October is a great month to look over your property and determine which perennials are in need of dividing.
Splitting up perennials encourages growth in your current plants. Not only that, splitting also enables you to fill out your plot with plants that have already proven their worth in the garden.
During the fall season, focus on spring and summer blooming perennials that have gone dormant and whose roots have had plenty of time to get established. Fall bloomers, such as chrysanthemums and sedum, should wait until spring.
It’s time to divide when the current plants are overflowing their area or infringing your other plants. Here are five plants that will thank you if you split them up.
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Astilbes. These speedy growers are easy to separate after a deep watering. Use a sharp knife to pry through the root system. Astilbes should be kept in clumps, not as individuals. When re-planting, mix in a few inches of compost to dress the soil.
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5 Fall Plants to Plant Right Now
Now that the temperature has dropped, it’s the time to replace those fading summer blooms with plants that thrive in cooler weather. Kristin Schleiter, Director of Outdoor Gardens at the New York Botanical Garden shares her top five fall plants. Get them into your garden now!
Pansies / Southern Living
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3 Essential Fall Lawn Maintenance Tasks
As you start putting your lawn to bed, you must take care of three fall lawn maintenance tasks now to secure healthy grass growth next spring.
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1. Fertilize
This is the most important time of year to fertilize for cool-season grasses. This last application of slow-release organic fertilizer will provide the grass with the strength it needs to make it through winter. Lay down about 1-4 pounds per 1,000 square feet of grass that gets full sun (shaded areas of your lawn don’t need quite as much). Getting your soil tested first will help you determine any nutrient deficiencies you may then correct by adapting your dosage of fertilizer. (Warm-season grasses need fertilizer in the spring.)
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Photo: HydrangeasHydrangeas.com
The end of the summer is just days away but instead of celebrating the season, the last bright blooms are starting to look like a symbol of summer’s end. If dried now though, hydrangeas—one of summer’s most decadent ensigns—can decorate your home throughout winter. There are a few ways to do it, all simple.
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