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Plants - Planting Tips |
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HOW TO GROW YOUR PERENNIAL PLANTS BARE ROOT PERENNIALS A few of our perennial plants prefer to be shipped bare root. They are packed in plastic bags with wood shavings or peat moss. If you can’t plant them right away, simply put them in a cool, shady spot in your garden until you can plant them. Your plants will thrive provided you spend a little time on 4 essential things: 1. WATER The most important thing to remember above all else is to WATER YOUR NEW PLANTS until freeze up. A deep drink (3 cm. (1")) once a week will give your plant deep roots and a healthy start for years and years of enjoyment. 2. LIGHT If your plant prefers a shaded location you should have a look at what kind of shade you have. Shade from tall, mature trees is called “high” shade and equals a semi-shade in our instructions. Shade from other trees may be dappled this season but will become deeper in subsequent seasons as the trees grow larger. 3. SOIL Before you plant . . . PREPARE The soil that is. A well prepared planting site is just the kind of welcome your new plant needs. If you do right by the “new arrival” it will sure do right by you. That’s a promise. Loosen the soil thoroughly with a digging fork or spade to a depth of 15 cm. (6") at least all around the planting site. Work in plenty of humus, leaf mould, well-rotted manure or peat moss to improve the quality of the soil and to help it retain moisture through the summer. Good drainage is important for plants: for instance, adding coarse sand to heavy clay soils helps a lot. HOW TO PLANT YOUR PLANT When planting perennials you’ll need a hole big enough to take the spread out roots of the plant. A well dug soil with lots of organic material is ideal. Dig the soil over thoroughly with a fork or spade to at least 30 cm. (24”). Don’t forget to note that your young plant will grow up. Give it enough room. With the plant in position, gradually replace and firm the soil by hand to get a good contact with the roots. Press the soil around the plant with your foot and water thoroughly. Shelter from the sun for the first few days to reduce foliage transpiration (more moisture going out than coming in). It’s critically important to give your new plant lots of water repeatedly during their first growing season. More new plants die of thirst than any other reason. PLANTS THAT LIKE DRY SOIL Some plants love a sun-baked summer in a gritty, sharply draining soil that is on the dry side. These make perfect plants for the weekend garden at the farm or cottage. They hate being in a wet, soggy spot over the winter. Just remember that your young plants will need feeding, water, care and attention for their first season. eg. Agastache, Buddleia, Dianthus, Epimedium, Nepeta, Pensetmon, Rhus, Sedum PLANTS FOR SHADY LOCATIONS If your shade garden is located under trees, especially deciduous trees like Maples, your plants will need extra water & fertilizer. Apply fertilizer as a foliar feed to avoid competion from tree roots. Fish emulsion or seaweed fertilizers work well for this. PRUNING Young shrubs don’t need pruning at all. Once your shrubs get older you will want to spend some time examining your shrubs in the spring. Remove weak branches and any that cross or rub against other branches. IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT FRAGRANT PLANTS Place your fragrant plants in a sheltered spot out of the wind where their fragrance can linger and entice. HIBISCUS syriacus Plant in full sun in a rich, well drained soil. These shrubs are late to leaf out in the spring. HYDRANGEA macrophylla These fast growing shrubs need thinning out in early spring. Let’s Dance STARLIGHT & MOONLIGHT have flushes of bloom from mid-summer onwards. Some winters they may very well die back to the ground. Much depends on the weather. But these varieties will quickly start in early spring and bloom in July. Plant them in a rich, loamy soil and water when dry. CULTIVATION To ensure over wintering success in the first year, the following is recommended: * Stop all applications of fertilizer after August 15th to acclimate the plant for winter. * Keep the soil moist through the fall months until the ground is frozen. * Cover the plant with a four-inch layer of organic mulch (wood mulch, leaves, etc.). There is no need to cover all stems to the tip or to cut them back. * Covering should be done when fully dormant (the ground is getting stiff), or at the same time you would cover perennials in your garden. * In spring, uncover with your perennials when the ground is no longer frozen. The plant will grow from the base of the plant and also from any old branches that survived winter. * Be patient. Growth will come slowly until the heat of late spring stimulates the plant to grow faster. * Once you see growth you can prune back the old branches to a finger width above the new green growth. * Sit back and watch your plant grow and bloom. Depending on your zone, this should happen around mid-July. HELLEBORES Hellebores do best in humusy soil that is well-drained (hillsides and slopes are good) with shade from the summer sun. They dislike hot humid temperatures, and can stop growing in the heat of summer. Once cooler temperatures return in late summer, you will see new leaves developing. If your soil is very acidic, add a little ground limestone to bring the pH to about 7 or 6. Plant with the crown of the plant at or just below the soil line. Planting too deep or too high will interfere with the flower formation. Do not leave an air pocket under the crown. Mulch your plant with chopped leaves, coarse compost, shredded weed-free straw, or a similar material but leave the crown area free. Once the ground has frozen, a temporary winter mulch of loose straw can be fluffed over the crown. Remove this mulch before the buds break in late winter. Hellebores like to be watered and fertilized regularly; if the plants are stressed from lack of food or water the buds will not develop properly for the next spring's bloom. During the first season never let the soil dry right out. Once your Hellebore is established however, it will tolerate a little dryness much better than overwatering. Do not let your plants get waterlogged. In the spring cut back the old leaves. After flowering, cut off the flower heads before the seeds have ripened, unless you want to encourage seedlings. HEMEROCALLIS - Daylily Daylilies are among the easiest of perennials to grow and will last a lifetime if given an occasional transplanting. When your plants arrive, soak them in a weak solution of fertilizer for a few hours or overnight. Lift and divide your Hemerocallis if flower production decreases. A division of your plant about every 5 years is average. Site Daylilies in full sun to partial shade. Lighter colours may fade in hot mid-day sun and will hold their colour better if given some mid-day shade. Daylilies will grow in almost any type of soil but will benefit from an addition of peat moss, compost or leaf mold. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots. Locate the crown (where the roots join the base of the foliage) at soil level and fill in the hole. Firm the soil and water thoroughly. PEONIES Soak the root section in water for a few hours before planting. Peonies prefer a sunny, well - drained location but can take a little shade (afternoon shade is preferable) if that’s the best you have to offer. The planting site should be carefully prepared because peonies don’t like to be moved. Mix compost and soil to a depth of at least 30 cm. before planting. Then dig a hole large enough for the entire root section. The woody roots should point downward with the top of the “eyes” (flower stem buds) not more than 5 cm. (2”) beneath the surface of the soil. Any deeper than this and the peony will fail to bloom. Nothing should show above the soil level when you are finished planting. Mulch the site thoroughly and mulch heavily for the first winter at least. GARDENIMPORT.COM Call us if you need more information at 905 - 731 - 1950 or 1 - 800 - 339 - 8314 © 2007 Gardenimport inc. all rights reserved |
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Gardenimport.com |
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