SHOWING SOME PERENNIAL LOVE

 

Each summer I love my zinnias and marigolds. They add splashes of color throughout my vegetable and flower gardens. However, when perennials are planted in the right combinations, they add color and reward gardeners by returning each year. They are relatively low maintenance although there are a few chores scattered throughout the year that will ensure they will enhance your gardens for many years.

By definition, a perennial is a plant that lives for more than two growing seasons. By design, some will only survive for three years and other will thrive for decades. Herbaceous perennials will die back in winter even though roots remain persistent with clumps of stems or buds at or below ground level. Every spring they send out new shoots from the ground.

Showing your perennials a little love throughout the year will help to ensure that they stay strong and healthy and continue to give you color for many seasons. Perhaps the most important factor is to know your individual plants and what special needs each variety has. This includes how much space they will need when they are mature, if they need sun or shade, the amount of water and what type of fertilizer they need.

For the most part, all perennials share some basic needs such as good soil that is well-drained, good fertility and a two to three-inch layer of mulch to conserve water, reduce the need to weed as often and keep the soil temperature cool. When planting, a general guide for spacing is two to three feet apart for those that grow three feet or higher, one and one-half to two feet apart for those growing two to three feet tall and a foot apart for any plants under two feet high.

As far as watering goes, one inch of water per week for established plants is recommended. Less frequent but deep watering encourages the plants to root deeply. For those that are said to be drought-resistant, these guidelines are only for after they have become established. Mulch reduces the need for frequent watering.

Most perennials don’t need a lot of fertilizer. If they are over-fertilized, they have soft growth and few flowers. Usually a formulation of 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 is sufficient.

Even though they are pretty mild-mannered and don’t require a lot of care, perennials do have a few little quirks that will make them look their best. For starters, their very nature is to spread and propagate, which is what most of us like them to do, because you really can’t have too much of a good thing, can you?

As it turns out, yes you can in this case. Most perennials like a little space and benefit from lifting and dividing every three to four years. Simply, split their root system and replant part of the plant in another area to give the original more room. However, be sure and know what your variety likes since some don’t like to be disturbed and you are better off by taking a cutting or collecting seed heads instead of dividing.

Deadheading is a thankless job but will reward you with many more blooms during the growing season. Removing spent blooms improves the look of the garden. Most dead flower heads form seeds, some of which can be very attractive. If you want this look, then skip the deadheading but know that you probably won’t be rewarded with as many blooms since many perennials stop blooming after they form seeds. Removing the fading flowers before they complete this process encourages more blooms.

Another consideration is that seed heads scatter all through the garden. This is great if you want to fill your garden in with more plants of the same variety. However, if you don’t want them to spread, removing the seed heads will help stop new little plants all through the garden come the following spring.

If you like large flower blooms, you may want to consider disbudding. Before the buds open, remove all but one or two flower buds on each stem. By doing this, the plant directs all its energy to the remaining buds, resulting in larger flowers. This is a common practice for dahlias, peonies, carnations and chrysanthemums.

Pinching is a technique to keep plants shorter and denser. Simply cut or pinch off the top few inches of each stem when the plant reaches a foot tall in spring and also again in the middle of summer. Each stem cut grows several new stems and the result is stocky sprays of more but smaller flowers. Chrysanthemums and asters routinely get pinched off otherwise they grow floppy and spindly. “Cutting back hard” is a term which means to reduce the height of the plant by one third to one half, usually to renew its vigor.

Some perennials get lazy and sprawl over their neighbors, robbing them of sunlight or crushing them. They need to be staked or propped up, sometimes just for the sheer weight of their flower heads. Bamboo stakes are good choices for plants with tall, single spikes like delphiniums and lilies. When they form flower heads and are a few feet tall, loosely tie the stems to a stake. With multi-stemmed perennials, run twine around the circumference and back and forth across the center a few times. This method provides a net for the stems to grow through.

Branches from pruned shrubs that are two to three feet long and bushy on one end also make great supports. Simply, put several of these around a perennial, bushy side up. As stems grow through these branches, the supporting mechanism is hidden by the perennials’ foliage. There are many kinds of commercial supports and trellises that also work fine.

Getting ready for perennials to go to bed for winter also takes a little planning. After a few frosts, cut the plants back, leaving six-inch stubs so you can find them next spring. Cutting back helps to avoid disease and pest problems in spring. Don’t be in a rush though, wait until you have had a few frosts. Until then, roots are still reclaiming energy for healthy growth in the spring.

Most perennials can be cut back for winter such as daylilies, sunflowers, salvia, shasta daisies, clematis, columbine and others. However, some like hen and chicks and candytuft are considered evergreens and should be left alone. Ornamental grasses also can be left, they look especially nice with snow on them.

Do a final weeding in fall but don’t fertilize. Fall fertilizing only encourages new growth that will only get frozen.

Mulching is the sticky one. If you have perennials hardy for your area, then mulching is not necessary. However, some added protection is always good, especially if you don’t get lots of snow. The main purpose of winter mulching is to keep the soil temperatures even and prevent the heaving of roots due to freezing and thawing.

If you do mulch, wait until the ground freezes otherwise you provide winter housing for rodents. Evergreen branches make good mulch, only remember to remove gradually in spring. No matter your decision on mulching, ALWAYS mulch new plants.

Perennials provide lots of color and enjoyment and they only ask for a few simple chores in return. Like anything else, shown a little love, they give back what they receive.