It’s still the best time to plant almost everything in San Diego gardens. So plant now for a beautiful garden next spring.
Plant for Fall Color
In my August San Diego Gardens, post, I talked about planting for fall color by using fall blooming bulbs, cool-season annuals and late-blooming perennials. But you can also add wonderful fall color with trees.
Here are some trees that will add beautiful yellows, golds, oranges and reds to your San Diego garden this season. Look for them in nurseries now.
- Chinese pistache has good fall color even in mild climates. It prefers well-drained soil.
- Crape myrtle has many hybrids that can be small trees or large shrubs. The hybrids are mildew resistant, have showy summer flowers and brilliant fall color.
- Maidenhair tree is an ancient tree with golden yellow leaves in the fall. Plant a male gingko tree to avoid the messy and smelly fruit.
- Liquidambar trees are beautiful all year long. The American sweet gum has several varieties developed in California for good fall color. Look for ‘Burgundy’, ‘Festival’ and ‘Palo Alto’. Plant sweet gums away from buildings, sidewalks and patios. They have broad, shallow roots that will damage them.
- Japanese maple trees can be large shrubs or small trees colorful in both fall and spring. Protect them from hot, dry or constant wind. Give them occasional very deep watering to avoid salt buildup, and mulch to keep soil moist in summer.
- Japanese persimmon trees are great ornamental and fruit trees. Their leaves turn bright yellow, orange, or red in fall. They also have brilliant orange delicious fruit. There are multiple varieties you can grow in San Diego gardens. ‘Fuyu’ is probably the best known.
- Redbud trees are known for their beautiful spring flowers and bright fall foliage. Provide good drainage.
- Birch trees are ornamental trees with lovely bark and yellow fall foliage. Choose a variety that works in your climate zone and planting location.
Cut Back Perennials
Some perennials that looked beautiful earlier in the year are now looking rather sad. They’ll benefit from a strong cutting back.
After they finish blooming, take chrysanthemums back to about six inches. Shasta daisies, some sages, rudbeckia, yarrow, verbena and asters can be cut to the ground. Take Matilija poppies and California fuchsia all the way back too. Cut penstemon, lion’s tail and Mexican sage back to about one foot. Pull out dead stems on alstroemeria and remove woody or dead stems from coreopsis, lamb’s ear and veronica.
Plant Poppies
Plant poppy seeds now for easy care spring flowers. Try our state flower, the California poppy, Eschscholzia; horned poppies, Glaucium ; or breadbox or opium poppies, Papaver somniferum. California poppies now come in classic orange, pink, cream, yellow or red-orange.
You can find seeds at Renee’s Garden Seeds (https://www.reneesgarden.com/), Botanical Interests (https://www.botanicalinterests.com/) and Thompson & Morgan (https://www.thompson-morgan.com/). Annie’s Annuals (https://www.anniesannuals.com/) carries plants.
San Diego Gardens Tips Source
A lot of information for San Diego Gardens comes from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. They are a great resource for all of your gardening needs including planting, pests, vegetables, and water use. They even have a free hotline where you can get your home gardening and pest control problems answered.