Fall is Fantastic!
from Prides Corner Farms
It’s October — time to plant shrubs, trees, and hardy perennials. Fall is a great time to plant in our Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The cooler temperatures, increased moisture, and decreased sun/heat allow the plants to settle in the ground, send out roots, and get established. While the soil is still warm, roots continue to develop until the ground actually freezes so the plant’s energy goes into getting firmly settled in the soil, not on top growth. The shrubs, trees, and hardy perennials you buy now can be planted with minimal stress to them as well as to your wallet. Many garden centers are concerned with moving their inventory, especially the container grown plants that are outside. As winter approaches, discounts increase thus increasing the possibility of finding bargains.
Fall is such a great time to plant that today, October 1, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Terence R. McAuliffe, recognized October 2014 as “Fall Is for Planting Month” and “calls this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.” Governor McAuliffe recognizes that “trees and plants support a healthy environment and are essential to human well-being.” For more on this proclamation, see https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/proclamations/proclamation/fall-is-for-planting-month/
Visit your garden center this month to enhance your landscape, support a healthy environment, and boost your well-being! For a list of garden centers in the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, area, view the “nurseries” tab at the top of my blog, http://www.pegplant.com.
