When most people picture planting season, they think spring. Here in Southern California, though, our gardens play by a slightly different set of rules.
While October may mean shutting down the garden in colder parts of the country, fall is one of the best planting seasons we have in SoCal.
The intense heat of summer is beginning to ease, but our soil remains warm. That combination creates a much friendlier environment for new plants: there’s less heat stress above ground while roots can continue growing below it. Add the possibility of winter rain ahead, and plants installed now have months to establish before they're asked to handle another Southern California summer.
In other words, if you've been thinking about making some changes to the yard, October is a great time to get your hands dirty.
California natives love a fall start
Fall is particularly well suited to many California native plants. Their natural growing cycle is tied to our Mediterranean climate, where cooler temperatures and winter rainfall follow our long, dry summers.
Planting natives in fall gives their root systems time to develop during the cooler months, helping them become better established before temperatures climb again.
California lilac, manzanita, sages, buckwheats and native grasses are just a few options worth exploring. The right choices will depend on your yard's sun, soil and available space, so don't choose based on looks alone.
Once established, many native plants can also require less supplemental water than traditional landscaping while providing food and habitat for local birds, bees and butterflies.
Don't forget drought-tolerant landscaping
Native doesn't automatically mean drought-tolerant, and drought-tolerant doesn't necessarily mean native—but both can make a lot of sense in a Southern California yard.
Lavender, rosemary, succulents and other Mediterranean-climate plants can pair beautifully with California natives while creating a landscape better suited to our long, dry summers.
And drought-tolerant certainly doesn't have to mean a yard filled with rocks and a couple of lonely succulents. Mixing plants with different heights, textures and bloom times can create a landscape that's colorful, layered and full of life while still being mindful of water use.
Trees and shrubs get a head start, too
Planning to add a shade tree, privacy hedge or flowering shrub? Fall can be an excellent time for those projects as well.
A tree planted in spring may have only a short window to establish itself before facing intense summer temperatures. Planting during the cooler season gives many trees and shrubs considerably more time to develop their root systems before that heat arrives.
Just make sure the plant you choose is appropriate for your particular location. Consider its mature size, root habits, sun requirements and proximity to your home, driveway, sidewalks and utility lines. That adorable little tree at the nursery won't stay little forever.
New plants still need water
Here's the part that's easy to forget: drought-tolerant does not mean drought-proof—especially when a plant is new.
Even plants that will eventually need very little supplemental water generally require consistent watering while their roots become established. Keep an eye on the weather, soil moisture and the needs of the particular plant rather than assuming cooler temperatures mean you can stop watering.
And because Southern California likes to remind us who's in charge, an October heat wave or Santa Ana wind event can dry new plantings surprisingly quickly.
Give next summer's garden a head start
One of the best things about gardening in Southern California is that fall doesn't have to mean the end of the growing season.
It can be the beginning.
A little work now gives new plants an entire cooler season to settle in, establish roots and prepare for the hotter, drier months ahead. By the time spring rolls around, you'll already be ahead of the game.
So if there's an empty spot in the yard you've been staring at all summer, October might finally be its month.
Happy planting!
— The Navigate Team