Stop Powdery Mildew Naturally, with Milk" 10 Tips on Dividing Perennial Plants. Timing is important by Todd Meier When dividing perennials, timing and technique are important. And while many perennials can be divided in either early spring or early fall, some are very picky. The optimal time to divide specific perennials is denoted by (S) for spring and (F) for early fall. A single asterisk indicates that division should take place after the plant flowers. Two asterisks mean that protective gloves should be worn when dividing the plant, since its sap may irritate skin. Divide these plants by hand Blanket flowers (Gaillardia spp.)
Divide these plants with a spade or pitchfork African lilies (Agapanthus cvs.) Slice apart woody crowns with a handsaw Amsonias (Amsonia spp.) Cut up rhizomes and tubers with a knife Arum (Arum italicum) F Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) S/F Caladiums (Caladium spp.) These perennials are best not divided Alyssums (Alyssum spp.)
SULIS - Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: U of MN. Mulching is a long-time practice of gardeners to prevent loss of moisture and to control weeds. It is also increasing in favor as municipalities restrict the use of water for lawns and landscapes. Mulch is a layer of organic or inorganic material placed over the root zone of a plant to benefit the roots and the soil. Organic materials may include wood chips, bark, pine needles, straw, leaves, or grass clippings. These materials will eventually decompose, adding organic matter to the soil and need to be supplemented or replaced on a regular basis.
Why use mulch? Application of Mulch Summer mulch should be applied to soil in late May / early June after the soil has warmed. Mulches such as wood chips, straw, sawdust, and bark have high carbon-nitrogen ratios and thus additional nitrogen should be added to the soil prior to applying the mulch. Mulching for Weed Control Mulch is often used to control weeds. As a rule of thumb, water infrequently and give plants a deep, thorough soaking. Winter Burn. Winter burn injury is leaf damage that is caused by cold winds which dry out the leaves of evergreens. There are products available which can reduce this injury when used properly. They are in a group of chemicals known as anti-desiccants or anti-transpirants and sold under trade names such as Wilt-Pruf, Nu-Film, VaporGuard, and Stressguard.
The products create a barrier over the pores (stomates) in the leaves which allows the plant to breath but reduces water loss through transpiration (daily leaf sweating). Anti-desiccants can also be used when transplanting trees and shrubs and for prolonging the freshness of live foliage decorations like Christmas trees and wreathes. Winter burn injury can take place whenever the soil freezes and wintery winds blow drawing moisture from leaves. The location of plants in the landscape is an important consideration when deciding whether or not to apply an anti-desiccant. Here is a list of evergreen plant material that can be susceptible: A Rock Dust Primer. (click here for the Russian version) What type of rock dust is best? Feeding poor soil with mixed rock dust may be compared to feeding an ill person a varied diet of unrefined, natural food. If no one single food is a panacea, it might follow that no single rock type is "ideal.
" Indeed, the virtue of glacial gravel is said to lie in its broad spectrum of rock types. The late John Hamaker advocated the use of glacial gravel dust, ideally followed by river and seashore gravels and mixtures of single rock types. In the book The Survival of Civilization, John Hamaker suggests finely-ground glacial gravel because that is nature's way throughout millennia to create fertile soils. Much of value can also be gleaned from Europe and the research and experiences there where single rock types and combinations of single rock types such as basalt are used. Composting with rock dust Add 2-20 lb. of rock dust per cubic yard of compost, if one is doing pile or windrow composting.
Soil acidity How much to use. Rock Dust… DUH!! Eons ago the earth had a mantle of rock. Then the glaciers slowly and inexorably moved and ground the rocks into a thick layer we called dirt. The dirt supported plant life, which took in the minerals needed for growth, and gardens were born. Over thousands of years, essential micronutrients were continually taken up by plants, often to the point of exhaustion. We as gardeners attempt to add nutrients back to the soil by means of fertilizers, compost and/or other amendments that we purchase and apply in vast and expensive quantities. However, those materials rarely contain all the micronutrients eroded away or taken up by plants. What are Micronutirents? “Eight of the seventeen elements essential for plant growth are micronutrients.
