| |
How to Extend the Life of your Perennials Working with a perennial garden can be one of the most rewarding experiences ever. The simple beauty of these plants and flowers is enough to make any person take a step back to truly admire the beauty that is life. It is a nice change of pace from the frantic lives we tend to lead on a regular basis. However, a perennial garden can also be a bit of a hassle at times. It requires constant maintenance and replanting. As a result, many people shy away from the concept, fearing the hard work. There are a few ways, though, to extend the life of your perennials with your regular garden upkeep, taking the replanting off of today's to-do list.
One of the first things you should do if you want to extend the life of your perennials is careful yearly pruning. While cutting a
plant may not seem like the best way to extend its life, it will in fact make your garden look exceptional and keep the upkeep to a minimum for you. When you think of pruning, you may think of the trimming you do to your trees each fall and spring. Don't get out those giant clippers just yet, though. Pruning in a perennial garden has a few other meanings. There are several ways to prune your garden. One of the first ways to prune is by deadheading on a regular basis. Deadheading is the process of getting rid of old blooms by pinching them off of the plant. Sometimes this may be a bit more involved that others. For example, in a number of cases, deadheading may include removing an entire flower stalk. Just be sure that when you begin to engage in deadheading, you remove down to the new bud, otherwise you may be taking too little or too much off of the plant.
Cutting back is another way to prune your flowers. Cutting back should be done any time deadheading isn't appropriate. For example, you may choose to cut back an entire section of a perennial, even the stalks and new blooms, if the plant isn't growing properly. This can help to encourage new growth. Pinching is another way to prune your perennials. Pinching involves getting rid of the tips and new leaves to keep a plant from getting too big. Thinning is another way to prune your plants. Thinning involves getting rid of particular stems to maintain a plant's size or shape. You may also need to disbud during the pruning process. This will help you to control the flower growth. You may want decide where you want the flowers to occur on a particular plant to enhance the look of your garden, and disbudding can help you to control this. Dead leafing is also an important form of pruning. Getting rid of old dry leaves can help to encourage new growth.
Besides pruning, there are several other ways to extend the life of your perennials. One way is by checking the soil pH on a regular basis. This procedure is typically done in the fall, and it will help to ensure that you have the right kind of soil to continue growing the kinds of plants you like. If you find that your soil pH is off a bit, you may want to add certain types of fertilizers to change the balance back to your favor. Consulting a local lawn and garden company may also be helpful in this particular matter.
Be sure, as you add new plants to your garden, to stagger the times they bloom. When perennials bloom, they take up extra energy from the soil. As a result, you can extent the life span of your perennials by making sure you don't have too many things blooming in your garden at any one given time.
One final step in keeping your perennials lifespan where it should be is insect control. Several kinds of rather nasty insects can prey on your garden, and ensuring that you have a good insect control method in place will help to extend the life of all of the plants in your garden.
Gardens can be a beautiful place for rest and relaxation if you aren't constantly adding new plants. Consider these methods, and the life of your plants will be greatly increased.
Your Guide to a Carnivorous Plant Terrarium
When one begins growing more and more carnivorous plants, there will eventually be a point at which you will want to grow plants that just aren't suitable to be grown outside or in your house due to special lighting, humidity, or temperature...
Gardening in Basic Black A Quickie Guide to Black Plants
Plants come in a variety of shapes, sizes and also colors. Gardeners have long since capitalized on this cornucopia of variations, and have succeeded in creating breath-taking displays that show off the plants and their surroundings in the most...
Make your Garden a Bug-Free Zone Plant Bird Friendly Plants
Over thousands of years, birds and plants have developed a mutually beneficial relationship. Birds help to pollinate plants, disperse their seeds, and eat the insects that can ravage them. To entice birds to do this work for them, plants have...
Oh Christmas Tree Ideas for Growing your Own
Growing your own Christmas tree takes a little time, but it translates to a greener, more fragrant, longer-lasting tree infused with the energy you put into its planting and care. With a little land and patience, it's not hard to do. While...
Simple Solutions to Starting your Seeds
Seeds contain the embryo of a plant, and under the right conditions, this seed can open up and allow a seedling to grow and another plant to see the light of day. While many plants can be bought from nurseries as seedlings or already growing...
|
|
|
|
|
