Now’s the Time to Plant Flowering Perennials

Whether you’re planting to fill in a spot in the landscape or replace a storm-damaged plant, now’s a great time to plant perennials. 

There are dozens of blooming perennials available now including blanket flowers, daisies, bee balm, lilies, penstemon, sage and the list goes on. Most of these perennials will attract and support pollinators, such as this ‘Concord Grape’ Spiderwort. 

When planted right, these perennials will bloom through the season and into first frost. Two important factors are matching the plant to the right light conditions and taking time to improve the soil. 

Improve the planting site by adding organic material in the form of Sheep, Peat and Compost. Start by digging the planting hole as deep and twice as wide as the container your plant is in. Now mix the Sheep, Peat and Compost 50:50 with the existing soil. Adding this organic amendment will allow our typical clay soil to drain better and take up water and nutrients more effectively. Once the hole is dug and amended, fill it with water and let the water drain. 

Repeat this step, this time adding three and a half tablespoons of Ferti-Lome Root Stimulator to a gallon of water. Slip your new plant out of its container and loosen the root ball.  Place the plant in the center of the hole and backfill with the amended soil.  Plan to do your actual planting during the coolest part of the day or on an overcast day.  With good soil preparation and the right amount of water, your new summer plantings will establish quickly and bloom well into the fall.  

Summer Rose Care Tips

Roses are among the most dependable of the flowering perennials. They add color and a touch of grace to our gardens and they attract pollinators. You can keep your roses looking their best this summer by keeping up with deadheading, watering properly, fertilizing and controlling disease and insects. Sounds like a lot, but if done on a regular basis, your roses will do well throughout the flowering season. First of all, keep up with removing fading blooms. 

This is called deadheading and it’s important to do for two reasons. In addition to keeping the rose bush neat and tidy, removing fading flowers will prevent the rose plant from wasting energy producing hips and encourage more blooms. Snip the old bloom just above an outward facing 5-leaf set. While you’re at it, hard prune any dead or diseased canes to the ground. Seal the tops of the cane with Elmer’s glue to prevent further damage.  While you’re pruning, watch for indications of disease or insects. Common rose diseases include black spot, rust or powdery mildew. Diseases can be treated by removing any obviously bad leaves or with fungicides such as Sulfur or Serenade. Insects to watch for this time of year include aphids, spider mites and Western Flower Thrip.  

This is a rose bud damaged by Western Flower Thrip.  Most of these insects can be managed with products such as Neem or Spinosad or a healthy dose of ladybugs. Fungicides and insecticides should be applied in the evening, when pollinators are absent and temperatures are cooler. Roses should be well hydrated prior spraying any pesticide. The best way to water roses is slowly and deeply, at the base of the plant. Watering overhead encourages disease problems. 

Now’s the time to feed your roses.  Mile-Hi Rose Food or Fertilome Organic Rose and Flower Food are excellent choices for roses in our area.  These organic fertilizers promote healthy soil, strong canes and vigorous blooming. For even greater nutrient efficiency, apply granular humate around the base of your rose. Fertilome HuMic is the best source of granular humate.  Keeping your roses pruned, fed and hydrated is the best defense against bugs and fungus. Finally, know don’t guess. What looks like a disease may actually be an insect or a nutrient deficiency. Bring us a sample of the problem you’re having. We’ll diagnosis it and come up with recommendations to solve your rose and plant issues.