Why Fall and Winter Planting Makes Sense
You've probably heard that fall is the best time to plant. But why, exactly? Sure, the weather's more comfortable and you're not battling summer heat. But there's a deeper reason—one that has to do with how plants make decisions about where to send their energy. Understanding this helps explain why plants installed from fall through late winter establish more easily than spring plantings, and why winter planting actually works despite the cold weather.
Heat Stress and Plant Growth
Gardeners in the Southeast know from experience that summer heat can be punishing. We also know—sometimes the hard way—that it's best to avoid installing new plants or building out beds during the hottest months. Anyone who’s planted something in July only to watch it fade quickly knows the feeling (I’ve done this more than I care to admit).
In this article, I’d like to take a deeper look at why plants suffer in summer heat—what’s happening inside the plant—and what that stress is trying to tell us. Understanding the why behind heat stress can help us better care for both established plantings and any new additions, even if they go in during less-than-ideal conditions.
How Plants Grow: A Quick Primer
Before diving into heat stress, we need to briefly review three key physiological processes in plants: photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. These are the basic systems that drive growth and survival.
Garden as a Process: Working with Nature
In our task-driven lives, it’s tempting to treat everything like a checklist. Paint the room. Clean the garage. Done. But gardens aren’t like painted walls. They’re not static, finished projects. Gardens live, breathe, grow, and change—sometimes in ways we don’t expect.
Instead of trying to control every aspect, what if we approached the garden as a process?
Spring Don’t Do’s To Save Time and Money
With Spring just around the corner, I wanted to share a few landscaping best practices, which are contrary to what we often see, but will hopefully save you time and/or money….
Don’t Be Too Neat And Tidy
Just about everyone wants to be a good neighbor. For those with a yard, being a good neighbor typically includes keeping your yard neat and tidy…
Get To Know Your Weeds
Just about all gardeners want to minimize weeds (undesired plants) and maximize desired plants in their garden beds. That helps our garden beds keep to our vision and look cared for. One of the most important lessons I have learned over the years is to get to know my weeds…