Top 4 reasons why it's better to plant in Autumn than Spring

If you're like most people you probably think that Spring is the best time of the year to plant in your garden. After all, we associate spring with new life. It appears to be the perfect time to plant, as we can see established plants in our garden bursting with new growth everywhere. But this is where we can often be misled by nature. 

Because all that showy new growth is mostly taking place above ground. Which is fine for plants that are already well-established. But a new plant takes time to establish itself in your garden. And most of the important work in establishing a new plant takes place underground, out of sight. It's the roots that help a plant get well established in a new location.

One other factor that influences people away from Autumn planting is that again all the action is taking place above ground. What we see with our own eyes going on in Autumn is the complete opposite of Spring. Instead of new growth and new life bursting out everywhere, we see things like leaves dying off and falling and plants getting ready to go into winter hibernation. So mentally we don't associate Autumn with new growth or new life and again that's heavily influenced by what we see happening above ground.

But there are plenty of good reasons why planting new plants in Autumn can be better than planting them in Spring, depending of course on the particular type of plant.

1. The soil is easier to work with

One of the first reasons why planting in Autumn can be better is simply to do with the soil. 

In Autumn the soil is still comparatively warm compared to winter because we've just come out of summer. (You'd be amazed at how much residual heat the soil retains.) If you could compare the soil temperature in early Spring to early Autumn you would find quite a considerable difference because in Spring you are coming out of Winter and the soil still retains a lot of the cold it experienced.

The soil in Autumn is also wet without being super saturated like it can be after a long wet winter. Most plants don't like to be planted in super-saturated soil. (If the soil is too wet, the roots can't breathe and the plant can literally drown.) However, if you plant in Autumn you can control the amount of water you give each plant that you plant.

The soil in Autumn can also be easier to dig. If you've ever tried to dig in soil that is frozen in the winter you'll understand how hard it can be. But being warmer in Autumn with its retained heat, it's usually looser and easier to dig up. 

Autumn is also when the worms start to rise up again from deeper underground where they tend to stay during Summer to avoid the heat. Worms break up the soil making it easier to work with.

Also, the days are cooler than summer so it's easier to work in the garden in Autumn when the weather is much milder.

So this makes the process of planting easier and less hard work for you.

2. The roots love it

Planting in Autumn is not only easier for you, it's also easier for the plant.

Every plant goes through a process called "transplant shock". When you take a plant out of a pot and put it in the ground, it puts the plant under a lot of stress. Most of that stress involves the roots.

The roots have to do a fair amount of work when a plant is first planted. They have to start growing deeper to find sources of water and nutrients for themselves. They also need to spread out wider to help the plant get firmly established in the soil.

Because the soil is still warm from winter and Autumn itself can still have some mild but sunny days, these can be quite ideal but benign conditions for the plant to get its roots firmly established in the soil. As the plant's entire health and survival is dependent on its roots, the better state they are in, the better health the plant has.

The reality is that while there can appear to be little to no growth above the soil in Autumn, a lot of plants will actually undergo substantial root growth at this time. For many plants, this can be because they are not putting energy into keeping their leaves alive because they have all gone, so the plant can focus on growing its roots.

3. Better preparation for the summer heat

If you plant a new plant in Spring, particularly mid to late Spring, it might only have a couple of months to establish itself before it faces the heat of summer. If the plant's roots have not grown deep yet and spread out to help the plant access nutrients and water, it might not be strong enough to cope with the heat especially if Summer comes early.

Just imagine you are a plant. You've just overcome your 'transplant shock' and now you're expected to overcome the shock of Summer heat. For some plants, this can be too much.

But if you plant in Autumn, you are giving the plant up to 6 months to get itself well established before the hot weather comes. The roots will have had plenty of time to grow deep into the soil and find sources of water and nutrients. The roots will be much deeper, thicker and stronger giving the plant a better chance of surviving the coming summer. 

As the days are getting shorter in Autumn even if you have a warm day there won't be as many hours of daylight to overheat the plant.

4. Better plant availability

Another trick to why planting in Autumn can be a much smarter solution is that not many people do it.

If you compare to the mad rush we tend to have for Spring planting you can see the nurseries are all packed with people getting into a planting frenzy. The nurseries know that demand is very high for plants so their prices tend to go up to match the demand. Also, the most popular plants can sell out and you might miss out.

But in Autumn, with Winter approaching, every nursery knows their sales will slow down dramatically. They tend therefore to be more prepared to have sales and discount plants in order to keep the cash register ringing during this quieter time. You can also buy 'bare-rooted' plants at this time of year, which tend to be much cheaper than potted plants.

Also, with less demand it is more likely that the plants you want won't be sold out and will have greater availability. 

Some other Autumn garden duties to do

Apart from often being a better, yet unconventional time to plant, Autumn is also a good time of year to do some garden maintenance.

Again, because the soil is still warm, moist and loose it's the perfect time to turn over the soil in garden beds, around plants and even the veggie garden. This allows the soil to aerate before the Winter months.

Autumn is also a good time of year to turn over your compost as well, preparing it for laying in Spring.

It's also a very good time to lay down mulch and help to retain that warmth in the soil through the winter months and keep the moisture in as well.

Pruning is of course a perfect Autumn garden activity that every avid gardener knows to do. 

Fruit trees are ideal to plant in Autumn as are bulbs too for a wonderful flower show in the coming Spring. 

Fertilising your lawn is a smart thing to do in Autumn as it will help it cope better with the winter. It also helps keep it healthy and green in readiness for Spring.

We hope you enjoyed this insight into why Autumn planting can be a better alternative to Spring planting. Try it and you might be surprised how much better it is.

Andrew Whyte