September in the High Desert Garden: Fall Is for Planting

September can feel like the beginning of the end of gardening season in Northern Nevada. The mornings get cooler, the days get shorter, and those first chilly nights start reminding us that winter isn't terribly far away. But don't put the garden tools away just yet.

For many plants, fall is one of the best times of year to get established in the high desert. While spring gets most of the gardening attention, September offers plenty to complete out door  newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials really appreciate: cooler air, warm soil and less summer stress.

Why Plant in the Fall?

During the heat of summer, a newly planted perennial, tree or shrub has a lot to manage. It's trying to establish new roots while also dealing with intense sun, hot temperatures and greater water loss. By September, conditions begin to change.

The air is cooler, but the soil is still holding onto summer's warmth. That gives roots time to grow and establish without the plant having to work quite as hard above ground.

A plant that gets a good start this fall can enter winter with a stronger root system—and be ready to take advantage of spring when temperatures begin warming again.

What Can You Plant in September?

Quite a lot!

Perennials are excellent candidates for fall planting, especially hardy varieties suited to our climate. Native and regionally adapted perennials are particularly useful because they're already built to handle many of the challenges Northern Nevada throws at a garden.

Trees and shrubs can also benefit from fall planting. Cooler temperatures reduce transplant stress while roots establish in the surrounding soil.

And if you'd like to make your garden more useful to something besides humans, September is a great time to think about pollinator-friendly plants. Bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects still need food as summer blooms begin disappearing, and adding plants with different bloom times can help create a garden that provides resources throughout the growing season.

Don't Stop Watering Just Because It's Cooler

This is an easy fall gardening mistake. A 70-degree afternoon may not feel remotely like July, but a newly planted tree, shrub or perennial still needs consistent moisture while its roots establish.

Keep checking the soil rather than relying solely on the temperature—or the calendar—to tell you when to water. As the weather cools, plants generally need less frequent watering, but less frequent doesn't mean none. New plantings in particular need attention until the ground freezes.

We'll talk much more about fall watering later this month, because in Northern Nevada it deserves a conversation of its own.

Remember: We Garden in the High Desert

One of the trickiest parts of gardening around Reno and Sparks is that generic gardening advice doesn't always translate particularly well.

We have elevation, dry air, intense sunshine, wild temperature swings, challenging soils and a relatively short growing season. And just when you think you've figured September out, Northern Nevada can throw in a sweltering afternoon followed by a surprisingly cold night. That's why plant selection matters.

A beautiful plant isn't much of a bargain if it needs constant intervention just to survive where you've planted it. Choosing plants appropriate for your location, sun exposure, water availability and our climate gives your garden a much better chance of thriving. And sometimes the best choices aren't the plants you'll find on every garden-center table.

Before the First Frost Arrives

September is a good month to start observing your garden rather than immediately cutting everything back. Notice what's still blooming. Watch which flowers the bees are still visiting. Look for plants that struggled through summer and identify places where you'd like more shade, color or structure next year.

Resist the urge to make everything perfectly tidy just because fall is approaching. Some spent flowers and seed heads provide food for birds and habitat for beneficial insects, and many perennials don't need to be cut back immediately. We'll get into exactly what to cut, what to leave and what to protect later this month. For now, enjoy what's still happening out there.

September Is a Beginning, Too

Spring may get all the gardening glory, but September offers plenty of opportunity. It's a chance to plant without the pressure of summer heat, make changes while this year's successes and failures are still fresh in your mind, and give hardy plants a head start on next year's garden.

At Bonsai Blue Garden Market, we're especially fond of plants that make sense for where we actually live—hardy perennials, native and regionally appropriate plants, pollinator-friendly choices, trees and shrubs that can become lasting parts of the landscape. So don't write off the garden just because the mornings are getting cooler.

Fall is for planting—and in Northern Nevada, gardening season isn't over yet.