KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family. KCB can also be found at the awesome Finishing Touches website.
What a summer. Perhaps not a true record breaker but I did hear that the recent and much needed rainfall surpassed a record set in 1901.
I admit this writing is a reworking of some insights previously shared. Let’s call it another form of recycling. On the other hand, think of it as your favorite laundry detergent, much of the ingredients remain the same, just new and improved.
It is often during these dog days of summer our gardens appear to be out of control. This is the time of the year I suggest walking around the garden to see what is successful and what isn’t. The absence of rain or diligent deep watering has kept this season’s beds a little less vibrant and congested. Therefore, this season your focus will be on other conditions.
Additionally, I hear that we are in for another wave of heat. This means we have some work to do and soon. The key for this exercise is to prepare with preventative measures. Armed with Journal, pen and/or digital camera walk around your landscape.
So, how do your plants look? Stressed? Wilted? To get to the root of the problem, gently scratch an inch below the surface. Dry?! Where did the record rain run? What of your watering? I cannot stress enough the importance of a long slow trickle. I admit, standing with a hose may cool you off and is better than nothing, it doesn’t do the job. Sprinkles are better but still not enough. Soaker hoses. That is the ticket. No need to install expensive irrigation if you don’t have the funds. Soaker hoses can be snaked throughout your garden. Most quality hoses even withstand our Maine winters. Allow for 2-4 inches per week. To keep shrubs and foliage plants looking perky, a misting early in the day or at dusk is a true refresher.
I plead guilty when it comes to my personal garden. Hand watering early morning & early evening still left some plants less than happy. It pained me to cut back some of my Echinacea, yarrow and Veronica. Pain cured when the results were the perfect medicine for these rebloomers. Shasta daisies are sporting buds on dwarfed stems. Same for my Globe Thistle. Others such as Daylilies are set for an early rest. I carefully chose plants that would not be harmed by late season growth. August? Late Season?
It seemed as if this gardening season was jump started by a month with all blooms along for the ride. How often did we hear ‘isn’t it early for (fill in the blank) to be blooming?’ Shearing these particular perennials should keep blooms booming for weeks to come.
As I review the landscapes of my clients it is evident that shade perennials are suffering the most. The plants I love the best for shaded areas, heuchera, astilbe and Cimicifuga (now known as Actea aka snakeroot, black cohosh etc) are cloaked in capes of dry crinkled foliage where lush leaves once were. Plants that are used to shaded and slightly moist soil are hit the hardest. To offer solace I resorted to covering the area with a compost and mulch mixture. Coast of Maine’s Fundy Blend is a tonic in a bag. In taking stock I will stock this product at all times. It will join my perennial favorite, Coast of Maine’s Penobscot Blend. I also cannot forget to leave room for Worm Castings. Coast of Maine introduced their own bag of worm waste. I must thank them for housing it in a carry bag. This made life so much easier as I happily hand hauled it to all my container plantings. A perfect top dressing to improve the water retention.
Gardeners are cursed with selective memory. We will forget the effects of a drought during the rains of next spring. Weather happens in patterns. Several Mays and last June had many a gardener prone to webbed hands. Did we ever think we’d experience a hot arid summer again? Take stock for the future. Be prepared. Purchase that soaker hose, grab a bag of organic compost & mulch blend. And don’t forget the worm’s contribution!
However, don’t stop now. Step back; look at your landscape with the eye of a visitor. What is it that you see? How would you react if seeing it for the first time? Look for empty pockets, or crowding. Is there evidence of, mildew or fungus? How about pest damage? What about color, too much, not enough? If you do just not ‘love’ something, jot it down.
August may not be the best time to divide, move, and/or transplant. The weather is too hot, often too dry, though now you know how to water, and will unduly stress plants and the humans that love them. I’m not saying it cannot be done, however if at all possible wait until late fall, or early spring as may be appropriate. Who am I kidding? We will do what we will. If something is being choked and/or not able to be seen, then by all means, cut back or move what ever is in the way. A plants life just may be at stake. (If you do transplant now, just water, water, water!)
