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Perennials pretty much take care of theirselves once they are established in their new garden beds. They add color and unique textures throughout the season plus they also add value to your property. I wouldn’t consider my yard complete without them and with proper planning you can have color all season long.

Here are a few tips for growing successful perennials.

• Cut back old stems and flowers in late fall for spring-flowering perennials, or early spring for perennials that bloom summer through fall. Cutting back the old stems and flowers gives the gardens a clean look and insects will not have a place top hide and breed. It also gives the plants more light and air.
• Apply an organic fertilizer to the soil in early spring – except for perennials that do not need yearly fertilizing. I have switched to compost. It seems to give me better control over my plants and the flowers and foliage are beautiful. Use about 3 inches of compost near the plants. Make sure not to get the compost on the plants.
• Cut old flower stems off spring-blooming plants to a place on the stem just above where you see new leaves growing. This will encourage the plant to bloom again. I have noticed this really works well with mums. I have more flowers in the fall and the plants are full and beautiful. (I also take the cuttings and start new plants from them)
• When you first plant perennials they need to be watered every week to encourage new roots. After that Water well until soil is completely moist. Most perennials do well in dry weather and will need less water than annuals, particularly if the ground is mulched.
• There are long-lived perennials and short-lived perennials. Your local greenhouse or nursery can help you select the plants and advise you of their care

Many of the perennials on our property have been family favorites for generations. They bring back many memories of grandparents and parties throughout the years.

Perennials need to be divided to give them more growing room and keep them happy and healthy. You will also have the added bonus of more plants to plant somewhere else in the yard. Or you can trade them with friends for other plants or sell them.

You can divide perennial in the spring or fall but I have found it’s good to divide perennials in fall because then the plants can concentrate their energy on root growth and not on blooming. Just make sure to leave enough time before your first frost so that the plants can adjust to their new home. This is usually four to six weeks before your first frost.

In my zone 5 growing zone that time is now, late august. The temperatures are cooling and we are heading into more of a rainy season. I should be ok with frosts and if not I can cover the plants with a row cover and straw for protection against the first few frosts.

Prepare your perennials for division by giving them plenty of water 1 to 2 days before you plan to divide them. This will make sure the plants have a good dose of water before the move. You may also want to clip the plants’ stems to help reduce water loss during division. The plants should be no taller than 6 inches off the ground.

Prepare a new spot for your perennials a day or two before you plan to divide them. Make sure the plants have at least one square foot of space for its roots to expand.

Dig out the perennials. I find that a small shovel works the best and Dig out 6 to 8 inches in all for directions from the plant. This will ensure that you have an adequate root system for the plant.

Position the shovel underneath the perennial and lift it out. If the plant is too heavy, cut it into several pieces and lift them up separately.

Next shake the perennial gently to get some of the dirt off the roots. Now you can separate the roots. Some perennials can be separated by hand and others will need to be done with digging forks or a knife.

Here are two tips that may help:

• Cut some of the roots out with scissors if they are damaged. This will lead to a healthier plant later and a plant that adjusts to its new home faster.
• And if the roots are particularly tough, you can try dropping the plant on the ground from a height of about a foot to help loosen up the roots. I have tried this and it helps. Hostas are perennials that seem to be hard to divide and this method helps.

Plant the divisions in the spots that you prepared. Pack the soil around the plant and give it a good watering once it’s in the ground. I try to move plants on an overcast day or late in the afternoon so that they don’t have direct sun right after a move.

Perennials for sandy soil, shady areas and wet areas will be covered in the next few days.

Tags: dividing perennials, tips for moving perennials, perennial plants

Perennials have the advantage of annual plants in that they will survive winter weather and add ease to the flowerbeds and garden areas. I tend to mix perennials and annuals in my gardens. Perennials fill out a garden and if chosen properly add color or texture all season, while annuals need to be replaced every year. But annuals fill in garden holes and add those bright spots of color and change to gardens.

As most gardens are in full bloom and will be ending their gardening season soon it’s time to think about moving and dividing your perennial plants.

This year I have older perennials to divide and new plants to add. I will be setting up two gardens for perennial storage (a home until the new beds are ready) and re-creating the front garden area. All told I have over 400 plants to relocate.

In my Zone 5 the time to work with most perennial plants is now. Here are a few helpful perennial tips

• Prepare the new plant beds before moving or dividing the plants. That way you have a place to put the plants as soon as they have been dug up. This helps to prevent plant shock and the plants roots will not dry out. I also make sure the soil is full of nutrients by mixing in new compost.
• Don’t divide fall blooming perennials in the fall, do it in the summer. Your local greenhouse or nursery will be able to help provide information for dividing your perennials in the right season.
• If you trim off some of the broken roots after dividing the perennial, it can often help speed the plant’s re-growth. It will definitely improve the plants health.
• Divide your plants 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes. Otherwise they might not survive the first frost. If you et a frost before you thought you would, cover the plants or place straw over top of them to protect the new roots.
• Make sure to keep the roots wet while you are dividing the perennial. Never let the plant dry out! This will slow the plants growth or even kill the plant.
• Butterfly weed, columbines, Japanese anemones and oriental poppies shouldn’t be divided.

By moving you plants in the fall your gardens will be pretty and ready to bloom in the spring. While other are digging in the soil you can be enjoying your yard.

Tags: perennial flower tips, moving perennial plants