LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Farmers and at-home gardeners alike are in the middle of the fall harvest season, but just because temperatures are dropping doesn’t mean plant growing season needs to be over.
Sarah Buckley with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum said early fall through the middle of November is one of the best times of year to plant spring blooming bulbs, like tulips, as well as perennials and native Nebraska trees like oak or hickory. During this time of year the soil is still warm enough to allow for some root growth, and the cool weather decreases the threat of heat stress on new plants.
“We sell ourselves really short on what we can do horticulturally in Nebraska,” Buckley said. “There is a lot you can grow in the fall that we kind of convince ourselves we can’t because we’re colder than a place like Texas.”
If you do decide to take up gardening during fall, there are some ways to keep your plants healthy throughout the winter, so that come spring, you can have some blooms.
First off, if you have a garden from the summer, try not to clear out all the leftover plants there. Keeping some of that soil can create a healthy habitat for pollinators and other organisms.
Secondly, be sure you still water until the ground truly freezes; that helps keep the soil moist.
Finally, add some chicken wire over a garden bed so animals like squirrels can’t dig up your bulbs or roots.
If you’re worried about some of those plants surviving during late winter unfreezing and refreezing spouts that we see in Nebraska, Buckley said, the plants are tough and can take it.
“Snow is very insulating; if we do get a warmer day, even though that snow you see it melting on the surface, it’s keeping the soil surface cooler,” Buckley said. “Plants are very well adapted to Nebraska doing this.”
If you have questions of where to begin when planting in the fall or anytime of year, check out the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s website for a list of tips and types of things to plant.
Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.