When most people think about planting season, spring comes to mind first. Garden centers fill up, everyone is itching to get outside after winter, and it just feels like the natural time to start something new.

While spring absolutely is a wonderful season to plant, it is not the only one. Fall offers its own set of advantages, many of which spring simply cannot match. Once you understand what is happening below the soil surface, it is easy to see why so many experienced gardeners consider autumn a prime planting season.

Fall gives Kansas City gardeners something unique: a sweet spot where air temperatures cool down while soil temperatures stay warm. That combination creates excellent planting conditions.

As the air cools, plants are relieved of the stress that comes with summer heat, humidity, and intense sun. Instead of spending as much energy managing those harsh conditions, they can redirect more energy toward root growth and establishment.

Meanwhile, the soil, which retains heat much longer than the air, stays warm well into the season. This gives roots time to continue growing even after leaves have dropped and top growth has slowed.

The result is a plant that is still working hard beneath the surface while requiring less from you above it. Cooler weather can also mean less transplant stress, making fall a gentler time to move a plant from a container or root ball into the ground.

Kansas City’s climate cooperates nicely with this process, too. Our region typically doesn’t see a hard frost until late October or early November, and the ground typically doesn’t freeze for good until well into December. That gives plants installed in September and October plenty of time to root in before winter dormancy fully sets in.

Plant in fall, and you’re giving your new tree, shrub, or perennial several months of root establishment before it faces the stress of a Kansas City summer. By the time next summer’s heat rolls around, a fall-planted specimen already has a well-developed root system in place to help it access water and nutrients.

That extra head start pays off the following year, too. Perennials and shrubs planted in fall are already established and ready to put on new growth as soon as temperatures warm up. That extra establishment time leads to an earlier start that will often reward you with stronger blooms and growth, than plants installed later in the season.

Because temperatures are cooler and plants are not losing moisture as quickly through their leaves, fall plantings typically need less frequent watering than those planted in the warmer months of spring and summer. You will still want to water consistently to support root development, but you will not be fighting evaporation and heat stress the way.

Fall also tends to bring fewer pest and disease pressures as many insects and fungal issues become less active with cooler temperatures. This gives new plantings another advantage as they settle in and get established.

And let’s be honest — digging holes, hauling mulch, and working in the landscape is a lot more enjoyable on a crisp fall day than in 90-degree heat.

There is even more reason to take advantage of fall’s planting benefits with several seasonal tree and shrub sales currently happening at Suburban Lawn & Garden.

Stop by, browse online, or talk with one of our team members to find the right trees and shrubs to get in the ground this fall.

Come Grow with Us.