Simple Sensible Solutions

Summer / Early Fall Planting &
Overwintering Recommendations
Summer & Fall Planting
Many experienced growers know that late
summer and early fall are excellent times
for planting perennials. Trials have shown
that many varieties of perennials have a
tremendous advantage when started the
season prior over those planted in spring.
They are stronger, more well-established,
display mature characteristics, and have
a higher perceived value. The pictures on
the next page show a few key genera that
benefit greatly from late summer planting.
A trial conducted at Walters Gardens
comparing the finish rates of freshly dug,
actively growing hostas to those of freshly
dug, dormant hostas grown in summer
demonstrated that those finished from
dormant plants are far superior in size, bulk,
and root mass than those finished from
actively growing plants.
On p. 39 you’ll find a chart listing some
types of perennials that benefit greatly
from summer and early fall planting.
Perennials such as Hosta and Hibiscus
require long days and some heat to grow,
so they need to be planted in summer
rather than fall when the light intensities
are greater and temperatures are warmer.
Note on this chart the color coding which
indicates whether the plants should ideally
be overwintered indoors or out.
Planting Bare Root Hostas in Summer
As a result of the trial, bare root hostas
are now dug from our fields in early
spring before they break dormancy and
held in freezers until they are shipped to
our customers from early June into early
August. We recommend that our customers
receive their bare root hostas as early in
summer as possible to take advantage of
the long, warm growing days, resulting in a
higher quality finished crop.
Overwintering
Precaution
If properly cared for going into
winter, perennials that are potted
up in summer and early fall should
overwinter well and emerge as large,
vigorous plants in spring. Overwintering
methods are described in the section
below. If you do not have the necessary
facilities for overwintering your
perennials, we suggest that you have
your order shipped in spring rather than
in summer or fall.
Factors such as soil moisture,
temperature fluctuations, and root
development in the container can
greatly affect a plant’s survival. Since
there are so many factors beyond our
control, Walters Gardens, Inc. does
not guarantee the survival of plants
overwintered in containers or in the
ground.
38 | Walters Gardens