Originally Published In The Deseret News -- Wednesday, September 11, 1996
Divide, Replant Or Start New Beds. Take Time To Prepare Soil Properly.
Larry Sagers Is A Horticulturist With The Utah State University Extension Service.
September is the perfect time to think peren-nials. Temperatures are moderating, yet soils are warm and workable. Plants need trimming, digging, dividing and replanting. Now is also the right time to plant new beds of these wonderful flowers.
Successful perennial gardens always start with the right soil. Nothing will compensate for skipping this step. Poor soil will never grow great flowers. Fix soil problems before planting perennials because there is no way to totally change the problem after planting. Take the time and try to correct the problem before establishing the plants. Even with established plants, soil improvement needs attention each year.
"Double digging" is the time tested and preferred way to prepare flower beds. This offers a chance to dig down two shovel or spade depths and then turn organic matter into the soil. Start by digging a trench the length of the bed and the depth of your spade. Carefully pile soil along the bed. Dig another shovel depth below the first. Dig a second trench alongside the first. As you dig this trench, turn the soil and organic amendments into the first trench. Repeat the process so the soil in the second trench becomes the soil in the first trench. Repeat the process until you have totally prepared the bed for planting. Finally, move the soil from the first trench to the opposite side of the bed to fill the last trench.
This is an arduous and time-consuming process but well worth the effort for several reasons. Good soil always helps plants grow better. Planting beds can cost several dollars per square foot and nobody wants to waste that kind of money. Poorly prepared beds are usually removed and replaced after several seasons of substandard performance. Well-designed and maintained beds, by contrast, may remain in place and attractive for decades with only minimal care.
The organic material added to the beds is very important. Bagged products include various brands, such as Nutramulch, Ecocompost, Whitney Farms, Soil Pep, Ranui Compost and many others. Bulk products include several of those mentioned above and "Stucki Stuff" and compost from the landfill. All use high-cellulose materials for long-term soil improvement. Grass clippings and uncomposted materials are not going to give as good of results because they decompose so quickly and leave little residue in the soil.
Perennial weeds destroy perennial gardens. Annual gardens are replanted each year, and there is a window of opportunity to control difficult weeds. If your soil is badly infested with noxious and obnoxious weeds, take care of the problem before you plant. If you don't you will likely end up removing your plantings to try to get the problem under control. Use Roundup to take out grasses and help with broadleaf control. Add a broadleaf weedkiller product to help control other problems. Be careful with all these products, particularly when using them around existing plants.
The challenge in creating a successful perennial garden is in choosing the right plants. This is not a simple matter. These gardens are the most difficult to make attractive throughout the growing season. Orchestrating a successful season of bloom takes planning. Unlike annuals, where you plant the flowers in the spring and wait for them to bloom, most perennials do not bloom throughout the season. The challenge is selecting plants that will provide a succession of blooms throughout the season.
Compare perennial gardens to pistons on an engine crankshaft. As the plants grow, many send up tall, flowering stalks that bloom and then must be cut down. The others rise and fall in rhythm, adding dynamic interest. Plants are carefully selected so taller plants do not obscure shorter ones blooming in front of them.
Although most flower colors will blend, creating a stunning color combination takes special effort. Bloom time, size and color must all be coordinated to make the garden most successful.
Planning will create the best possible garden. Creative design is the same in an existing garden. Some plants are more aggressive and must be restrained, while others fade away in the middle and need rejuvenation to look their best. Dig the large clumps carefully and use two forks to separate perennials into plantable sizes. The need for division depends on the kind of plant and the growing conditions. Some can be ignored for years without any need to dig or move them.
Knowledge and attention make the difference between a few nice plants and a stunning garden. Perennials are not a way to avoid gardening; they are a way to enhance it.
Next week's column will feature favorite and easy-to-grow perennials for this area.
© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.