There was an area of New Zealand where the sheep were dying for no obvious reasons – there was plenty of food. It has been suggested elsewhere that there are as many as 90 minerals needed by plants. One Solution There is one simple solution: rock dust. Ultimate Compost Tea Recipe For Boosting Plant Growth. Are you searching for that ideal compost tea recipe? Are you unsure which ingredients are used to feed which type of microbe? Whatever the case, you need not worry; once you're done reading the information on this page, you'll be able to cater your compost tea recipe to your individual plant's needs. Did you know that the different plants in your garden, may need different types of compost tea?
That's right, annual plants, such as vegetables, prefer a more bacterial-dominated soil, whereas, trees prefer a more fungal-dominated soil. Therefore, you would want to brew compost tea that is more bacterial-dominated for your vegetables, and tea that is more fungal-dominated for your trees. To complicate things a little further, the type of tea you make, may also depend on the type of soil in your garden; so you must consider two variables: plant type and soil type. There is one thing to always remember when working with any compost tea recipe: mother nature is very forgiving. Five Free e-booklets. Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Garden. A lady beetle (lady bug) looks for lunch on lemon balm. Are insects bugging the plants in your garden? If so, chances are your garden doesn’t have enough insects. Although, gardeners worry about the destruction these tiny foragers can do to plants, most of the insects you find in cultivated spaces are either helpful to the garden, or do no harm.
Beneficial insects can be a gardener’s best resource for protecting crops against destructive aphids, cabbage loopers and other minuscule pests. When you see crop damage from insects, it means your garden lacks enough “good” bugs to keep the destructive insects under control. Beneficial Insects Bees and other pollinators are vital to the garden Beneficial insects fall into three main categories.
Parasites, which live on or inside other organisms, provide another form of pest control. Keeping a Balance A braconid wasp parasitizes a moth caterpillar. Providing Habitat Hover flies (flower flies) are predators of aphids. Adult lacewing. Dill Anise hyssop. Attracting aphid predators. Aphids are right here at the top of the the list when it come to garden pests.
Not only are the damaging to plants but they also exude honeydew from their abdomens attracting hoards of ants and an unsightly black fungus known as sooty mould. Of course you could go out and spend your hard earned cash on indiscriminate or organic insecticides but wouldn't it be so much easier - and kinder to the environment - if you could get nature to do all of the hard work for you? Of course it is, but sometimes nature also needs a hand and while there are always a few aphid predators around there are generally not in large enough quantities or aphid infestation have become to great for their predators to make any serious impact. However there is an alternate way which works particularly well with aphid predator insects where only the larvae are the predators (lacewngs and hoverflies), and that is to provide plants that the adults are attracted to. Summer in the Perennial Garden. Summer News Article Dr.
Leonard Perry, Extension Professor, and Andrea Luchini, Graduate Assistant Most the time spent in the northern perennial garden during summer is with maintenance, visiting perennial nurseries, and planting new perennials. During dry periods, you may need to water flower beds. Weeding, dead-heading, and de-leafing are good tasks to do throughout the summer. Dead-heading-- removing spent flowers-- is important not only for aesthetic reasons, but also may extend bloom. De-leafing is done for aesthetic reasons, and to maintain a disease-free garden.
Some plants can be pruned in early summer to maintain them at a shorter height and so they don’t require staking. There are also some perennials that grow best when they are cut back after flowering. Throughout the summer, you should be checking at least weekly for insect pests in your garden. Return to Perry's Perennial Pages, Articles. Watering Your Perennials. Mulching basics. During the last decade or two, mulching around landscape plants has gained wide acceptance. While it's true that proper mulching can dramatically improve the health and vigor of landscape plants, it's just as true that improper mulching can stress and even kill plants. Let's look at the right, and wrong, ways to use mulch. Mulch materials There are two basic choices of mulch: inorganic and organic. Inorganic mulches such as lava rock, mineral rock and gravel, pulverized rubber, geotextile fabrics and so on do not readily decompose.
This makes them long-lived and, therefore, low-maintenance, which is why many contractors prefer them. Related Topics advertisement Organic mulches are usually derived from plants or plant parts and include materials such as cocoa hulls, conifer needles, leaves, grass, newspaper, straw, hardwood and softwood (conifer) bark, wood chips and other wood products. Wood content (cellulose, for practical purposes) is important in determining longevity. . * Low oxygen.