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Fall Planting for Year-Round Pollinator Gardens

October 1, 2025

By: Maddie Lukens, Park Interpreter

When you think of gardening in the fall, you usually think of the ever dwelling first frost and the dreaded garden clean up. But what if there was a way to skip garden clean up and continue to grow your garden… well, there is! Skipping the typical garden clean up and planting native plants in early fall is a great way to help your local pollinators and give you a head start on spring planting.

Cooler autumn temperatures can help plants get a head start before winter arrives. Fall is a critical time of year for all kinds of pollinators, like this viceroy butterfly to fuel up for migration or for laying eggs that will overwinter.

Pollinators and Native Plants

Pollinators are our lifeline; without them we wouldn’t have most of the food that we eat. Pollinators have co-evolved with the native plants in our region, which is why it is important to plant native plants. Native plants aren’t just important for pollinators, they are important for all the local wildlife, especially in the fall.

In the fall, you can see many birds, like the American goldfinch, eating seeds from spent flower heads.

Not only do native plants benefit pollinators but they also help to reduce stormwater runoff, erosion, and flooding! The typical grass lawn has very shallow root systems, making it difficult to hold onto water, causing major environmental issues. Since native plants are adapted to this region and climate, they have deep and extensive root systems, making them great at holding onto and dispersing water slowly.

Garden Clean Up

The short stretch of time between the hot temperatures of summer and the first fall frost is crucial for pollinators. While some pollinators migrate to warmer areas, many will stay for the frigid Michigan winter. Birds rely on seeds from spent flowers as a food source, while insects rely on the fallen leaves as a winter hideaway. By waiting until spring to trim down spent flowers and leaving the leaves in your garden bed, pollinators will have a better chance at surviving the harsh winter months.

Skip the garden clean up this fall and leave spent flowers and leaves for the birds and insects!

Fall Planting

Sowing seeds or planting small plugs in early fall might sound counterintuitive with cooling temperatures and the threat of frost, but there are many benefits. While the air temperature starts to cool off before fall even starts, the ground stays warmer longer. Native plants in Michigan often need what is called winter stratification. This means that they require a period of cold temperatures to break winter dormancy.

Some early spring blooming plants, also called spring ephemerals, are sold as “bare root” plants in the fall. This means that they are past their bloom time and have fully died back to just roots. These can be planted the same as any other fall plant and will be ready to bloom in the spring.

Tips for Fall Planting

  1. Planting about six weeks before the first frost allows your plants to establish their root system prior to dormancy.
  2. Remember to water new plantings for the first few weeks so they get enough moisture prior to dormancy.
  3. Use fallen leaves and yard waste as a fall mulch to protect plants through winter.

Sources:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/what-is-a-pollinator.htm

https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/plant-native-perennials-fall-healthy-spring-growth

 

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