Garden Guru
By Kerry A. Mendez
Q: When is the best time to divide perennials?
A: Whenever I can fit it into my crazy schedule. I know that sounds a bit rash, but in reality most perennials are a lot tougher than we give them credit. The only ‘time out’ they get from my dividing spade and knife is when they’re in full bloom or about to flower. Other than that, they are fair game. As far as the BEST time to divide perennials, divide spring bloomers right after they bloom and summer and fall bloomers in the spring. You can attack as soon as there are three or four inches of foliage showing. Heck, for hostas you can move in when the pips (little stem tips) are just poking an inch through the ground. As you can see, spring is an incredibly busy time for plant divisions. Many garden books recommend dividing spring bloomers in the fall, but this can be risky in our colder climate. Recently divided plants are targets for winterkill if they haven’t recovered from transplant shock or rooted out well before freezing temperatures. Most perennials can be divided by slicing them in half with a spade or sharp knife. There are only a few that resent this treatment: oriental poppies, sea lavender, butterfly weed, baby’s breath, blue flax and balloon flower. These are typically propagated from seed or by cuttings. One other division exception: peonies and German bearded iris are best divided in late summer (August and September) instead of right after they bloom in spring. Remember, dividing perennials is good for every party involved – your plants, your gardens and your friends who may get some of the bounty.
Q: I am sick of hand edging my gardens. Is there an easier way to have nice looking edges without this backbreaking task?
A:YES! Welcome to the world of power tools. Nice edges on your gardens add crispness, definition and shout, “look at me!” I used to painstakingly edge all of my gardens by hand each spring until I discovered power edgers. And I am not talking about lightweight, sissy ones. Five years ago my husband and I bought an MTD Yard Master gas edger with a 3.75 HP engine. Bolens and Troy-Bilt also make similar edgers. This block-like machine on wheels has a strong, vertical steel blade that can be set at different heights for cutting edges. And it is easy enough for me to use, not just a “guy” tool. It was around $300 at that time, but now the prices have come down and you can get these time-savers in the neighborhood of $200 at stores like Lowes and Home Depot. Power on!
Q:I’ve heard that you can add crystals to potting soil so you don’t have to water containers as much. Can you tell me more about these timesavers?
A:Water retentive crystals can make your life a lot easier. They act like super sponges and slowly release water to thirsty roots. The little crystals swell and shrink as they absorb and release water. Initially they look like large salt crystals, but when you add water they resemble little jellyfish, swelling to more than 10 times their original size. To save money when assembling containers, buy crystals separately and mix them into your potting soil. But be careful to check if the potting medium already contains these micro-sponges – more is not better. I learned this the hard way. I once made the mistake of putting a generous scoop of crystals into my potting soil. I filled the container, artistically set colorful annuals in place and then watered in my masterpiece. To my horror, the whole thing started to slowly bubble up and over the container’s edge, oozing down the sides like some alien nightmare, as the crystals swelled to their full size. Ugly…and messy. From then on I always pre-moisten the crystals before adding them to the potting mix. You can also use these crystals in your gardens when planting new shrubs, young trees or more moisture-loving perennials. Just add some of these crystals to the planting hole before putting the plant in. These environmentally friendly, non-hazardous crystals are supposed to last at least five years in the soil. Popular water retentive products include Stock-sorb, Sta-Moist and Watersave. You can get these at many garden centers and big box stores.
Kerry Mendez is the owner of Perennially Yours, a local business that specializes in low-maintenance gardening classes, design and consulting services. To learn more about Perennially Yours please visit www.pyours.com .