How to keep your container garden thriving during fall, Home patio space tips, Property garden style advice

How to Keep Your Container Garden Thriving During Fall

10 Aug 2023

As an avid gardener, you will probably know the seasonal challenges during extreme heat or cold waves. Fall is another tricky time of the year, specifically for container gardening enthusiasts, because your precious greens require more TLC than you can imagine. With millions of homes in North America growing plants this way, countless people want to know about the fall care essentials for container gardens.

Fall is a transition time for gardens, with summer plants on the way out, creating room for new ones. Deciding what you want to grow in your containers now can be exciting and overwhelming. Preserving the existing plants and caring for the new ones sounds even more challenging. The chill in the air and impending winter require extra preparation to deal with the changes.

Let us share a few tips to ensure a thriving container garden during fall.

Preserve Your Tropical Plants

Most gardeners grow tropical plants in containers because it is easy to swap places. You can ensure plenty of sunlight for them during the warm weather by placing the pots and planters outdoors. As the weather changes, you need to rethink their placement because plants that thrive in the sun may not be comfortable when the weather turns dark and cloudy.

Seasoned gardeners suggest preserving your tropical plants during fall to keep them healthy for the next season. But you cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to all of them. For example, you can keep mandevilla and hibiscus plants indoors in a bright-light location. Alternatively, you can store them as dormant plants. Research the ideal options for your greens and work accordingly.

Plant Shrubs and Evergreens

Fall is the perfect time to create a thriving container garden with shrubs and evergreens. You can plant them in tall containers to enhance the privacy and aesthetics of your green space.

The best thing about growing these hardy variants is that you need not spend a lot of time and effort on their maintenance and care. Just ensure planting them in early fall to give them adequate time to establish their roots well before winter frosts.

Here are a few shrubs and evergreens ideal for container gardening:

Camelia
Boxwood

Holly
Conifers
Rhododendron

English laurel
Juniper

Besides these evergreen plants, you can grow fall veggies like broccoli, beets, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, and Swiss chard in your container garden. Since these are seasonal plants, they thrive despite the seasonal changes. Most importantly, you can relish home-grown veggies from your backyard.

Clean Out Your Containers

When fall is around the corner, you must consider cleaning out your containers. That means saying goodbye to your summer garden, no matter how much you love your flowers, fruits, and veggies. Many of them are past their prime toward the end of the summer. According to Crescent Garden, container gardening in changing climates requires some effort, but it is worthwhile.

Fall is the time to pull out the leftover plants and transfer them to your compost pile. Once you clean your containers, start creating a fresh base for the upcoming season. You may wait a few weeks to add compost when it is ready. Alternatively, prepare the containers for spring if you want to take a break from gardening. You can do it by adding compost to the topsoil layer and covering it with mulch.

Reshuffle Container Layout

You may consider taking an easier route for readying your container garden this fall if the weather is mild in your location. Regrouping is a simple alternative to replanting for gardeners looking for a fresh perspective. Taking stock of your potted plants is a good start, as you can check which ones can complement each other as a part of your fall container space.

Look for aesthetic similarities to create a well-aligned appearance. Do the ornamental grasses in one container match the leaf tones of another plant in a container elsewhere? Place them together for a cohesive feel. Consider moving plants with similar light and watering requirements in one area to ease your gardening sessions.

What Next?

Fall isn’t the favorite time for gardening enthusiasts because you may struggle to keep your greens thriving and healthy. But you can rework your fall gardening goals, choose the right plants, and align your activities to tackle the seasonal challenges of fall.

Most importantly, enjoy the autumnal colors and bring them indoors during winter while you wait for spring to arrive again. After all, flexibility is the best thing about container gardening, so make the most of it by moving your pots and planters around.

Comments on this How to Keep Your Container Garden Thriving During Fall article are welcome.