Hello Guys I hope you had a nice week ! Garden tasks for september: Plant now Plant perennials now If you plant perennials now (pot-grown perennials can be planted all year round) you need to know how they are going to develop in order to plant them the right distance apart. Soil, position, moisture and sun all have a big impact. A rule of thumb: Plant low perennials approx 20 to 25 centimetres apart. (Approx 11 plants per square metre is often used for that group). Plant medium-sized plants approx 35 to 40 cm apart For tall varieties it mainly depends on the habit. If they extend widely or produce a lot of overhanging foliage, then its best to give them at least a square metre each. Divide perennials After around three to four years perennials need to be dug up and divided in order to remain youthful and continue to flower profusely. With varieties which flower very early in the year and are starting to show signs of ageing, this is a good month to do this. Then they will have plenty of time to recover before the flowering period. (Re)plant conifers September is an excellent month for planting conifers. They can then establish good roots before winter and will not suffer any problems with their ‘breathing’ and water supply. The same applies to other evergreen varieties which are supplied with a rootball. Scale leaf conifers like Thuja, Chamaecyparis, × Cupressocyparis leylandii generally give fewer problems than needle conifers (Picea, Pinus, Abies), which sometimes have an anchored tap root which makes them harder to replant. (You don’t need to worry about this if you are buying new plants from a nursery as the grower will ensure a compact rootball). The rootball If you want to replant a tree, a good rule of thumb is that the diameter of the rootball must be ten times the diameter of the trunk. Replant peonies Peonies only start to flower profusely when they have spent three to four years in the same spot. If they have access to sufficient nutrition, they will then flower lavishly there for many years, but there will come a time when the flowering diminishes. The plants should then be dug up in September. Divide the roots and use only the outside parts with multiple buds (shoots) for replanting. Plant in nutrient-rich, slightly moist soil and in a sunny spot. Plant the parts so that they are just a few centimetres below the surface of the soil.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:52:35 +0000