Horticulture requires thinking ahead. A perennial planted in October may not provide instant gratification, but its roots can establish during fall and winter before summer heat arrives.
Plants installed now don’t have to support a lot of new growth while dealing with summer heat and drought. Even if the top of a perennial dies back after a hard frost, the roots, crowns, bulbs or other underground structures remain alive. When spring returns, the plant is established and ready to bloom.
As an added bonus, some garden centers begin discounting perennial inventory in fall, so this can be a good time to find bargains. A plant may not look as impressive in October as it did in May, but a healthy root system is what matters most.
You do not necessarily have to give up on warm-season color yet, either. October frequently gives us several more weeks of mild weather. Chrysanthemums are everywhere this time of year, but for a change of pace, you can get those yellows, oranges and burgundies of autumn from marigolds. They are fast-growing and can continue blooming until the first frost.
Yellow and orange marigolds can dress up a porch for fall.
If you keep marigolds and mums in containers that are easy to move, you can move them into a garage, covered porch or protected area when frost is expected, then bring them back out. A combination of ornamental grasses, pumpkins and flowering annuals can quickly dress up a porch for fall.
Unfortunately, this column comes out just after our October plant sale at the Trident Technical College Horticulture Program. Our students grow much of what we sell as part of their classes. They seed, transplant, fertilize, irrigate and manage the crops before offering them to the public. The plant sales are part of the learning process because students see a crop from propagation to the final customer.
If you missed this sale, we have another one coming in December featuring more gift-oriented horticultural items for gardeners and plant lovers. You can follow the Trident Tech Horticulture Program on social media or contact me to get on our mailing list.
