How to Prep Your Container Garden for Fall

Fall is a time of transition. The summer plants are on their way out, and now it’s up to you to decide what will take their place in your outdoor containers. Winter veggies? Evergreen trees? Spring bulbs? Or maybe all of the above…

Here is an overview of how to prep your fall containers for any gardening goal.

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Protect your tropical plants

In the summer time, many plant lovers give their indoor beauties a “summer vacation” by bringing them outdoors, where the open-air environment can produce a surge of new growth. Of course, not all tropical indoor plants enjoy the change of scenery and have to be brought back in within a matter of days, but for any of your plants that did thrive outside, now’s the time to consider whether or not their “vacation” should come to an end.

Shade-loving plants should be taken care of first. As the weather starts to cool, the temperatures in the shade might be too low and these plants will be ready to move inside.

Be sure to bring in your tropicals before any unexpected heat waves or cold snaps. Check on them (and check the weather) before heading off for an end-of-summer vacation yourself.

 

Clean out your containers

It’s time to truly say goodbye to your summer garden. While your snap peas and tomatoes might still be growing strong, many summer time fruits, veggies, and cut flowers will be past their prime. Pull up any leftover plants and add them to your compost pile.

If you created mixed containers based on growing seasons, then you should be able to fully clear out individual containers and create a fresh base for fall plants. If you intend to use the containers right away for fall, add compost and the new plants. To save the containers for spring, work the compost into the top layer of soil and cover with mulch.

 

Plant shrubs and evergreens

Did you know that now is the perfect time to plant shrubs and evergreens? If you’ve had your eye on some tall containers set with hardy plants to create privacy, drama, or both, now is the time! When planted now, shrubs and evergreens have time to establish their roots before winter frosts (and well before the next round of summer heat waves).

Here are some options that do very well in containers:

• Boxwood
• English laurel
• Holly
• Conifers
• Juniper
• Japanese yew
• Camellia
• Rhododendron

Shrubs and evergreens in containers are an important design element. They can be used to frame your front door, line walkways and paths, or add height to an outdoor container garden. If the design plans you have in mind for next summer’s garden include sturdy shrubs and evergreens in large containers, then fall is when to plant them.

 

Create ornamental fall containers

You’ve said goodbye to your favorite freesia and gladiolus varieties, and now you’re ready for fall colors in your garden like golden greens, deep plums and dusky reds.

Fall is a wonderful time to get creative. An easy way to create a gorgeous mixed container is to try the “thriller, filler and spiller” method, which guarantees visual interest by combining plants of various heights and colors.

To try this method in the fall, you can use ornamental grasses like Mexican feather grass or Muhly grass to create height, ornamental cabbages or kales to serve as the filler, and ivies or creeping Jennies to spill over the side of the container.

Golden Muhly grass is particularly striking next to red kale, both of which can last into December in most American climates.

 

Grow fall and winter vegetables

Large containers full of fall and winter veggies can serve as ingredients for both outdoor décor and delicious dishes. Depending on your climate, here are some of the perfect plants to add to your containers right now:

• Broccoli
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Beets
• Lettuce
• Mustard greens

These plants have very short growing seasons, so they can easily be added to summer veggie containers. Simply clear out the dead plants, work compost into the leftover soil and plant the sprouts.

 

Plant bulbs in containers

Come spring, few things are as beautiful as bulb flowers. Allium, calla, and of course daffodils are a welcome sight when the winter frosts are over. To create that beauty come spring, you have to plan ahead.

One option is to force bulbs to grow indoors in the winter, but to follow their natural cycle, you plant them in the fall before the soil freezes.

Planting bulbs in containers helps when garden space is at a minimum. Having them in containers also means that they can be moved around to serve as decorations for spring entertaining.

To set up your bulb containers for success, here are a few important tips:

• Use potting mix (not garden soil)
• Research how deep to plant the bulbs (tulips require 6 inches of depth but crocus need just 4)
• Keep the container in a garage or shed if it freezes where you live to protect ceramic from cracking
• Plant smaller bulbs at a shorter depth on top of larger bulbs to get the most out of each container

Choose the right activities for your fall goals, or tackle all of these steps to create container gardens that express autumnal color, fill your kitchen with delicious and healthy produce, and (as if that weren’t enough) ready your yard for spring.

Yes, the bright blooms of summer are fading, but it’s no cause for concern. If you tackle these fall container gardening tasks, you’ll be enjoying autumnal colors and flavors well into the cool months ahead.