Fall-container tips

Here are some tips for planting containers in the fall.

▪ Plants aren’t likely to grow much as the weather cools, so your fall pot should be planted full.

▪ Traditional fall flowers are mums, asters and pansies. You can also look to perennials such as coral bells (heuchera) for colorful leaves into winter and to annuals such as celosia.

▪ You don’t have to create a fall container garden from scratch. You can simply swap out summery annuals that come in fall colors, such as ornamental kale, a bronze heuchera, orange and red lantana, or miniature pepper plants. Add a gourd or a tiny pumpkin to signal the season.

▪ Don’t forget to water. Cold weather can dry pots out quickly. On the other hand, plants aren’t growing rapidly in the fall, and the days are cooler. You won’t need to water as often as you did during the heat of the summer.

▪ If you think you need to fertilize, use a water-soluble product. Slow-release fertilizers are often triggered by temperature. Lower temperatures mean no fertilizer will be released.

▪ Include herbs such as sage and parsley and vegetables such as spinach, chard and lettuce. They can handle the cold and are edible, too.

▪ Check the growing zones on the plants you are choosing. You are safe with plants hardy to two zones colder — in Wichita’s case, that is Zone 4. Choose plants that will not only withstand cooler weather but will bloom despite shorter days.

▪ Coleus and sweet potato vine seem look good in a fall container. But both will be damaged by the first hint of frost.

This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 6:44 AM with the headline "Fall-container tips."