By CWN Staff
Fall is the best time to plant in California, blessed as we are with mild enough weather for a year-round garden. With proper preparation, Autumn’s cooler temps and shorter days set the stage for a flourishing Fall-Winter yield.
With the rainy season approaching, with less of the scorching Summer heat to stress plants (and your gardeners), this is an ideal time to establish plants in anticipation of Winter’s natural watering. Longer days and cooler temperatures means less moisture loss for your plants; while the soil still retains some warmth from Summer, encouraging root growth and hardiness throughout the Autumn and Winter seasons.
Whether you’re looking to plant vegetables, spruce up your waning Summer landscape, or start a flower garden, take some time to consider what you would like to grow and what your soil is looking like this time of year.
Winter vegetables are a joy to grow in California. Mild weather plants such as beets, chard, and lettuces are extremely nutritious and often require minimal care. While it may be too late to start certain plants from seed (look up lists of planting schedules for your area), it is the perfect time to transplant nursery-grown seedlings into your garden beds.
Autumn is also a great time to plant most trees and shrubs (tropical varieties and citrus are notable exceptions). Planting now ensures they have a head start on those planted in Spring, resulting in greater growth after the first year.
Finally, it’s natural seeding time for California natives, so it’s a perfect time to grow natives from seed. Autumn is a natural growth cycle for California natives; plus, fall-planted natives are less susceptible to Summer-specific threats such as root rot. Drought tolerant plants also love Fall planting.
What to Plant in Autumn
Beets, carrots, sweet peas, calendulas – all flourish in Autumnal California conditions.
Specific varieties for Fall planting include:
· Almost all perennial flowers - perennials have a head start when planted in the fall.
· All California natives, from seed
· Vegetables: artichoke, onion, celery, beets, endive, peas, broccoli, fava beans, radish, brussels sprouts, garlic, rhubarb, cabbage, kale, carrots, spinach, kohlrabi, swiss chard, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, turnips
· Cool season grasses
· Most shrubs, trees, ground cover and vines EXCEPT tropical or citrus
· Hardy herbs such as parsley, thyme, oregano
Fall Garden Tips and Tricks
Soil preparation: You may find it useful to prepare your soil for your Autumn planting. After removing spent Summer crops, check the soil for health. If your soil needs a boost, dig about a foot down into the soil to be planted and add in organic matter or compost, and fertilizer if using, and turn over.
Composting: Dig up and compost any Summer plants that are spent or done producing. Make sure when adding to your compost pile that your plants do not exhibit any sign of disease (exclude any diseased plants from your compost pile).
Flowers: When choosing flowers for your year-round garden, consider year-round bloomers such as those featured in this month’s newsletter. For native gardens, consider California goldenrod, Coyote mint, and Coyote brush.
Whatever you choose, with proper preparation, Autumn will surely favor a bountiful garden and lively, colorful landscape.