Let the Planting Begin!
Twice a year we stop to hit reset, readjust, regain our balance, and return to our path. This time, the trail ahead moves us toward even shorter days, longer nights, cooler weather, and with a little luck, some rain. Equinox from equi=equal and nox=night when the length of day and night are equal. September 22 marks the fall equinox in the northern hemisphere.
It’s a good day for Californians engaged in their natural gardens. Of course all our seasons are wonderful, and we enjoy our landscape transitions throughout the whole year. But summer 2018 was pretty tough, and really hot a lot of the time, including two or three extreme heat events when temperatures and intense sunlight combined to burn branch tips and fry our most vulnerable plants. We’re sure glad to see fall arrive.
It was hard watching the new growth on our 60’ redwoods cook to a crispy brown on July 6, 2018. They’re better now, showing a weird combination of old damaged branch tips and new shiny green growth. Resilient sentinels those Sequoia sempervirens. No wonder they are in the fossil record! The species name, sempervirens means “always green.” Our state tree is “native redwood,” creating some confusion as the term also includes giant sequoia, (Sierra big tree), Sequoiadendron giganteum. So our two distinct redwood species are officially our state tree. Go figure.
At the 6:54 pm, Saturday September 22, 2018, the precise moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator, brace yourself. Since summer solstice on June 21, our daylight hours have been shortening, but the days were still winning the game. Now the nights will get their turn, for the next six months, to be greater than the days.
For us natural gardeners, September 22 is like celebrating New Year’s. Cooler nights, clear warm days, and rain around the corner… let’s get out there and plant plant plant! Put those natives in the ground so they can grow roots into cool soils absorbing winter rains, and then, when the days start to beat the nights and spring comes back in the air, all those plants will be growing like crazy, just in time as they get ready for summer. Then fall again. May the circle be unbroken.
The best way to celebrate fall equinox is by planting to your heart’s desire. All your efforts will pay off in the seasons and years to come. Happy planting!
Wishing you the best equinox ever,
Your friends at Tree of Life Nursery
We’ll help you celebrate on Saturday, 9/22/18 with a special free “Fall Equinox” plant for every person that shows up. Hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm. See you here!