It takes more than April showers to bring May flowers. Often,
it takes fall planning.
"Most bulbs and perennials do better if planted in the
fall," said Wayne
McLaurin, a horticulturist with the University of Georgia
Extension Service.
"If you don’t plan now and you try to plant them in
early spring," McLaurin
said, "they will grow a little and try to bloom. But you
won’t get nearly the show
you would if they had all fall and winter to grow a root
system."
Perennials and bulbs planted in the fall will spend the late
fall and winter developing
hearty root systems. That will help them support the stress of
blooming in the spring.
Those planted in spring will give some blooms, but after a year
of development will give a
bigger show the following year.
The same is true for spring-blooming trees.
"Trees such as dogwood and magnolias form buds the
previous season," said
extension horticulturist Jim Midcap. "For the best success
for root development, fall
planting is preferred. Early spring is acceptable.
"Crape myrtles, however, bloom on new growth,"
Midcap said. "Getting the
trees established for summer blooming makes fall planting
essential."
Midcap encourages planting all trees in fall.
"Plant broadleaf evergreens, such as magnolia, hollies
and azaleas, in early
fall," he said, "because the soil is still warm. The
broadleaf evergreens need
warm soil to develop a root system."
If your summer vegetable garden is dying down, start a new
one this fall. Several
vegetables are suitable for a fall garden.
"All the greens, broccoli and cauliflower are just a few
of the vegetables that do
well this time of year," McLaurin said.
To figure out when to plant fall vegetables, McLaurin offers
a rule of thumb:
"Determine the first frost date in your area," he
said. "Back it up by the
number of days the seed package says it will take to harvest,
and add 20 days."
For example, the first frost date of the Athens-Atlanta area
is Nov. 20. The maturation
period for lettuce is 40 days. Add 20 extra days, and that makes
the last planting date
for lettuce Oct. 1.
If you’re tired of the same old turnip, collard and kale
greens, try something new and
exotic this year.
"The oriental greens that are big on the market now
should be planted in
fall," McLaurin said. "Most will grow well in
Georgia."
Whether you’re planting fall vegetables, bulbs or perennials,
good soil is the key.
"The soil must be in good shape with plenty of organic
matter," McLaurin
said. "You also need to mulch them to help protect them
from cold. Mulch is good
insulation, and you need it to help the root systems grow and
protect them from the
cold."
For details on how to plant bulbs for spring flowering,
contact your county extension
agent.
