You probably associate bright commercial landscapes with spring and summer months, but most landscaping preparation should be done in autumn. Don’t wait until spring to install a new landscape design—allow your trees, shrubs, and bushes to establish roots over the winter.
Why Is Fall the Best Time to Landscape?
Many commercial property owners wait until early spring to start thinking about implementing a new landscape design, but fall is actually a good time to do so. It might seem counterintuitive to plant your new landscape right before cold weather blows in. However, there are many factors that make early fall the ideal time to start your new commercial landscaping project, including:
- Low humidity: Early fall tends to be less humid than spring and summer. High humidity can bring mold, fungus, and pests, which cause new plants to rot and die.
- Cool temperatures: With its mild days and cool nights, early fall temperatures are perfect for planting. In the early growing stages, plants dislike high heat and full sun.
- Good soil condition: Plants grow best in warm, dry soil. In early spring, soil is still cold and soggy from the winter snowfall, which prevents plants from rooting.
- Reduced maintenance: You won’t have to remove weeds or water often if you plant in the fall. Plants grow easily in cool, shady weather.
If you plant your new landscape during fall, you won’t have to hire a landscaper during the busy spring months, and your plants will be hardier come summer. With plenty of time to spread their roots in the winter, your fall plants will fare better during spring storms and summer heat than newly planted trees and shrubs. You might even save money on landscaping services and supplies due to lower demand in the fall.
Choosing the Best Fall Landscaping Plants
Once you’re ready to plant your fall garden, you’ll need to decide on the trees, grasses, shrubs, and flowers that will bloom in spring. Certain plant varieties grow better in the fall, and there are some steps you can take to ensure these plants will look their best in the coming year. By avoiding common mistakes, you can ensure that you’ll end up with an appealing outdoor space when winter ends.
Shrub and Tree Planting Tips
Many popular tree and shrub options thrive when planted in the fall, including ash, hawthorn, elm, maple, pine, sycamore, spruce, spirea, and boxwood. Nurseries offer partially grown tree options in containers that you can transfer directly to your space for full development.
After your landscaping team determines a suitable space for your tree to grow, they set the tree roots in a planting hole, leave the trunk flare above ground, and ensure the roots are anchored for optimal growth. Then, they add mulch around the base of the tree and water well until winter comes.
Grass Planting Tips
Cool-season grasses like fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass flourish during fall weather. These varieties are ideal for cold climates, and they need to be planted at least six weeks before the first winter frost.
If you choose to hire a landscaper to install sod, they will dig up your existing lawn and roll out sod sheets. When installing grass seed, workers spread seeds in sparse or bare spots throughout your outdoor space. Both options need consistent watering for the first few weeks, and grass seed requires a few additional weeks of care to fully sprout.
Flower Planting Tips
Many popular spring bulbs, including daffodils, hyacinths, irises, and tulips, grow best when planted in autumn. You should also plant flowering shrubs like hydrangeas and peonies in cooler months.
Your landscaping team will plant bulbs and flowering shrubs well before the first frost, usually around October. Bulbs grow best when buried deep in the ground, and flowering perennials need enough room for their roots to grow. When used in combination, bulbs and flowering shrubs will bloom in vibrant clusters during spring.
Choose Varsity for Landscape Planting Services
Our team at Varsity Inc. can help you design, install, and maintain a fresh new landscape in the fall, so you can enjoy a gorgeous outdoor space in the spring. We specialize in commercial landscaping services for a variety of industries. Our landscaping experts will guide you through every step of the landscape process and take care of your outdoor space for you.
If you want to take advantage of the fall planting season and enjoy a lush landscape in the spring, contact Varsity today to learn how we can help.
Varsity Inc. has been providing a full range of landscape related services to the Northeast commercial and industrial markets since 1974.
