Find the Sweet Spot
for Fall Plants
Terra Sol’s Mike Tully Helps You
Navigate Santa Barbara’s Second Summers
By Tyler Hayden | September 12, 2024
Read the rest of our 2024 Fall Home & Garden cover story here.
If Mike Tully weren’t such a nice guy (and if he had much less business sense), he’d grab every customer who entered his nursery and shake them by the shoulders. “Plant in the fall!” he’d say, giving them the formula for why this is an ideal time of year to get certain vegetables, bulbs, fruit trees, and landscaping in the ground: “Shorter days! Cooler temperatures! Warm soil!”
Instead, Tully — the owner and operator of Terra Sol Garden Center for the past three decades — spreads his wisdom with the same gentle patience he uses on the happy stock in his lush lot off Patterson Avenue. (The strategy has worked before, Tully noted. After years of politely reminding customers to specifically purchase narrow-leaved milkweed for our native monarchs, the message finally stuck. “They don’t even ask for the other kinds anymore,” he said.)
Standing in a patch of shade surrounded by fig saplings, Tully took the time to explain how in Santa Barbara — with our funny second summers — there’s a sweet spot on the calendar for fall plantings. It takes place around the autumnal equinox (September 22 this year), after the heat waves but before it gets too cold, when the sun bakes young leaves less but the soil is still nice and toasty.
“People often don’t realize this is a good time of year to get plants established,” Tully said. “It’s the right set of conditions for new plants to put down roots and start some early growth.” Given last week’s brutally high temperatures, those conditions might take longer to materialize, but the window will arrive soon, Tully said. “Watch the season,” he advised. “In a few more weeks, we’ll likely turn that corner.”
As we wait, here are a few recommendations from the Terra Sol guru for your fall garden.
Vegetables
“The leafy stuff, like kale, chard, and lettuce,” Tully said, can be especially sensitive to heat, so don’t jump the gun. Also Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. The UC Master Garden Program suggests root veggies as well, including beets, carrots, onions, radishes, and turnips.
Bulbs
“Fall-planted, spring-blooming” bulbs are what you want: freesia, sparaxis, ranunculus, Dutch iris, and daffodils. For paper-white narcissus, get them in dirt 6-8 weeks before the holidays to enjoy blooms on Christmas.
Fruit Trees
Go with stone fruits (peach, plum, etc.), avocado, and citrus. Avoid tropical things such as papaya, mango, and cherimoya. “They are on the fringe of being able to survive here and can shut down before the cold season,” Tully explained.
Landscaping
A common mistake among home gardeners is to plant ornamentals like hibiscus and bougainvillea while they’re blooming. They’ll often drop their flowers as they spend energy finding a foothold in their new home. Instead, get them in the ground now for a dazzle of color this coming spring and summer.
Herbs
Perennial herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and sage may not look their best until spring, but planting them early lets them become established before winter rains.
Pests
Fall is actually a good time for pests, meaning good for us and bad for them. Aphids are not out in such force, and bugs that overwinter in the soil directly below plants — like rose slugs and black fig flies — are easier to attack. Instead of hunting them down individually on the undersides of leaves, sprinkle beneficial nematodes on your garden beds and let microscopic critters do the work for you.
Visit Terra Sol Garden Center at 5320 Overpass Road or see terrasolgardencenter.com.
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