How to divide and replant perennials
SPRING IS IN FULL FORCE! Just ask Master Gardener Carrie Petty:
Oh April, I cannot tell you how happy we are to see you! Late March snowfall has stunted our blooming trees a bit, so we are having a bit of a late bloom…but have no fear…flowers are near! This is the time of year when you want to be outdoors as much as possible. Make sure you get the outdoor chores completed before the weather really breaks and you want to be playing, not working!
Gardening in the month of April is in full swing. Indiana sits in Zone 5, which tells us when our last frost date will be. For us, May 15, 2017 is ‘go time.’ That is the date when you can safely plant your annuals in the ground or sow seeds directly into the soil without the fear of a hard frost. So think of it this way, April is for prepping and May is for planting. But if you recall, I am a bit of a rebel, and I start much earlier, and if a threat presents itself , I just cover up what I have put down
But, most importantly…this is the time to dig out your perennials and make more plants by dividing:
Flowers bring extra beauty and happiness into our world, and the best kind of flowering plant is the kind that keeps coming back year after year. The Perennial!
Growing Perennials are one of the easiest ways to garden.
I have over 40 varieties of perennials in my yard, I just love them because they give me a great ‘cutting’ selection all growing season long in which to make beautiful floral arrangements. Because for me, in the summer months, entertaining and gardening life go hand in hand.
DIVIDING PERENNIALS IS SIMPLE, REALLY:
Take your garden spade and dig around the plant and push the spade down under the root ball, then lift up. Keep repeating until you can lift the entire plant out of the ground. Then, take a dividing tool, or two garden pitch forks and work your way through the center of the plant, making new little plant starts. Keep greens and root connected in large chucks of divisions and you will have great success. Now, plant. Just like any new nursery purchase. Dig your hole and plant your new division, be sure to keep the top of the root ball flush with the top of your newly dug hole. Press soil in around the new plant and water in well. You are good to go!!!
It is all part of helping you, “Grow a Beautiful Life!”
April Garden Chores!
• Go for a walk in the woods to view the spring flowers blooming.
• Fill your containers with Pansy’s before annuals arrive in May.
• Give your home a deep clean.
• Fill your water features after a good cleaning.
• Weed, edge, mulch…repeat.
• Get hoses out of storage and turn on outside spigots.
• Make new plants from dividing big clumps of perennials.
• Feed lawns, weed application, and mow.
• Continue sowing seeds indoors.
• Divide early blooming bulbs and replant.
• Feed roses.
• Be prepared for hard freezes and frost with extra bed sheets for coverage.
• Enjoy the month and begin entertaining outdoors!
Biography: Carrie Petty is a fourth-generation Hoosier! She is a lecturer, Master Gardener, as well as a top Garden and Lifestyle Blogger. After a long career in the Corporate & Political world she’s finally doing what she loves! Playing in the dirt. An amateur naturalist, painter & photographer, Petty loves teaching families how to, “Grow a Beautiful Life.”
NEWS: Now booking spring 2017 lectures, contact Carriepetty@comcast.net
Through her gardening & lifestyle blog: http://www.CarriePetty.com she can also be found on Twitter @CarriePetty
To learn more, visit www.CarriePetty.com.