PA Personally I have better success moving plants and even planting in the spring. I know they say fall is a good time, but I don't find that true for me. I like to have the whole summer for the plants to become established before old man winter arrives.

Definitely heavy clay soil here! But my husband did put down yards of topsoil that was delivered. But below that is the dang clay.

Thank you both... I was leaning towards waiting til spring. Kind of relieved to not have the extra work now and I know in the spring I'll be looking forward to it! lol

I think it depends on the area where you live. Here in Oklahoma we do best planting in fall because most winters (but not all) are mild and many plants spend fall and winter with roots working underground and the soil rarely freezes or heaves. Our first frost is often late November and sometimes in December and February can come on warm. Seems each year is completely different so its the luck of the draw. What you can count on is inconsistency--too dry or too wet---I just keep my fingers crossed.

Spring can be short or dry and oftentimes summer comes on quick before the plants get their roots well set in with temps soaring up into the upper 90's in June but sometimes there are late freezes and cold snaps because we are at the whim of the winds out here ---- exposed in the middle of the country to all kinds of weather fickleness. You might want to check to see if you can find some local advice. The only downside of fall planting is, I really hate watering in winter because its so cold holding that hose, especially in wind. Dryness due to neglect if the moisture doesn't come is what usually kills them in winter if its that kind of winter (like last winter and spring).

I think it also depends on the plant. Some are more forgiving than others. If you do move them try to avoid as much root disturbance as possible and dig a bit wide around them to avoid as much damage as possible, Maybe use some burlap to slide the plant onto and wrap up the roots to move to the new hole.

in our clime ... moving in fall ... allows two cool seasons for root growth before next summers heat ...

if you put down enough garden soil... and you are only working in that.. then the clay below is irrelevant ...

imo ... you need to do some in fall .. and some in spring.. if for no other reason.. to learn thru your own experiments ... rather than relying on us ....

if you could find a local garden club.. you might learn a lot from local peeps ... if for no other reason.. when they move things.. lol.. they give away excess plants .. lol ...

the only caveat i can think of.. would be very small plants ... and late winter heave .... if that an issue for you with your soil... in your area ...

are you east or west of cleveland ... z really means little ... a big city name tells us much more ... does your ground freeze?? .. is snow cover the usual ???

buying late season bargain plants... that have been tortured all summer long.. are a roll of the dice .... depending on the source ..... and i dont think planting timing was the issue ... if wallyworld.. just consider you are buying the pot.. if you have some use for it.. lol ... whereas if you buy at a high end nursery.... they should still have a quality product ....

many peeps have dozens.. if not a hundred pots of plants.. they collected all during the hot summer ... and plant them in fall ... fall planting is not really an issue ... especially compared to wintering over pots ....

and if you dig a hole.. then go dig the plant.. and lob it in the new hole ... the plant often doesnt even know .... because of cool fall days.. and even cooler fall nights ...

as i noted.. at least do some this fall ... imo ... im repeating myself trying to make you understand have set up a parameter that just isnt that big of a decision in z5 ... just do it .. now or later ...

ken

as to your title .... after one season ... your perennials should be fully established .... and no longer treated as new .. or babes ... so dont treat them as such ... and that is why.. above.. i suggested you lob it into the new hole ... there is no reason to baby them.. or worry about them ... if we were talking of trees/conifers .... then we still might be concerned whether they are established.. or still stressed ... in the sense that we wouldnt want to stress them more.. right now ...

and if in fact.. they prospered ridiculously ... you might divide them.. if there is enough ... which the lob facilitates.. when the gob of soil falls apart ...

of course.. there are probably a few that did not prosper fully ... then you are at a flip of the coin.. to either leave them be and see if they do better next year.. or whether you dig them up..and find out why they didnt [look for root issues] ... and replant them .. with a stern warning to either prosper next year.. or just go die ... im tired of looking at you ..lol ... win some.. lose some ...

ken

The OP is in NE Ohio and I am SW PA. Our weather isn't that much different except OP is usually a few degrees colder and gets more lake effect snow in winter. The problem with our area is the freeze/thaw cycles we go through all winter. One day it could be cloudy single digits and the next day sunny and in the high 30s, sometimes 40s. So we do get ground heaving. It plays a number on our plants. Winter and fall is when we get the most rain, but do get rain though out the summer. 90 temps of the exception, not the rule. Some summers we never even see 90s. Most summer days are in the 80s. Average first frost in mid October. Two years ago I bought 12 pots of ornamental grass from a nursery. Fall is the only time they carry it. I only had one make it till spring.

I’m in zone 5 like you, here is some of my experience. You can move or plant daylilies or hosta now for sure. Avoid adding or moving heuchera or heucherella now, I’ve had too many losses with these, I only add or move these in the spring.

Sherry

function, I have had bad luck planting grasses in fall too here in zone 7b. One year I lost over half of the ones I ordered, they were all warm season grasses.

You should never transplant a grass when its blooming and I wonder if that alone makes fall a bad time for planting warm season ornamental grasses since the energy is going into producing blooms rather than roots in fall. I'm not saying moving a grass from one spot to another is the same as planting a newly purchased plant but I wouldn't expect the good root growth like you'd get in spring because they are in shut down mode preparing for seeds and winter. Of course the reason they are for sale in fall is because they are the most eye catching when they are blooming but that has more to do with sales than healthy plants. In spring everyone is into flowers and those grasses can look pretty boring.

I've noticed a lot of the larger pots of grasses are so root-bound they are iffy anyway because the roots are so girdled there is no hope of getting them to spread out, Nurseries growing them in pots for fall sales could be creating a problem in that regard too. I found plugs work much better. A 4" potted grass quickly grows into a gallon while a girdled plant is still struggling.

On the other hand, fall would be a good time for cool season grasses.

One needs to differentiate between a cool season grass and a warm season grass if planting in fall. Cool season grasses are just fine if planted now (or even later) as they will continue to grow actively as long as the soil stays moderately warm. Warm season grasses go dormant as cold weather approaches and are best planted in spring or at the start of the growing season. Once the warm season grasses have developed flowers/seedheads, their roots are no long in active growth and I would advise against planting them now anywhere you might be located.

I do believe that location does play a big role how easily or successfully one can manage fall planting but it is encouraged in most areas for the reasons that a) the soil stays warm much longer than does the air temps so encourages growth; b) roots tend to be in an active process of elongation at this time of year so establishment is rapid; c) days are cooler and rain more plentiful so less chance of any transplant shock. I much prefer fall to spring planting and do 95% of my dividing, transplanting and new planting at this time.

Make sure you leave a large root ball when you remove.