Planting Perennials Outdoors
Perennial planting is all about perparation of the planting bed, removing the weeds and adding enough organic matter to give good drainage that is so important to new perennial plants..
Planting Perennial gardens start with good bed preparation. Eliminating perennial weeds before turning the soil,making sure the soil will drain well yet have enough moisture to keep the plants healthy and growing.You should also be sure the is enough organic matter in the soil and adding fertilizer if needed.
Our first step to rid perennial weeds in our bedding area is to apply a non selective, systemic herbicide such as Glyphosate to the planting area. Apply this to actively growing weeds, when the temperatures stay above fifty degrees. Spring and fall are both good times to apply weed killer. It will take one to two weeks before you start to see the weeds turning brown, once they are dead you can till the bed.
After tilling the soil wait a weed or two to be sure no more weed are growing. If you don't want to use herbicides you can cover the bed with newspaper and mulch or black plastic to block the light, then wait it can take up to five months for the weeds to be destroyed.
Well draining soil is needed in order for planting perennials to grow and essential when overwintering perennials. More perennials die over winter due to wet soil, to avoid this don't plant in low lying areas,and add enough organic matter to the soil with a little sand and working it down twelve to fifteen inches in the soil.
If there is a problem with drainage it might be a good idea to use a raised bed style of garden, this can be done with landscape timbers,rocks, or bricks or many other materials. Drainage can be checked by digging a hole eight to twelve inches deep and filling with water, wait an hour if water is gone fill again to be sure of drainage.
Adding organic matter will improve your soil and there is no other soil preparation that can take its place. You can make your own organic matter easy and in a few short weeks, you will need to purchase a compost bin.
After planting perennial gardens it is a good idea to mulch the bed, for this you can use wood chips, evergreen needles, or dry grass clipping, this will help keep down weeds and keep the soil moist while moderating the soil temperature. New beds should be mulched right after planting, a good three to four inches of mulch is good.
Watering the new bed will help the plants become established, soak the plants after planting and then give them about one inch of water a week or as needed, check them regularly so not to let them dry out.
Perennial gardens need to be weeded as needed and if cared for and thinned out as needed will give you the color and beauty you want.
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