The miracle of fall planting - includes related articles

Sunset, Sept, 1993 by Michael MacCaskey, Lynn Ocone, Lauren Bonar Swezey

START NOW FOR FLOWERS AS SOON AS CHRISTMAS IN MILD CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA

For sheer quantity of spring-flowering annuals, fall is the best planting season of the year," says Temecula, California, landscape architect and nurseryman Craig Thralls. Though he speaks for Southern California's inland valleys and the Southwest's deserts, where fall really does herald a "spring" of longer duration than elsewhere, most nurserymen throughout the low-elevation West agree: cool-season annuals planted in early fall have time to develop better roots before flowering in winter and spring, and--because they start blooming earlier than comparable plants set out in spring--they bloom over a longer time.

So get out the shovel, prepare your planting beds, and make a shopping list. Now is the time to set the stage in your garden for a grand show of sweet-scented stock, bright yellow pansies, or other dazzling flowers from winter through spring.

NEW PLANTS, NEW COLORS

Among the many cool-season bedding plants that provide winter and spring flower color are some new ones to look for now: pansies in antique shades such as muted rose and soft gold, sweet alyssum in apricot and mixed pastel shades, and two new petunias (cool season in desert areas) with colorful centers and white edges. The listings below and on page 48 describe 22 colorful plant groups to choose from. Most are annuals--they complete their life cycles in one season; a few are biennials or perennials treated as annuals. Some old favorites as well as some of the newer varieties are available only through catalogs.

In garden beds, you can orchestrate by flower color--mix and match two or three complementary colors, or two contrasting colors, like red and white, for example. Or plant swaths of the same flowering plant around permanent leafy plants.

WHEN TO PLANT

On page 44, we list approximate planting dates for various regions of the low-elevation West. Close to the coast, you can plant earlier or later with good results. Inland, planting before temperatures drop in mid-October is risky.

If you are sowing seed (of plants such as forget-me-nots) directly in garden beds, do it right away. Seed will use the heat of late summer to germinate, and seedlings will come along just as the temperatures begin to cool.

WHAT SIZE TO BUY

Cool-season bloomers are available in a variety of containers. The three commonest containers are sixpack or pony pack (48 plants per flat; about 25 cents per plant); jumbo or color pack (36 plants per flat; 50 cents per plant); and 4-inch or quarts (16 plants per flat; $1.40 per plant). Many horticulturists prefer the old-fashioned straight flats (64 plants; about $15 per flat), believing that the roots of these small plants are quickest to establish. But these are difficult to find; sixpacks are the modern equivalent.

In mild climates, the smallest plants are probably your smartest choice, especially if you start with well-prepared soil and a good irrigation system. They bloom longer, and they cost less, too. In hot inland areas, start with the jumbo size; they're more resistant to heat and drought, and require water less frequently than small plants. While 4-inch pots bloom more quickly than sixpack plants, their overall bloom cycle is shorter.

Whatever size you choose, look for plants with strong, actively growing roots, and tops not yet in flower. Plants in the bud-and-bloom stage (few flowers, but many buds) provide the longest cycle of bloom; they have roots that are actively growing, so transplant shock is minimal. Keep in mind that all plants are not available in all sizes.

GETTING PLANTS OFF TO A GOOD START

A day or two before planting, prepare soil thoroughly. Over 100 square feet, spread six to twelve 2-cubic-foot sacks of planting mix, commercial compost, or nitrogen-fortified and composted ground bark. Add to that 2 pounds of a 5-percent nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 5-10-10 (or 1 pound of a 10-percent nitrogen fertilizer). Incorporate the amendment and fertilizer to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, then rake the surface smooth. Water the prepared soil.

Remove plants from containers; if roots have grown into a tight mass, gently ease apart the bottom of the rootball. Space most smaller annuals 8 to 16 inches apart (at this spacing, you'll need about 50 to 100 plants per 100 square feet). Larger plants, such as Canterbury bells and flowering cabbage, need 18 to 24 inches between them (you'll need 25 to 49 plants per 100 square feet).

Plant so the rootball is slightly higher than soil level. Cover it with soil and tamp lightly to firm. Water well.

Keep the newly planted bed moist (not soggy) until roots have taken hold--usually in 10 days to two weeks. Avoid overwatering, which can encourage fungus diseases. A month after planting, begin feeding with liquid fertilizer.

FOR WINTER-SPRING BLOOM, PLANT ON THESE DATES

San Francisco Bay Area: mid-September through mid-October

Central Valley: late September through mid-October

Coastal Southern California: October and November