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Fall Perennial Planting
===================
The cooler days of fall are ideal for planting and
transplanting many
perennials, and the slower pace of fall gardening can be very enjoyable.
Without the stress of summer heat, the plants have a longer period to settle in
and expand their roots systems. As long as the soil remains above 40 degrees,
root growth can continue.
Perennials such as achillea, coreopsis, daylilies, hardy geraniums, iris,
scabiosa, sedums, and shasta daisies can be planted now. Peonies actually prefer
fall planting. Fall is also a good time for dividing overgrown perennials.
Although the temperatures are cooler, and the soil will stay moist longer, keep
a close eye on your plants and soil so you can provide water when it's needed.
Here are guidelines for some specific plants:
* Peonies should be planted into well-drained soil amended with compost.
Loosen the soil in a large planting hole and amend it with compost. Set the eyes
or buds only two inches below the soil surface (they won't bloom if planted too
deeply) and water the plant well.
If your peony bush isn't flowering well and has been in the ground a number of
years, it may be time to divide it. Wait until the foliage dies down, then dig
up the whole bush and divide the main clump into sections containing 3 to 5 eyes
or buds. Reset the main clump in the original hole, amending the soil with
compost. Plant the divisions in a full-sun location with well drained soil. Keep
the original plant and your new divisions well watered this fall.
* Iris normally should be divided every four to five
years. After they've
finished blooming, dig up the entire iris clump and discard any rhizomes (roots)
that are soft or have many holes in them. The remaining rhizomes can be cut with
a sharp knife into sections, each including a fan of leaves. The leaves should
be cut back to six inches tall. Replant these divisions in soil amended with
compost, so that one-third of the rhizome is above ground.
* Daylilies become overcrowded and may need to be divided about every
three years. Cut back the foliage to 6 inches tall. Dig up the daylily clump
with a garden fork and split the clump apart, dividing out single crowns or
leaving two or three crowns together in a clump. Select a well drained, sunny
site, amend the soil with compost, and replant. Keep the plants well watered.
Planting Garlic
============
You may think of fall as just bulb planting time, so this year why not
also plant certain culinary bulbs to expand the sensory experience! I'm
talking about garlic, of course. It's an easy crop to grow if you just tend
to its few requirements. Here are some tips to guide you:
* In most areas, garlic is planted four to six weeks before the ground
freezes to allow the roots to get established. In the Midwest and the
North, this typically means October. In the South and where winters are mild,
garlic is planted in November and December.
* Prepare a site in full sun with well drained soil and incorporate organic
matter, such as decomposed manure or compost. Raised beds are a good solution if
your soil is heavy or drains poorly.
* There are two basic kinds of garlic, hardneck and softneck. Hardnecks
offer a wide variety of flavors, and they are generally easy to peel. They
produce a central stalk that you should remove soon after it appears so that the
heads reach full size.
Softnecks are generally hotter, have a narrower range of flavor, and
usually produce larger heads that last longer in storage. Figure on roughly 7
1/2 pounds of hardneck garlic per 100 feet of row, and five pounds of softneck.
* Choose the cleanest, firmest, largest heads, and break them into
individual cloves. Discard all broken, discolored, and small cloves (use
the best of these in the kitchen). Plant the individual cloves six inches
apart in rows one foot apart. Push each clove, root end downward, about 2 inches
into the soil (or about twice its longest dimension). Water well.
* Mulch the beds just as the ground starts to freeze with a 4- to
6-inch-deep layer of chopped leaves, hay, or straw, and cover the mulch with a
floating row cover to prevent it from blowing away. Avoid using grass clippings
or whole leaves since they mat and collect water, which can cause the bulbs
underneath to rot.
* Water regularly this fall if rain is scarce, and water over the winter in
mild climates. Next spring and summer continue watering until about
one-third of the foliage has turned brown. Stopping at this point will help
prolong the storage life of the bulbs.
* Dig the bulbs in early- to mid-summer when most of the crop has brown leaves.
Rub all loose soil off the outside of each head, taking care not to remove so
much skin that the cloves show through. Clip off the all-brown foliage, leaving
8 to 14 inches of stalk. Tie three to five stalks into a cluster and hang them
in a cool, dry, dark location that has good air circulation. Cure the garlic for
two to three weeks. The heads will be at their flavor peak for 2 to 3 months
after curing, although they are still usable for up to ten months, depending on
the variety.
Also see PLANTING
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