Colorado Fall Gardening Tips From a Local Pro

by Jesse Eastman, Owner, Fort Collins Nursery

Note: This is a guest column by Certified Colorado Nursery Professional and owner of Fort Collins Nursery, Jesse Eastman. This post will address tips for gardening in the fall and other yard-and-garden topics specific to Colorado. Special thank you to Fort Collins Nursery, a key partner and Premium Sponsor of the #PlantSomethingCO photo contest since the beginning.

there’s still time to grow

After a long, cold winter, the snow melts, the world turns green, and it's time to plant! It seems all the world is in a rush to get gardening done in spring, but is that really necessary?

Some plants should always be planted in spring. These include anything that will only grow through spring and summer and will die once we get frosts and freezes in fall and winter (most notably vegetables and annual flowers). Some plants are only planted in fall, particularly spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, crocus, and daffodils. However, many plants can be planted from spring through fall, and taking advantage of this will change the way you approach your yard.

What to plant for the fall in Colorado

Planting deciduous trees and shrubs (ones that shed their leaves every year), as well as herbaceous perennials (ones that die back to the ground but return each spring) in the fall has a number of benefits. Soil is an incredible insulator and holds summer heat long after cool autumn air causes perennials and deciduous woody plants to go dormant. By planting these types of plants in fall, we give them warm soil to root into which speeds root growth. Because they're going dormant, they don't need to expend valuable resources producing leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit. On top of that, transplant shock is minimized, as the plants are not attempting to support all their foliage while they adjust to their new home.

This does not, however, mean planting in spring is a bad thing. Spring-planted material has a whole season of growing to get established before winter. And if we have a particularly harsh winter, these plants have the advantage of a season of growth under their belt. In particular, most evergreen plants (which hold their leaves or needles year-round) perform best when planted in spring. In general, however, spring-planted and fall-planted material both thrive when well cared for, and there are other great reasons to plant in fall.

Benefits of planting throughout the year

In case you missed it… We went LIVE with garden pro & owner of Fort Collins Nursery, Jesse Eastman, to answer your fall gardening questions!

The plant selection in fall is different than in spring, and that diversity is good for your landscape. We tend to shop for plants by focusing on what looks good and what is blooming. If we only shop in spring, we mostly buy plants that look great in spring, but by autumn our landscape may look a bit boring. By shopping throughout the year, we can capture the best each season has to offer.

Additionally, there are plenty of fringe benefits to "off-season" shopping. Garden centers are crowded in the spring, but in fall you practically have the place to yourself. Spring sees an influx of newly hired employees. But by fall, garden centers have cut back to their most outstanding staff, so you'll be sure to find answers to all your questions. One of the most underrated reasons to plant in fall is the availability of bulbs. Stick a few bulbs in the soil around your fall-planted plants (you're already digging the hole, so why not?) and you'll get a great early spring shot of color to go along with whatever else you've planted. Then there are the sales! As the season winds down, there are often great deals to be had through September and October. Combine that with all the other great reasons to plant, and fall is looking pretty good!