Dig the hole larger and deeper than the root ball of the perennial, loosen the bottom of the hole with a trowel, then, after gently loosening the roots in the root ball, fill the soil in around the plant and gently firm.
If you do not have access to well rotted manure, then peat or bark will do the job nicely.
Fortunately, the vast majority of perennials that are more widely grown are very accommodating. They will thrive in most types of soil although characteristics such as, vigour and rate of growth will vary considerably from variety to variety, and also from different types of soil.
You must never coddle perennials plants, as they are on the whole very hardy and resent being grown soft.
The taller varieties of perennials will need staking and tying, if you want to get the best effect from them, also watch out for creeping weeds such as bindweed, which, if left unchecked will chock your perennials.
In the late autumn when the perennials have finished flowering, most will need to be cut down to ground level with the exception of as few varieties, e.g. Penstemons must not be cut down until they start to show new shoots in the spring, then you should cut them down to ground level to allow the new shoots to come up from the crown off the plant.
The best thing is to consult any good gardening book, and this should tell you the varieties to cut and those not to cut down.
You will need to watch out for Aphids, Caterpillars and the like during the summer months. |
