Fall is a great time to plant because the soil temperatures are warm, rain is more plentiful, and sunlight is bright but not scorching. Though nights may get colder, and we awake to morning frosts, the ground has not fully frozen, and won’t until about January. A general rule of thumb is to plant about 6 weeks before the ground freezes, and that means frozen to a depth of about 1 foot.
The soil temperature is warmer in the fall than it is in spring, so this also encourages better root growth. And since plants are not producing flowers and foliage in the fall, they have more energy to establish their roots. You can help this process along by planting with Bumper Crop soils that contain the very beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, and/or by watering the plant with a diluted root stimulator, such as Superthrive — both are stocked here.