Fall Planting for Easy-Care Herbs and Flowers

Fall is planting time for grains, vegetables, herbs, and flowers native to dry Mediterranean climates. Wheat, Poppies, Mullein, and Fava beans are examples of crops from that growth pattern.

In colder, temperate climates, there are many perennials that drop their seeds in late summer, spend the winter in cold moist soil, and sprout as the weather warms in spring.

Plants that started life in cool coastal climates seldom thrive in very hot dry weather. Instead, we grow them in spring or Fall, mimicking the fog of a cool oceanic summer.

When you add all of these plant types together, the number of seeds that like to be planted into cool soil is about as large as the number that like heat. Any experienced gardener knows that lettuce, cabbage, peas, spinach, and so on are a major part of the gardener's year. But fewer gardeners realize how many flowers and herbs should be fall-planted. You can see the choices HERE

Poppies are an example of an overwintering annual. Planted in the Fall, they can make a rosette of leaves before growth stops in winter, and a strong deep root. When the weather warms up, that established plant gets big and blooms profusely. (Zones 4, 5 and 6 should plant in very early spring--you can sprinkle seed on the snow.) Seeds planted in warm spring weather will still bloom, but the plants will not be as large and the number of blooms correspondingly smaller.

Echinacea, Anise Hyssop, Marshmallow, Valerian, Nettle, Meadowsweet, Good King Henry, and Bee Balm are examples of temperate plants that sprout better if they go through the winter in the soil rather than in a dry warm place. You can sow them in deep pots and leave them out to get snow and rain, but protect them from rodents and birds. As the days warm in spring, they will sprout.

Kale, Arugula, Spinach, Escarole, and Cabbage are familiar vegetables that thrive in damp, cool maritime weather. Some herbs and flowers that share this trait are alyssum, calendula, nasturtium, violets, delphiniums, daffodils, clover, mint, astragalus, chervil, cilantro, and fennel.

When planting for fall and winter, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process and give your plants their best chance.

• Locate your plantings to survive the worst hazards they will face during fall and early winter. If flooding is an issue, give them very good drainage. If wind is likely to be very strong, make a plan for shelter. Frost flows downward like water--low spots will get more frost than high spots or slopes.
• Often the best spot for winter will be in a place that is unsuitable now--too hot, too dry, or occupied. You can either start your crops in flats and plant them out after the area is more welcoming, or you can modify the conditions with shadecloth, extra water, etc. Sometimes the existing crop can be your shadecloth, as when you plant kale and collard seedlings among the long vines of squash. The squash will shade the ground and keep the seedlings cool, then die when frost comes.
• Nutrition is key. The plants need to be well-established before cold weather stops further growth. It's tempting to give lots of nitrogen to get fast growth, but remember that sappy rank growth will not survive as much cold. You want steady, balanced growth and a strong root system, so give lots of compost, with it's balance of nutrients, organic matter, and growth-enhancing organisms. The plant nutrient that give extra frost-hardiness is potassium. I try to give my fall crops a healthy dose of kelp meal, seaweed extract, and/or wood ash in September. Seaweed has the extra bonus of natural growth hormones as well.
• Firm your seeds in well, and make sure they stay moist. This calls for special vigilance with seeds that are surface-sown and need light. (I try to sow these in pots if possible, and germinate them out of the wind and direct sun. Surface-sown seeds that must be sown in place, like poppies, are often sown when a good rain is expected. I normally plant them with the Fall rains.
• Seeds that are normally covered with soil can be sown a bit deeper than usual in warm conditions. If the weather is still hot, make temporary shade and wind protection and water often.  Sometimes it helps to cover the soil with cloth to keep it moist. Or you can lay some twigs and branches over the surface to give a bit of shade and shelter from wind.
• Do your transplanting in the evening if possible and water transplants in well.  Consider making a bit of shade and shelter for the transplants if days are still hot. A cardboard box, a few cut branches, or a bedsheet on sticks can make shelter for a day or two.
  
• If you are going to transplant, don't put it off. There is less leeway for late planting than in spring. On the other hand, don't let lateness keep you from planting at all. Nature is a gambler, and you should be too.