Garden Doctors: Less watering if you plant in fall

Clif W., of Santa Rosa asks: When is the best time of the year to plant? Seems like we can plant any time of the year here, but is there one best particular time?

Fall is actually the best time for planting. Get your plants in the ground, watch it rain, watch your plants grow, and then watch them start to bloom. Compare that to planting in spring or summer when you plant and then have to water, water, water, and worry if your plants will survive the long, hot days and drying sun.

If you do need to water, you don’t have to worry that it will evaporate before reaching your plants, because the water will soak into the ground beautifully, lasting a long time because the lower sun won’t dry out the soil (or your plants) so much. Here in Northern California, it’s safe to start your fall planting in mid-October, and you’ll probably need to stop by early December if there’s continuous rain.

Consider California natives, which are sometimes risky to plant at other times of the year since they’re so sensitive to overwatering, which we tend to do in spring and summer to keep other plants alive. The same goes for all other drought-resistant Mediterranean plants. For the most part, most trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers do best when planted in fall, as well.

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Karla A. of Santa Rosa asks: What do you think about some low growing sedums for those hard to grow-problem areas where nothing seems to flourish?

Plant just one low-growing sedum and you’ll be hooked. Before you know it, you’ll be heading back to the nursery to buy all different varieties. That’s because low-growing sedums are the great problem solvers of many gardening scenes. These succulents dare to grow where few others can survive, and they look great doing it!

Sedums are also commonly known as stonecrop. Sedum is a huge genus of plants and those varieties specifically for the garden share some wonderful characteristics. They’re some of the lowest maintenance plants around. These sun-loving succulents are especially great for those hot, dry spots that just bake all afternoon long. As a whole, the low-growing sedums tend to do better in drier conditions than the taller types, which need a bit more water.

If you choose a sedum variety that’s hardy, you’re guaranteed four seasons of show. The selections that die back in the winter look good from the moment they emerge from the ground in spring. They’ll peak with flowers in fall and can be left standing all winter.

Some of the more popular, easier-to-find, low-growing sedums include ‘Dragon’s Blood’, ‘Donkey’s Tail’, and ‘Angelina’.

Plant the sedums in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct light a day) in average to sandy soil. They don’t like it too rich, and need excellent drainage, so avoid wet spots.

Sunny rock gardens always seem the perfect spot to grow them. Or try them in those impossible areas, like gaps between the garage and the driveway, and tucking them between pavers or flagstones of a path or patio. Try a few as a great, sun-loving groundcover. And of course, don’t forget the decorative containers, where they’ll look beautiful all season long with very little water! They’ll look their best if you help them along during the especially dry time of late summer and early fall.

Check the plant tags for winter hardiness of the sedum. While many will grow happily in the coldest regions of our county, some are true desert natives and can take temperatures only a bit below freezing. No matter which varieties you choose, under the right conditions, low-growing sedums are sure to give your water-wise garden a whole new look!

Dana Lozano and Gwen Kilchherr are garden consultants. Send your gardening questions to The Garden Doctors, at pdgardendoctor@gmail.com. The Garden Doctors can answer questions only through their column, which appears twice a month in the newspaper and online at pressdemocrat.com.