Boost Landscape Beauty with Fall Planting

As always, select plants suited to the growing conditions and give them plenty of room to reach their mature size. Check the plant tags for the preferred growing conditions. Plant trees so the root flare—where the roots curve away from the trunk—is even with the soil surface. Dig a hole the same depth as the distance between the root flare and the bottom of the root ball and two- to five-times wider than the root ball.

Ensure proper size and depth of the planting space when digging in a new shrub or tree / Image credit MelindaMyers.com

Loosen or cut any roots circling the root ball. These will continue to grow in a circle and fail to explore the surrounding soil if left unchecked. Roughen the sides of the hole and backfill it with the existing soil. Amending the planting hole encourages the roots to remain in the hole—where the growing conditions would be better than the surrounding soil—rather than developing a larger root system.

Water thoroughly and spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch over the soil surface, keeping the mulch away from the tree trunk. Continue watering thoroughly throughout the fall whenever the top 4 to 6 inches of soil are crumbly and slightly moist.

Follow a similar planting procedure for shrubs. Plant these so the crown, where the stems meet the roots, is even with the soil surface, and be sure to keep the mulch away from the stems.

Always call JULIE 811 or file online at Illinois1Call.com at least three business days before placing the first shovel in the ground. This free service will contact all the utilities in the work area to mark their underground utilities, reducing the risk of injury, inconvenience and expense from damaging a utility line.

Fall gardens and containers can be dressed up with cool-season annuals like pansies, snapdragons, ornamental kale and stocks. Add a few cold-hardy pansies to provide colorful blooms this fall and again in the spring soon after the snow melts.

Start planting spring flowering bulbs after nighttime temperatures hover between 40 and 50 degrees. Planting too soon increases the risk of early sprouting during a warm fall.

Use chicken wire to help protect bulbs from squirrels and other critters / Image credit MelindaMyers.com

Animal-resistant bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths, Fritillaria, alliums, Camassia, glory-of-the-snow, snowdrops and grape hyacinths should be planted to avoid battling bulb-eating critters. Otherwise, protect animal favorites like tulips and crocus with repellents, chicken wire or bulb cages at planting. Then next spring, apply repellents as the bulbs burst through the ground.

Plant a few short-season vegetables in the garden for fresh-from-the-garden flavor this fall. Count the days from planting to the average date of the first fall frost—October 15 in the greater Chicago area. The timing can vary depending on proximity to the city, Lake Michigan or other micro-climates.

Select vegetables that will mature and be harvested within the days remaining in the growing season. Leaf lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, radishes and carrots are fast-growing, cool-weather-tolerant vegetables that are great additions to the fall garden and the dinner plate. 

Extend the harvest season with the help of floating row covers. These fabrics allow air, light and water through while trapping the heat around the plants. No construction is needed. Cover the plants loosely with the row cover; secure the edges with pipes, boards or landscape staples; and let the plants provide the support.

Taking advantage of the fall weather and often slower gardening time can boost the landscape’s beauty. Adding plants in the fall will also reduce the workload next spring.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition, and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses How to Grow Anything instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. For more information, visit MelindaMyers.com.

Learn more about fall planting for a beautiful landscape with Melinda Myers at 11 a.m., September 7 at Pasquesi Home and Gardens, located at 975 N. Shore Dr., in Lake Bluff.

The event is free and no registration is required.For more information, visit Pasquesi.com.