Summer
is great time to plant perennials. Whether it's filling in an empty spot in the
garden, moving a plant from one location to another or maybe you just moved
into a new home and want to get your landscape started, or you've got the week
off and want to work in the garden. The simple answer is yes, you can
plant perennials this time of year. Your
plants will survive and thrive if you keep these things in mind. Do your actual
planting during the coolest part of the day. Early morning is usually best,
though late afternoon into early evening will work, if it's cloudy. Do the hard
work in advance. Get the planting spot ready by digging the hole as deep and
twice as wide as the container your plant is in.
Improve the planting site by
adding organic material such as Sheep,
Peat and Compost, peat moss, compost or coconut coir to the hole and to the dirt you just dug out.
Mix the organic material 50:50 with the existing soil or roughly half. This is
called "amending the soil" and
products such as compost, peat moss, coconut coir, aged manures are
called "soil amendments". Adding amendments will make our typical
clay soils more useable to the plant. Amendments allow the clay soil to drain
better and frees up nutrients in the soil. Once the hole is dug and amended,
fill it with water and let the water drain. Do this twice, before you plant.
This will ensure the soil around the plant's root ball is wet. If you want to
add some Root Stimulator, now is the time to do so. Water your plants
thoroughly before planting or transplanting them.
Now that the ground is ready take your plant out of its container and take a look at the root ball. If it is really tight, break it up
a little before you plant it. Place the plant in the center of the hole and
fill in the hole with the amended soil. If you're transplanting an existing
plant, dig as large a root ball as possible.
Use a garden fork (digging fork),
not a shovel to dig the old plant up. The digging fork is less likely to damage
the plant's roots. Use burlap or an old nursery pot to transport the plant to
its new location. Once you're done planting or transplanting and you've filled
in the hole, water thoroughly. Heat and drying winds will be the biggest
challenge to anything you plant or transplant now. Check your plants in the morning and evening
to make sure they're well hydrated.
A moisture meter is a handy tool to have at
this point. You can easily check the moisture level at different depths and add
water accordingly.
Another trick is to set up some temporary shade in the form
of cloth Seed Guard or burlap to shade the plant while it gets
established. Good soil preparation and
keeping an eye on the watering will ensure your new summer plantings will take
off quickly.
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