By Faith Peppers
University of
Georgia

Cool fall days are still a few weeks away, but there’s much to
do in the garden to get ready for the change of seasons.

“Fall is fabulous for most plants,” said Georgia gardening guru
Walter Reeves, a retired University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension agent and an author and radio and television show
host.

“There are several reasons why it’s better to plant in fall,”
he said. “The most important reason is soil temperature. Roots
grow best when the soil is warm, between 55 and 75 degrees
Fahrenheit.”

Fall-planted trees, shrubs or perennials get several weeks of
vigorous root growth to be ready for winter and for years of
healthy growth. However, if you plan to plant evergreens,
Reeves says, get busy.

“Early fall is a great time to put in evergreens like Leyland
Cypress and hollies,” he said. “It’s better to plant them early
rather than late. Their foliage is tossed about by winter
winds, and if they don’t have good root development, they get
too dried out. If there’s a class of woody plants that needs
planting early in fall rather than later, it’s the
evergreens.”

Put in perennials

September and October provide ideal temperatures to get
perennial plants off to a good start.

“Spring planting is usually successful,” Reeves said. “But root
growth is limited by cold soil. In years with a long, cool
spring, like the one just past, the soil didn’t warm to 55
degrees until May. If we had a dry summer, the inadequate root
system of spring-planted shrubs and trees might have led to
their death.”

Fall is also a good time to divide day lilies and irises. “If
you can remember where your daffodils were and you can find
them,” he said, “now is a good time to move them.”

Clean and fertilize

Some fall cleaning may be in order, too.

“Dead limbs you see now are truly dead and won’t be coming
back,” Reeves said. “It’s guaranteed never to be leafy again,
so go ahead and prune and remove it.”

Reeves also says it’s almost time to fertilize the
lawn. “Winterizer lawn fertilizers are best applied six weeks
before frost,” he said. “Georgia’s annual first frost is
generally mid-November, so winterizer fertilizer should go out
between the middle of September to the first of October.”

As the days cool, it’s not only fun to garden, but cheaper,
too.

“Nurseries have plants that have been growing in the same
containers all season. The plants will be bigger and will make
a more immediate visual impact,” Reeves said.

“Prices may actually be lower as nurseries make room for
Christmas trees or reduce inventory for the slower winter
months,” he said. “The day lilies won’t be blooming and the
hosta may look tired, but rest assured that their half-price
tag makes up for their temporary lack of beauty.”