Not up to doing this now? Prefer to wait? Congratulations! However, you’re not getting off that easy.
Love everything in your garden? Pleased with the results? Do not put that camera or journal away. Record the pleasures.
In any case, you’ve worked hard. Pour yourself another glass of Ice Tea and relax…………..
KCB for the Skillin's Garden Log
August 27, 2010
Showing posts with label perennial care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perennial care. Show all posts
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Spring Care of Perennials
Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club (http://www.paulparent.com/) sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM. Paul recently sent this article out called Spring Care of Perennials (I have added a few comments in italics) and here it is:
"The frost is out of the ground now and it is time for the gardens to begin to wake up and start growing. Here are a few tips for you to get your garden off to a good start. The first garden chore is to clean them of winter debris and any dead plant parts we left there from last fall. Cut to the ground all dead plant stems that remain in the garden. Pull all weeds, moss and grasses that survived the winter between plants. Think "Spring Cleaning for a Better Summer Garden." Once all cleaned, it is time to cut a new edge around the garden. Why?, you may ask-- because it will make the edge of the garden look better, it will be easier to mow the grass, and most important, the edge will keep the grass from your lawn out of the garden. Spreading grasses like common blue grass spread with underground rhizomes and stems; if you have an edge, the grass from the lawn is less likely to move into the garden.
A clean garden soil will warm up faster with the sun and that means earlier plant growth. Now sprinkle Preen granules or Corn Gluten evenly on the soil of the garden. This is a pre-emergence weed control; once the granular product dissolves with rain, it will form a skin or barrier on the soil preventing weeds from growing for the entire season. Think about that: no weeds to pull all summer long. Also, apply your garden fertilizer now and sprinkle evenly like you apply salt to an icy walk way during the winter. Use Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica.
If you see moss growing in the lawn you may want to lime the garden to counter the acidity. I love Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal lime substitute, as one 40 pound bag will do the same as ten fifty pound bags of lime and it works in 2 weeks instead of 6 months. If the soil is wet or has standing water, spread the garden soil and lawn area with garden gypsum to improve drainage and prevent root rot. .
To help cut back on watering of the garden I always add 2 inches of compost over the weed preventer. If you do this now, you can just dump the compost right on top of the garden and rake it evenly over the entire garden. All the plants are dormant and raking will not hurt them. You can even walk on the garden and not hurt anything planted. If you wait until May to add mulch or compost, you will have to do this work by hand, so as not to damage newly sprouting plants emerging from the ground. Doing it now will save you many hours of labor later.
If you are planning to divide perennials, wait until they are just poking through the compost or mulch. It will be easier to divide plants properly when young, and without damaging the root system. Remember some plants are not ready until early May, so be patient. This is also the best time to move hybrid lilies, but dig deep as the bulb should be at least 6 inches deep in the ground. Do not add new plants to the garden until you are sure all existing plants are up and visible. If you have spring flowering bulbs, do not move them until they have finished flowering and the foliage has turned brown. That is usually 6 to 8 weeks after blooming.
Early sprouting perennial plants have a greater chance of rabbits and deer damage than later sprouting plants. Skillin's has a number of great deer repellents. I have found granular Milorganite spread around the garden every couple of weeks to be an excellent deterrent. Fresh green plants make a tasty meal for these animals and they're not "SHY" or "FUSSY", so get ready!"
"The frost is out of the ground now and it is time for the gardens to begin to wake up and start growing. Here are a few tips for you to get your garden off to a good start. The first garden chore is to clean them of winter debris and any dead plant parts we left there from last fall. Cut to the ground all dead plant stems that remain in the garden. Pull all weeds, moss and grasses that survived the winter between plants. Think "Spring Cleaning for a Better Summer Garden." Once all cleaned, it is time to cut a new edge around the garden. Why?, you may ask-- because it will make the edge of the garden look better, it will be easier to mow the grass, and most important, the edge will keep the grass from your lawn out of the garden. Spreading grasses like common blue grass spread with underground rhizomes and stems; if you have an edge, the grass from the lawn is less likely to move into the garden.
