Planting Season in South Carolina is Here!

Plant Now!  Just in case you recently moved to South Carolina and were wondering when the best time to plant things like trees, shrubs, and perennials is, it's FALL.  

A large percentage of people believe that spring is the best time to plant but that is not the case. Here in South Carolina, you can plant many trees, shrubs, and perennials up until the end of November.  It stays warm enough through Thanksgiving and even Christmas here for things planted in the fall to develop a good root system.  It’s better for plants to have warm soil to stimulate root growth and the soil hasn’t warmed up yet in spring.  There will also be adequate rain and fewer pests, which is good for the plants and you.

Along with the fall planting, you’ll want to sod the lawn, add mulch, trim the trees, and adjust irrigation.  Make sure to choose plants that are not only deer-resistant but also salt-tolerant on top of making sure they work with the type of soil in your yard.  Plants that were not successful in my yard and therefore I would not recommend are Radicans Gardenias and Red-Tip Photinias.  Plants that thrive in my yard and don’t need a lot of upkeep include Lomandra Breeze, Wax Leaf Privet, Old Gold Juniper, Wax Myrtle, Elephant Ears, Podocarpus, Lorapetulam, and Liriope.  However, take note that although the Liriope has always thrived in my planters, over the last two years the deer have started to eat these as well.  My yard is clay-rich so apparently, these plants all do fine in clay-heavy soil, bonus!

It is important to know your soil because not all plants will do well no matter when you plant them or how you water them if they are in the wrong soil.  Obviously, we have sandy soil here but we also have a lot of clay soil.  Make sure to determine what kind of soil you have before you plant and then amend the soil accordingly.  From what I’ve researched it is best to add compost and other organic matter to clay soil to prepare it for planting.  It is also better to prepare the soil in an entire planter or designated area than to just add quality soil when backfilling during planting because the plant's roots will eventually try to expand beyond the backfill soil and once again come in contact with the original inefficient soil.

Although not all plants do well in the hot and humid conditions of Charleston, we have a big enough variety to make your yard a showpiece any time of year and with pretty minimal upkeep.