I really hope that all your gardens are in tip-top shape come late summer, but experience tells me that many of you are not.
In this article, you’ll find some ideas on how to add beauty to your garden and patio as you transition from summer to fall. The answers are based on questions I’ve received while working at a local garden center.
As you’ve probably noticed, most garden centers and nurseries offer many of their plants for sale to avoid having to overwinter them or to throw annuals into the compost pile where they can serve as organic fertilizer the following year.
Dear Doug – You must have read my mind! I’m always on the lookout for bargains and as you said, I see lots of special offers on annuals and perennials, shrubs and trees. I have a few spots in my garden that would be perfect for new trees and shrubs and with some garden centers offering up to 60% off, I can’t pass this up. I’m apprehensive about planting trees and shrubs in late summer since everything has been so dry lately. What’s your opinion? Signed, bargain hunter.
Dear bargain hunters – If you use the right planting techniques and water adequately, there is no reason to miss out on these late-season bargains!
Water your pot thoroughly the day before planting to make sure all the roots are adequately moistened. Prepare your planting hole by digging it at least twice the width of the root ball and no deeper than the depth of the pot. Since late-season trees and shrubs are likely to be root bound (also known as pot bound), you can either massage the roots to expose them or, if they are too tight for that, use a sharp knife to make several vertical cuts along the sides of the root ball and additionally cut an “X” in the bottom of the root ball to expose the roots. By doing this, you will not kill the plant! In fact, these cuts often encourage plants to grow more roots in the places you cut. Once your hole is prepared, use a spade to make vertical cuts in the sides of the hole and also in the bottom of the hole to make it easier for the roots to acclimate to your soil as they emerge from the root ball. Water the bottom of the hole thoroughly and place your root ball in the hole so that its top is about level with the soil surface. This is a crucial step as most planting failures are due to planting the root ball too deeply, which after a year or two will result in many roots rotting due to water pooling at the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole around the plant with a 50/50 mix of good soil and organic matter, to which a starter fertilizer may be mixed, and tamp it down firmly to force out some air. Make sure the top of the root ball is covered with a thin layer of soil; exposure to air can cause the root ball to dry out prematurely. Water thoroughly and then add more of your planting mix as the soil settles. Tamp it down firmly and then add a layer of mulch about three inches thick. Make sure that the mulch stays several centimeters away from the trunk or tree. Water thoroughly and your planting job is done!
The frequency of watering depends on weather conditions. Generally, supplemental watering is needed from the time you plant your tree or shrub until the ground freezes. Under normal conditions, a thorough watering (10-15 minutes) every three to four days is sufficient, but more frequent watering is necessary during droughts. A thorough watering is preferable to more frequent, shorter waterings because the roots of your newly planted tree or shrub will move closer to the surface in search of water. A thorough watering allows the roots to stay deeper, providing your new plant with a better foundation and better growing conditions.
Hey Doug – Although many of my plants still have flowers, some of them have wilted and I’m wondering what to do. I love pollinators and if leaving my wilted flowers on the stems helps the pollinators, I’m all for it. My wilted flowers include the Scarlet Monarda didyma, Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) and Phlox (Liatris spicata). In the past, I would have just cut them off. What’s the best way to help the pollinators? Signed, Pollinator Enthusiast.
Dear Pollinator Enthusiast – I happen to have all three of these plants in my garden and they are in the same condition as yours. I regularly have seed-loving birds, especially yellow finches, that feed on the dried seed heads. So I advise you and all pollinator lovers to leave the seed heads until spring. Your pollinators will thank you!
Dear Doug – I have an ugly, sunny hillside that is full of weeds and is an eyesore to both me and my neighbor. Although I don’t really care what my neighbor thinks, I would like to plant something that will take up the hillside and make it look decent, at least to me. I also want plants that require little maintenance from me but look good during the growing season. Do you have any suggestions that would work for me? Signed, Hillside Hanna.
Dear Hillside Hanna – I feel your pain. This is one of the most common requests I get at the garden center and yes, I do have some suggestions. As an added benefit, my suggestions will include spacing out plants that provide blooms throughout the growing season.
Two large, aggressively spreading plants are mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.), a mid-summer bloomer, and Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), a late-summer to fall bloomer. These two alone will quickly cover much of your slope and, once established, require virtually no maintenance. If you want a smaller plant that blooms in the spring and reblooms throughout much of the growing season, wild cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) is an excellent choice for planting near a slope. Other plants that spread but are not as aggressive as mint and goldenrod include spring-blooming lemon balm (Zizia aurea), a mid-summer bloomer, scarlet monarda didyma, a mid-summer bloomer, and New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), a late-summer to fall bloomer. Another benefit of the plants listed here is that most are native plants that provide food and shelter for pollinators in our area. Not only will you transform your hillside into a landscape you can be proud of with little effort, but you’ll also help native insects and birds that rely on native plants for survival (and I bet your neighbor will like it too!)
Hey Doug – I just love the bright colors of zinnias and coneflowers. My garden center has so many of these two flowers that I don’t know which to choose. Any suggestions? Signed, bright colors.
Dear Bright Colors – You are certainly right about the wide variety to choose from. Zinnias (Asteraceae spp.) are annuals that need to be replanted each season. My favorite are State Fair Zinnias, which grow 2 to 4 feet tall and produce a mix of colorful blooms in the 2 to 4 inch range. Once established, they are largely drought tolerant and make excellent cut flowers for your kitchen table. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are native perennials that come back every year. My favorite is Cheyenne Spirit (E. purpurea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’) which produces different colored blooms on the same plant and is loved by pollinators, from bees seeking its nectar to seed-loving birds that feed on the spent seed heads. Many of these coneflowers are on sale at many nurseries this time of year. Act fast before they are all gone!
So, friends, that’s it for this edition. If you have specific questions about plants, contact the Beaver County Master Gardener’s hotline ([email protected]) for science-based advice. Now head to your favorite garden center and snag some bargains before they disappear!
Doug Canan is a master gardener at Penn State in Beaver County.