A clean garden soil will warm up faster with the sun and that means earlier plant growth. Now sprinkle Preen granules or Corn Gluten evenly on the soil of the garden. This is a pre-emergence weed control; once the granular product dissolves with rain, it will form a skin or barrier on the soil preventing weeds from growing for the entire season. Think about that: no weeds to pull all summer long. Also, apply your garden fertilizer now and sprinkle evenly like you apply salt to an icy walk way during the winter. Use Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica.
If you see moss growing in the lawn you may want to lime the garden to counter the acidity. I love Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal lime substitute, as one 40 pound bag will do the same as ten fifty pound bags of lime and it works in 2 weeks instead of 6 months. If the soil is wet or has standing water, spread the garden soil and lawn area with garden gypsum to improve drainage and prevent root rot. .
To help cut back on watering of the garden I always add 2 inches of compost over the weed preventer. If you do this now, you can just dump the compost right on top of the garden and rake it evenly over the entire garden. All the plants are dormant and raking will not hurt them. You can even walk on the garden and not hurt anything planted. If you wait until May to add mulch or compost, you will have to do this work by hand, so as not to damage newly sprouting plants emerging from the ground. Doing it now will save you many hours of labor later.
If you are planning to divide perennials, wait until they are just poking through the compost or mulch. It will be easier to divide plants properly when young, and without damaging the root system. Remember some plants are not ready until early May, so be patient. This is also the best time to move hybrid lilies, but dig deep as the bulb should be at least 6 inches deep in the ground. Do not add new plants to the garden until you are sure all existing plants are up and visible. If you have spring flowering bulbs, do not move them until they have finished flowering and the foliage has turned brown. That is usually 6 to 8 weeks after blooming.
Early sprouting perennial plants have a greater chance of rabbits and deer damage than later sprouting plants. Skillin's has a number of great deer repellents. I have found granular Milorganite spread around the garden every couple of weeks to be an excellent deterrent. Fresh green plants make a tasty meal for these animals and they're not "SHY" or "FUSSY", so get ready!"
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Garden Talks March 21-Raking the lawn, Lawn spots, Let the soil dry! Uncover perennials
Good friend Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited sends out some very nice gardening information and this recent post came to my attention so I thought I would pass it on to you. This is extremely topical and VERY good advice for us gardeners in Skillin's Country. Plants Unlimited is a terrific garden center based in Rockport Maine. Hammon and I talk quite often and I always learn something about gardening and garden center business when we do speak. I hope he benefits some as well. Plants Unlimited is always worth a visit and they can be found at http://www.plants-unlimited.com/ and also at 629 Commercial Street (Route 1) in Rockport ME. Any comments I make are shown in italics:
"Raking the lawn is a true test of how out of shape you are after the winter!
As soon as the snow has retreated and your lawn is dry, rake the old debris, sand, twigs and other foreign matter off. This will help remove thatch and debris that might restrain grass growth as well as aerate the lawn. Air and light will also trigger lush growth. All of this helps to get your lawn greening and growing.
Wait until the grass is dry – not spongy. Working on lawns that are too wet compacts the soil, reducing the air in the soil – not the effect you are striving for!" Folks we are getting to that point in many sunny well drained areas of the yard, but maybe not so in wet, darker areas. So, choose your spots carefully. BUT I am a firm believer in giving your lawn a good thorough raking each Spring. A good vigorous raking helps so much when it comes to pullling out dead and unproductive material and letting sun and air into the soil area of your lawn!
"Examine any dead patches that might be in your lawn. If they are round, (almost a perfect circle) and pale yellow edged in pink, you probably have snow mold. This is a grayish, stringy fungus that lives under the snow. You may have to treat this with a fungicide but a good hard raking and aeration will usually be sufficient to control this fungus.
