This next generation hydrangea is going to steal the show in my front landscaping next summer!
Plants love fall.
I’m a firm believer in fall planting. Plants seem to bounce back quicker and end up more robust than spring or summer dug up plants.
Now is the ideal time to move plants that are in the wrong spot, divide plants and bulbs that have gotten too large and add perennials where there is a gap.
You can score great deals this time of year at the local garden center and even those dreaded big box stores. But by the time I get there with three kids in tow, the selection is either sparse or non-existent.
This is why shopping online for plants is incredible.
What a pleasure it is today to offer you an online gift card from Nature Hills Nursery for $150 so you can fall in love with planting again!
*Use your gift card now or wait for spring to order*
Here’s how to WIN!
Use the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post! Contest ends October 28th!
Keep reading to learn my top planting, dividing and transplanting tips! And don’t forget to put in your bulbs and garlic, too!
5 reasons to plant, transplant and divide plants in the fall
1.) Fall is the ideal time to plant, before the leaves cover everything and camouflage your surroundings. You can still easily see where you need to add perennials and even spring bulbs to pop some color in a bed!
And a spade can be worked into the ground without breaking it before “the big deep freeze” comes in about a month.
2.) The cooler, hopefully rainier weather of fall is ideal for transplanting. The plants don’t need as much water now that the heat has past.
Their leaves aren’t stressed out by the scorching sun and the cooler temps lesson the demand for water from the roots.
3.) Many blooms have come and gone by the time fall hits and you always want to move a plant after it blossoms.
Try to wait a few weeks even after they bloom to transplant.
4.) Fall is when to cut the tops of the plant off (guilt-free if they have already bloomed!)
By cutting off the tops you are reducing the draw on the roots. This allows them to use their energy to grow and establish themselves over putting effort into supplying water.
5.) By planting in the fall, you still have three to four weeks before the ground freezes over. Now the roots can establish themselves in the ground and not be heaved out during winters freeze and thaw cycle.
By focusing on roots now, when plants do come back in spring, they’re ready to put more effort in top growth. This translates into bigger blooms and more stunning foliage.
*Although plants need significantly less water in the fall, they still need water when moved, especially the first few weeks. Feel the soil with your fingers, water when the top two to three inches of soil is dry.*
Fall mulching tip…
Apply three to four inches of mulch around perennials when transplanting in the fall. This helps hold the moisture in keeping the ground warmer while promoting root growth well into late fall.
With our all new top hat blueberries, we applied compost, mulch and pine needles since blueberries enjoy acidic soil.
Fall fertilizing tip…
Fall gives your plants time to establish themselves before fertilizing. So plant and transplant now and remember to fertilize in the spring.
If you do choose to transplant in the spring, wait two or three months before fertilizing.
This pink beauty portentilla is a stunner!
The best time of day to plant, transplant and divide plants
First off, if a plant has outgrown its area, it’s probably time remove half the plant, leaving the other part to fill the area.
But does time of day matter? Absolutely.
In fact, the best time of day to plant is in the late afternoon. The sun isn’t as hot and the wind has hopefully calmed down a bit. A later planting allows plants to acclimate overnight as well.
Plant in the mid-afternoon? Nope. Strong sun and strong winds are harsh on new transplants who just want to rest their nerves after their move.
Sun and wind can cause weak plants to wilt. Wind can also dry out the roots.
Anytime a plant wilts due to lack of water or too much wind is a big negative. Plants that suffer at the beginning of their growth cycle may never bounce back from the shock and even later down the road may never become robust.
Plants become less stressed when they are moved on a cloudy and calm day. Any humidity in the air is a big plus.
This pink beauty portentilla is ready to get planted!
You can buy plants online from Nature Hills Nursery?
Typically I am met with blank stares when I mention how I like buying perennials, trees and blueberry bushes from online nurseries.
“You do what?”…. they innocently ask. Its because many people have never heard of buying plants online. Have you?
And why not order a hydrangea online from Nature Hills Nursery? Mine was stunning!
Here’s my secret. I’ve ordered plants from Nature Hills Nursery and they turned out fantastic. No issues whatsoever and I didn’t have to leave my house to order.
Plants just showed up to my home with detailed instructions.
My Jane Magnolia tree that I purchased several years ago is thriving, even though it just got transplanted!
I love the holes in the boxes shipped by Nature Hills Nursery so the plants can breathe.
What’s so great about Nature Hills Nursery?
- Online nurseries tend to have better stock and more selection than the local garden center or big box store. This is especially true of Nature Hills Nursery where the selection is stupendous. Go ahead. Count how many types of hydrangeas alone they sell. Dare you!
- Pricing is very fair and plants arrive extremely healthy for such a long travel! They were shipped in brown boxes, but the root ball bit was cased in a plastic bag preventing any mess when opening the box. I was surprised the soil was wet down to 3 inches and all plants thriving.
- The Nature Hills Nursery website is pure plant eye candy. It’s super user-friendly and organized. If you don’t know your growing zone, you can look it up right there on their site.
This pink lemonade blueberry plant couldn’t look any healthier.
- Nature Hills labels every plant with the zone so you don’t mistakenly end up buying a plant, bush or tree that won’t thrive where you live. If you click on the plant, a USDA hardiness zone map is included with all pertinent plant info you could every want included.
- Half the battle is choosing the plants….right?! If only you knew what to buy and plant, you’d do it in a heartbeat. Nature Hills Nursery was superb in helping me create a tinier landscape, downsizing from my huge bushes into manageable Top Hat blueberries. They have horticulturalists on staff so don’t hesitate to give them a shout out for advice.
- I just enjoyed working with them. Nature Hills Nursery was a super friendly company to work with. That’s the way we roll around here at Raise Your Garden, we like to team up with nice people so that we feel good about recommending them to you! Located in Omaha, Nebraska, we love supporting USA companies!
Can’t wait to get some pink blueberries from the pink lemonade blueberry bush!
Final planting and transplanting tips…
Don’t be afraid to move perennials and divide up bulbs in your flower beds. Moving just one or two plants can change the whole look of a landscape for the better.
Transplanting a plant to a new home can open up a space and allow some of those hidden plants to be seen again.
Dividing up crowded bulbs can allow the plants that do remain to thrive with bigger and more robust blooms.
Don’t shy away from plants that come in smaller sizes as in 3-4 inch pots. You’ll save money buying the smaller size and with smaller roots you’ll get a plant that will suffer less from transplant shock.
The smaller root system can establish itself faster in the ground than say, a larger specimen with a huge root ball attached.
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Giveaway Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to all United States residents, 18 and older.
This Giveaway begins on October 1, 2018 at 12:00 am ET and ends on October 28, 2018 at 11:59:59 pm ET.
One winner will be random chosen and notified by email.
The winner will receive a $150 gift card from Nature Hills Nursery.
This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook.
Nature Hills Nursery supplied us with some lovely plants as the basis of this post. We liked their selection so much and are pleased to become an affiliate of theirs. If you make a purchase though us, we make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
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