About now, we are starting the very best time to plant. The days are finally cooling down somewhat, and the sun is less harsh, so many shrubs, flowers and trees, in a last spurt of energy, produce a huge amount of seeds. They know, biologically, that now is the ideal planting time in this part of the world.

The period ending about Thanksgiving is easily Texas? best planting time, for all but tender ground covers and annual flowers. Fall planting gives the plant a huge advantage over spring-planted things. Plus, it?s a logical one.

The traditional planting time ? the spring ? is a custom that trickled down here from the northern states. Millions of people, moving down here to get away from severe winters, brought this "severe winter" habit to Texas instead of leaving it behind, where cold weather and frozen soil makes it logical.

Up north, the winter typically freezes the soil solid to a depth of at least 4 or 5 inches ? killing a great many seeds, and many tender roots, that are unfortunate enough to be there. But around here, even during the worst winter, the ground freezes less than an inch deep. And then, for only a few hours. Usually, it doesn?t freeze at all! And unfrozen ground nurtures the growth of new plants ? whose roots depend on the condition of the top one inch of soil. Over the centuries, plants native to this area have learned that the best way they can survive in Texas is to drop their seeds in the fall.

By waiting ?til the following spring, a Texas plant is deprived of a bunch of root growth ? the kind of growth that all plants need, but spring planting may deprive a plant of. (With Texas? harsh summers, any plant you want to cultivate here needs every advantage possible.) So you?re actually giving plants a head start by putting them in the ground in the fall. Simply put ? since our summer can be so deadly to plants, the more time you can plant in advance of mid-summer, the better.

Plus, the new plant will benefit hugely from the increased natural rainfall in this time period. The above-ground part of the plant may not develop much at first (depending on the species) but its roots will be growing like gangbusters all fall and winter ? hence its ability to take up nutrients. Then, when spring rolls around, the plant will be poised to grow impressively starting with the first warm day.

A concern is that nurseries may not have plants in stock in the fall. They?re simply reacting like good businesspeople to most people?s (misguided) urge to plant in the spring, and to the plant grower?s cycle ? timed for delivery to nurseries each spring. Besides, now is when some nurseries forget about plants and start to stock up on Halloween and Christmas stuff.

I?ve gone over several reasons to plant plants in the fall. But all you really have to remember is to take your cue from what nature does in Texas. Here, many plants naturally depend on winter root growth for a head start on spring growth.

Owen Yost is an area Landscape Architect specializing in designing low-maintenance landscapes incorporating native plants with hardscape such as decking, fences, terraces, walkways, walls etc. He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Keep Denton Beautiful and the Native Plant Society of Texas. His Denton office is at 4516 Coyote Point; call 940.382-2099 or 383-9655. E-mail, Yost87@charter.net