Dead areas on a lawn are not always snow mold. There should be less damage of lawns this spring since there was not much snow and ice packed on lawns this season. Most of this is NOT fungus - but rather only winter damage that should come back with raking and aeration.. "
Yes, you're eager to get into your garden but make sure the soil has adequately dried before you try to do too much. Avoid walking on partially frozen or wet ares because the compaction from your weight is damaging to the soil structure. If you must get out, lay down some planks to walk on. These will help distribute your weight and lessen compaction. Nothing beats a few good windy and sunny March days to dry out the garden."
This advice about letting the soil dry is pretty important. Working in or walking on a wet garden will severely compact the soil of your garden and this compaction can cause the soil to clump and stick together. This really keeps light and air that is essential for a healthy soil to process nutrients and break down organic matter. Be patient! Don't work in a boggy garden space!
"Groom any perennials now as the snow recedes. Cut back any stems you missed last fall to within a few inches of the soil line. Remove any debris from around them like leaves and stems. The plants will have fewer obstacles as they appear in the spring." Yes, keep pulling the mulch off the plants. I have a couple of areas of particularly new plantings from last year that I am going to keep covered for another week or two but other more established areas are going to get uncovered very soon. Many of you have probably already done this!
If you left your ornamental grasses standing last fall to create winter interest, the beauty is probably gone now! Snow has probably flattened them and made them quite unsightly. When you can finally get to these grasses, cut them down to within an inch or two of the soil line. This will help make way for new growth this spring!"
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
March 21, 2010
"Raking the lawn is a true test of how out of shape you are after the winter!
As soon as the snow has retreated and your lawn is dry, rake the old debris, sand, twigs and other foreign matter off. This will help remove thatch and debris that might restrain grass growth as well as aerate the lawn. Air and light will also trigger lush growth. All of this helps to get your lawn greening and growing.
Wait until the grass is dry – not spongy. Working on lawns that are too wet compacts the soil, reducing the air in the soil – not the effect you are striving for!" Folks we are getting to that point in many sunny well drained areas of the yard, but maybe not so in wet, darker areas. So, choose your spots carefully. BUT I am a firm believer in giving your lawn a good thorough raking each Spring. A good vigorous raking helps so much when it comes to pullling out dead and unproductive material and letting sun and air into the soil area of your lawn!
"Examine any dead patches that might be in your lawn. If they are round, (almost a perfect circle) and pale yellow edged in pink, you probably have snow mold. This is a grayish, stringy fungus that lives under the snow. You may have to treat this with a fungicide but a good hard raking and aeration will usually be sufficient to control this fungus.
Dead areas on a lawn are not always snow mold. There should be less damage of lawns this spring since there was not much snow and ice packed on lawns this season. Most of this is NOT fungus - but rather only winter damage that should come back with raking and aeration.. "
Yes, you're eager to get into your garden but make sure the soil has adequately dried before you try to do too much. Avoid walking on partially frozen or wet ares because the compaction from your weight is damaging to the soil structure. If you must get out, lay down some planks to walk on. These will help distribute your weight and lessen compaction. Nothing beats a few good windy and sunny March days to dry out the garden."
This advice about letting the soil dry is pretty important. Working in or walking on a wet garden will severely compact the soil of your garden and this compaction can cause the soil to clump and stick together. This really keeps light and air that is essential for a healthy soil to process nutrients and break down organic matter. Be patient! Don't work in a boggy garden space!
"Groom any perennials now as the snow recedes. Cut back any stems you missed last fall to within a few inches of the soil line. Remove any debris from around them like leaves and stems. The plants will have fewer obstacles as they appear in the spring." Yes, keep pulling the mulch off the plants. I have a couple of areas of particularly new plantings from last year that I am going to keep covered for another week or two but other more established areas are going to get uncovered very soon. Many of you have probably already done this!
If you left your ornamental grasses standing last fall to create winter interest, the beauty is probably gone now! Snow has probably flattened them and made them quite unsightly. When you can finally get to these grasses, cut them down to within an inch or two of the soil line. This will help make way for new growth this spring!"
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
March 21, 2010
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