By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
Most of us get very excited about the spring planting season and tend to ignore fall and the opportunity it provides to improve our landscape. Mid to late fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, bulbs and perennials. Many will be on sale, as nurseries reduce their stock prior to shutting down for the winter.
If you’ve been keeping your garden journal, you already know where your bloom gaps and bare spots are. You should also be aware of any plants that aren’t in the right place for optimal health. Have you or your neighbor cut down any trees? That can significantly change your microclimate, bringing full sun into areas that were part or full shade. After my neighbor trimmed my trees (much to my surprise) I found that an area in my front yard now has enough direct sun for me to plant a vegetable garden.
One of the key items on the fall list should be splitting and relocation of perennials. Perennials should be divided very few years so that the roots structures remain healthy and blooms remain strong. Those with “fleshy” roots, such as peonies, daylillies, iris and hosta are easily split and replanted in the fall, taking note that they should not be split until several weeks have passed since their last bloom. Dig the entire plant up and then use a pitchfork, shovel or even a hand saw to split the clump into two or three separate plants. Put the new plants in a bucket of water to remove loose soil and any insects that might be hiding in it. You can inspect the roots closely; if there are any dead roots, prune them off. Now your new plants are ready to be planted. Plant them at the same depth that the original plant was growing.
If any of your shrubs are crowded, this is also a good time to do some pruning. Prune from the base of the shrub, rather than at the top, letting more sunlight and air into the center of the shrub, which improves plant health. If one is in the wrong place, either for plant health or aesthetics, you can transplant it. Make sure you dig up as much of the root ball as possible. The transplant hole should be the same depth as the original hole, but twice the diameter. Water well, and push down the soil (but don’t compress it) so that any air pockets are removed. Remember, we are in a drought, so you will need to deep water the transplant several times a week until there is a frost.
You can plant spring blooming bulbs up until the ground is frozen. Just remember the “pointy” side is usually the side that goes up, and the planting depth is generally three times the height of the bulb. If you are in an area where you see a lot of deer, you should consider your tulips to be annuals.
Please stop by the Garden Club of Orange’s booth at the Country Fair on Sept. 17 and 18 and say hello to your fellow gardeners. And, maybe, join the club.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Garden Club of Orange and a master gardener.