperatures of fall, less intense sun, and sometimes greater rainfall mean less transplant shock for plants, many trees and shrubs especially. 

3) ENERGY REDIRECTION 

Despite knowing leaves will be falling off, deciduous plants get a special benefit by being planted in the fall due to being able to focus on developing a deeper root system over pushing out foliage or blooms. This, of course, leads to a stronger plant in the spring. 

Benefits for Gardeners

Fall planting doesn’t just benefit the plants though! How about you? How does planting in the fall help a gardener out? 

1) LESS WATERING, LESS WORK, LESS FIGHTING! 

Say it with us now, cooler weather means less watering! Gone are the days of fighting tooth and nail to keep your beautiful garden from dying of thirst as you get to relax on constant watering and let the more frequent rains and less intense sunlight do its work. (You’ll certainly still be fighting for water next spring and summer, but such is the toil of a gardener! At least for a few months, you’ll get to sit back!) 

2) MORE COMFORTABLE WEATHER TO WORK IN 

Speaking of which, the cooler weather makes garden activities and jobs much more tolerable and, dare we even say, pleasant?  

3) FRESH AND INTERESTING PLANT MATERIAL 

Many garden centers, including ours, like to get beautiful fresh material (especially from West Coast vendors) come fall, including fruit trees and gorgeous, gorgeous evergreens and conifers! We’re talking blue spruce, skip laurels, apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, you name it.  

Our Verdict…Maybe It’s Both?

So, is fall truly the best time to plant? Depends on who you ask, but we’re pretty partial to it. There are certainly benefits to planting in the spring, including the gratification of enjoying your blooms or fresh foliage right away and it just seems like the right thing to do for most! We suggest doing a little bit of both...why not? Plant some in the spring, some in the fall! There’s no right answer, but we hope to have laid out some reasons for you to consider it this year.