It’s a crisp 54 degrees F. at noon; a moderate, sunny fall day on the Northern Plains, projected to reach 59. Blue sky and the Missouri River.
Cottonwood trees, aspens of Missouri River Valley, have mostly reached full color.
Walk through their golden leaves at Lewis & Clark Recreation Area and participate in the cottonwood’s ticker-tape celebration.
At our house, it’s time to say goodbye to container annuals with hard frost soon. That’s at least two weeks longer growing days than the average frost date. Transitions take some effort in the fall, but there’s more time to go biking.
Our small greenhouse gives Camelia perennial shrubs in containers time to adapt from summer under a shade tree. Temperatures reach 80’s or more on sunny days, and supplemental heat at night keeps the plants from cold damage for a few weeks. Then they’re moved indoors by south exposure windows.
Lettuce planted in trays outdoors in September gets a growth advantage when taken to the greenhouse in fall. If conditions allow, they will produce another month.
Herbs, newly potted, will supply fresh zest to meals in the fall. Many will continue to grow under fluorescent light indoors this winter.
The short video shows our plant transition to fall.
Thanks for visiting the Plant Exchange blog. We hope to see you again. Enjoy the outdoors.
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