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Last Updated Thursday, August 28, 2008 08:50 PM

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 Garden Tips And Garden Secrets!

Perennial Plants

GENERAL PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Plant perennials as soon as possible after you purchase them. Choose a location where water drains quickly after a rainfall. Prepare your planting bed by loosening and turning under the soil to a depth of 8 in. Level the soil with a rake, remove large clumps of grass and large stones.

2. Attend to your soil - add peat moss or compost and work in. Test your soil for specific needs.

3. Dig the hole for each plant a bit larger than the root ball. Set each plant with crown slightly below the level of the surrounding soil. Fill in around roots with fine soil and firm lightly, leaving a saucer like indention around the plant to catch and hold water.

4. Water your plants. Gently add about a quart of water to the "saucer" around each plant. Water again; let soak in. Fill in loose, fine soil around crown. Water again as needed.

5. Mulch in cold climates. After soil freezes solid in late fall, apply a mulch around perennial. Remove winter mulch in spring before growth begins.

BASIC CARE FOR PERENNIALS

1. Spring mulching. After perennial clumps begin growth in spring, add mulch to soil around plants. Do not cover crowns. Use grass clippings, shredded leaves, compost, wood chips, etc. Mulch keeps soil moist, roots cool, prevents weed growth and adds a layer of humus which will aid future growth.

2. Stake taller perennials to prevent damage by wind. Tie plants up as they grow.

3. Pruning. When plants have finished blooming, remove dead flower heads and stalks (this may be done off and on all summer), to prevent the plants from setting seed and to preserve their strength. Apply a slow-release fertilizer to keep foliage growing. This will assure healthy growth and good blooms the following year.

4. Fall trimming. Some perennial plants die back to the roots in fall; cut stems back to 3-4 in. above crowns. The plant will send up new growth in early spring.

5. Dividing and Multiplying. Most perennials may be divided after 2 years to provide a source of new plants. To keep plants healthy, they should be divided before they become over-crowded. After 3 or 4 years of growth, dig up the root masses in early fall (spring in far north). Cut the crown of each plant into several sections with a sharp knife, with each piece retaining its own root system. If the center portion of the old plant shows heavy, woody growth, discard it and replant only the younger outer portions of the clump. Mulch plants heavily to provide winter protection.

Hardiness Zone Map

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