Is it to late for some fall planting?

Hello! New to this forum and looking forward to learning from the community. Is it too late to plant blackberries here in zone 6b? We have just moved to the area and are trying to get a head start on next year’s season. With the temperatures remaining so warm I thought it might be worth the try but would love feedback.

Nope, good time to plant. Roots will keep growing for a while and plants should be ready to go come spring.

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Welcome @MzzzCat, lots of 6b folks on this forum :laughing:

Really happy to have found this forum! Tucking in some blackberries, elderberries and hardy figs—all house warming presents! It’s great when your friends and family know you.

Figs may die back to the ground depending how cold the winter gets, don’t be alarmed. It should grow back. The rest will be fine.

Depends on your growing season. I believe they say plant 6 weeks before average first frost date. Here in Colorado where I live we have surpassed our average first and will likely have snow soon. It never seems to snow until late October where I live though. If your average first frost date is November then you should be good though.

Welcome to the forum @MzzzCat. I plant hardy fruit as long as the ground is not frozen. I’ve been transplanting strawberries and currents all week and my first frost is typically Oct. 15th. Three years ago I planted a bunch of peony roots in Dec. (it was a mild winter), every one of them came up that spring. I’ve never had a problem, personally. Been doing that for +20 years. YMMV.

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I’m going to echo what @elivings1 and @FarmGirl-Z6A said. You should really be concerned more with your frost dates and whether the soil is frozen rather than your zone. I will add, though, that the later into fall you plant and the colder your zone, the more important it’s going to be for you to mulch your plantings. The mulch helps stabilize soil temperatures and will keep the ground workable (and the roots growing) later into the year. Also, it reduces the risk of frost heaves popping your plants out of their holes (it can happen!). If you do get frost heaves, usually you just have to tamp everything back in, but it can kill a plant if you don’t catch it in time.

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Agreeing… I always mulch. :slight_smile:

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