Nights might be getting cooler and leaves might be turning color, but don’t put your gardening gloves and trowels in storage just yet. A local nursery says fall is the best time of the year to plant. Greg Miller, general manager of Ooltewah Nursery, says autumn is a prime planting season because the ground is still warm enough to give trees, shrubs and perennials a head start for next year.
“They settle in and get some root growth this time of year. That will last until December or January, when the ground really starts chilling down. So, if you can get things in the ground now, they’re going to be in better shape to withstand the extreme dry and heat next summer,” he says. The fall planting season doesn’t necessarily follow the calendar, Miller says. Rather, it’s the window of opportunity that opens once the heat breaks and autumn rains have moistened up the ground.
“Days can be warm, but nights are cooler. October and November are the best months for planting,” he says. Miller says people living in the Chattanooga area can plant a wide variety of trees and shrubs in the fall, including maples, oaks and birches. His 16-acre facility is currently providing a temporary home to Aoyagi Japanese Maples, Scotch Pines, Blue Atlas Cedars, Blue Italian Cypresses, Acoma Crape Myrtles, Alberta Spruces, cherry laurels and dozens more. He does have one important piece of advice when it comes to planting the balled and burlapped trees he sells.
“You have to wait until the trees are going into dormancy to dig. Once the leaves turn, you can start digging,” he says. Fall is also a good time for planting pansies, mums and other annuals, especially if the landscaper wants to maintain some color in his yard during the chilly winter months. “Pansies will last through the winter. They’ll shiver and hug the ground when it gets cold, but when it warms up, they’ll pop up and bloom heavily. If you keep them fertilized, they’ll bounce back,” Miller says. Miller also recommends decorative cabbage and kales for extra greenery and more color.
Although Miller makes it sound easy, some plants are trickier than others. Horticulturist Darlene Williams, an employee at Ooltewah Nursery, says tulip bulbs need to be in the ground by Thanksgiving because they need a certain number of weeks in the soil below 50 degrees. “There’s a science to planting in the fall,” she says. Taking care of plants once autumn has given way to winter is a breeze, though, as they require less water and there are fewer weeds.
Fall is also a good time to prep a lawn for the following spring, says Miller. “If you want to rejuvenate your lawn, especially with fescue, fall is the best time to do that. Fescue suffers under the heat of summer, so seed your lawn now, especially if you have patches that died out due to the heat and drought of summer.” Vegetable gardeners can get into the autumn spirit, too, by tending to their soil. “You can put down a layer of organic matter, such as fallen leaves. Once the leaves dry out, work them into the ground. Or plant a cover crop like annual clover, which will sit in the ground through the winter months. When it dies once the heat hits, till it under,” Miller says.
Vegetable gardeners who want to squeeze every day of the year out of their garden can plant cool weather crops such as broccoli, cabbage, onions, lettuce, turnip greens, mustard greens and spinach. “We’re at the point when the window has closed on broccoli and cabbage, but not lettuces and greens. Greens thrive during cooler weather. It getting cooler and cooler, though, which is going to slow them down, so get those crops in the ground now,” Miller says.
People unfamiliar with fall planting and in need of guidance can visit Ooltewah Nursery and ask to see Miller, Williams or any of the other employees. “Our staff can offer tips to everyone from beginners to advanced gardeners. For a fee, we can also come to your house and consult with you there,” Miller says. Ooltewah Nursery will also be hosting a free question and answer session on October 29 from 2 to 3 p.m. and on October 30 from 11 a.m. to noon. Miller encourages local residents to attend and ask their fall planting questions. “We offer the workshops as a service to our community. There’s no charge to be there,” he says.
Contact information and directions to Ooltewah Nursery are located at www.OoltewahNursery.com.