It’s pumpkin spice and trick-or-treat season — but beyond the PSL craze and mini-Snickers bars, fall offers a bounty of planting opportunities. Professional landscapers know autumn is an ideal time to seed a lawn, split and transplant overgrown plants, and tuck new trees into the soil. While many of us associate spring with “growth” and tend to focus planting efforts after frost eases up during the second quarter in most states, fall is actually more forgiving. Roots can establish without the threat of a looming summer drought, and irrigation demands are far less. At JRM, we’re always thinking about conservation and ways to reduce our footprint while growing healthy landscapes and caring for vigorous plants in containers indoors and outside.

Fall is for planting
whether you’re operating a lawn care company, a grower, or a homeowner who is invested in creating a lush and low-maintenance outdoor living space. Here are some strategies to take advantage of the soil moisture and cool temperatures.

Fix Bare Spots & Seed the Lawn 
Busy feet and pet paws can create thin spots in the lawn. So can critters that are digging for grubs, and some areas of a lawn simply do not thrive because of environmental conditions: too much sun, too much shade, too much moisture or not enough. Now is a great time to fix these “rough patches” so you can establish turf in bare spots before the first freeze. New grass roots will have time to establish in time for winter, and once spring comes you can focus on other landscape tasks. Seed Coat works on any type of grass seed and helps increase the germination rate for faster results. Eight ounces of this environmentally friendly solution treats 50 pounds of seed.

Overseed a Thin Lawn
Aerating your lawn in fall opens up thick thatch and allows oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach turf roots. We recommend aerating once per year, either in spring or fall. But what we love about fall aeration is the opportunity to overseed when new grass will require less irrigation and have an opportunity to develop roots before winter. Why overseed? Like any plant, grass also works through stages—and it ages. When you aerate and then overseed, new healthy growth fills in and delivers a vigorous lawn that can more effectively combat weeds, disease, and insects. Remember, these bad guys move in when turf is weak and easy to take over.

Plant Trees and Shrubs
The benefit of planting trees and shrubs in fall is they win two extra growing seasons (fall and spring) before summer heat stress. As with turf seed, trees can get rooted before winter, and gradually adjust to warmer temperatures throughout spring, minimizing the risk of shock. Because trees go dormant in winter, you don’t have to worry about them not surviving the cold.

You can plant and establish healthy roots until the ground is frozen, ideally before the first frost. Even if there is snow on the ground, soil temperatures can still be acceptable for planting if you can stick a spade into the soil. The bonus of fall tree planting: less watering and care is required. While trees are dormant, you’re basically on autopilot.

Transplant Overgrown Varieties
Are your landscape beds teeming with Hosta plants that rival the size of an ornamental tree? Did your irises bloom in a big way this growing season—to the extent that the once curated space looks like you’re farming perennials? Look around the landscape. Where could you use more color and texture? You can split and transplant them. A few tips: Be sure to dig the plant out around the drip line. Then use a garden knife or your hand to divide clumps. When transplanting, prepare a hole in the soil—see our suggestion below for setting roots up for success. The plant should sit at soil level or slightly higher in loose, sandy soils.

Fast-forward the root establishment process with Soil Moist Transplant, which contains a diverse blend of five species of healthy, viable ectomycorrhizal propagules and seven species of endomycorrhizal propagules. That translates to straight-from-nature nutrients that most soil in developed areas is missing. Plus, water-storing polymers included in the blend take even more watering burden off your shoulders.

Set the Table for Fall
Celebrations from Halloween through Thanksgiving call for festive, fall-themed tablescapes. Add more color to arrangements with water beads that are non-toxic and environmentally safe. Plus, there’s a world of craft and STEM projects your family can explore with Deco Beads. For instance, fill cylindrical vases with layers of candy-corn-colored beads in yellow, orange, and white. Adorn with pumpkin faces. Florists, Deco Beads, Deco Cubes and Crystal Accents are a colorful, creative way to boost sales and deliver statement arrangements.

Fall Inspo — It’s Not Too Late to Plant!
We’d argue that it’s prime time. Fortify your seeding, transplanting and fall landscape projects with a full menu of environmentally friendly landscape and nursery products that are designed for professionals, homeowners, and retailers. Looking for more ideas? We look forward to hearing from you! Contact us by filling out this simple form. .