Fall Color change outs

[Smittie]

I was curious when you guys start doing your fall color change outs. I have started seeing the fall mums out at the nurseries. Also what do you guys use for the fall color, I.E. Mums or what. Thanks for all suggestions.

[MarcSmith]

I don't do much int he way of fall color, only about 2K pansies. but I do 60K tulips for the spring

[EagleLandscape]

Pansies, cabbage, kale. we will start Oct 1.

[jeffslawnservice]

I think its too early now for fall change outs. Start in Early October. But I saw Brickman doing some change outs with mums today.

[MarcSmith]

Originally Posted by jeffslawnservice

I think its too early now for fall change outs. Start in Early October. But I saw Brickman doing some change outs with mums today.

you can do that with mums, but they'll gone in a month anyhow...Just a way to make some more $$$$

[JShe8918]

This is an awesome question. I am going to offer this to a select few of my customers and local businesses and i have been looking trying to find out what i need to do for color. I am tuning in to hear more on this subject.

[Think Green]

What we look at is the time factor in establishing good root systems before the cold snap and frosts. An Example is the pansies--we plant then now up to October, as if we don't, the stock will diminish and we don't get adequate root structures. You can have a little warm days on pansies and be ok but definately not into the upper 80's--however, I have seen pansies flourish in these temps and higher here.
We don't do alot of cabbage and kale, the mums are a great add-on but the blooms are short lived. We will do mum arrangements on customers that want either instant color or want to wait on color blooms. We search for the plants that are within a week of burst in color or the one's that are just at bloom break. This will give the customer a week of color most times. We plant in blood meal and super phosphate.

[White Gardens]

It's a little early yet, but I go with most of the above mentioned flowers.

I don't have any request from my customers to do fall color, but once my sign is close to the first frost, then I switch everything out. I usually use mums, a few pumpkins, and some shocks of corn stacked against the sign.

[yardmanlee]

we dont do this but have thought of it as an added service, is it profitable?

[Smallaxe]

Here the annuals are finally looking excellent, foliage is starting to turn and the pines are dropping needles.
It would be fun to switch out cool season plantings after the hot season is done, but here we clean up the dead leaves and prepare for winter.
Not many people think of fall planting and too many people think of summer planting, when they shouldn't.