Fall planting has benefits that spring planting does not.
According to Zeb Albert, stewardship coordinator with the Wood County Park District, the benefits of fall planting include milder air temperatures but warm soil; less competition from both weeds and insects; less watering is required; and the plant’s roots will have time to grow not only in the fall but through the spring, leading to a deeper root structure.
Albert shared these benefits at Tuesday’s park commissioner’s meeting, held at Bradner Preserve.
“Spring is pretty well known as a good time to plant,” Albert said, “but fall is actually an excellent time to plant as well.”
The milder fall temperatures help the plants focus on their root growth and not their top growth, he said.
It’s best to give plants some time to let roots get established before frost occurs, he said. Roots will continue to grow until the soil temperature is down around 40 degrees.
Albert explained the benefits while commissioners transplanted native plants, including Black-Eyed Susan, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, and Blue Lobelia.
Commissioner Becky Ferguson asked the best location to plant native plants.
They all like full sunlight, Albert said, about six inches apart.
Commissioner Kathleen Attwood asked if they could plant the same native plants in the spring as the fall.
For the most part, yes, Albert said.
Spring is traditionally known as being a good time to plant “but we’re trying to spread the word it’s not necessarily the only time to plant,” he said.
Most annuals are planted in the spring to allow them to get established before the summer heat, he explained.
Perennials, however, will come back once they are established and native plants specifically are best planted in the fall to allow root growth before going dormant over winter. The roots will start growing again in the spring.
The Friends of the Wood County Parks will hold a fall native plant sale Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cedar Creek Preserve, 4575 Walbridge Road, Northwood.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Listed as surplus for disposal multiple phones; Lenovo, Dell and HP laptops; desktop towers; and assorted crossbows with quivers.
• Was reminded the Heritage Farm Fest will be held Oct. 5 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Carter Historic Farm, 18331 Carter Road.
The fest will include live music, farm to fork food, wagon rides, a scarecrow contest, apple cider pressing, farm animals and a pie-eating contest.
• Learned from Friends President Candice Weis that over the last three months they have approved $9,000 in programs for the park district, including for the scarecrow and Wild Lights programs and benches.
