Photo by Jackie Bantle.
Use a sharp knife to vertically slice through the root bound tree or shrub around the circumference of the root ball. Slicing the roots will ensure that roots start to grow out from the plant instead of continuing in the circular pattern.
Jackie Bantle
Saskatchewan Perennial Society
Last week’s column focused mainly on vegetable harvest and getting lawns, shrubs and trees ready for winter. This week’s column is about fall planting, pruning and perennial relocation tips.
Early fall can be an excellent time to plant shrubs, trees and perennials in the garden. The cooler days and nights provide much better conditions for root and plant establishment as compared to the hot, dry days of summer. At this time of the year, although the selection of plant availability might be limited, many nurseries and greenhouses have reduced their prices to get rid of stock before winter. There are a few major steps to take to ensure the best chance of survival for these late season plantings. First, always dig a hole that is at least 1.5 times larger than the plant root ball that you are burying. Once the hole is dug, water the hole well, ensuring that the there is some standing water in the bottom of the hole and that the soil surrounding the hole is moist. The depth of the hole should not be much deeper than the actual root ball that you are planting: keep the soil level at the same level on the stem/trunk as what was in the pot.
At this time of the year, many of the plants that you purchase could be dry and root bound in their pots. If lightly massaging the roots doesn’t break up the tight ball, use a sharp knife to make vertical slices through the root ball (ie. from top to bottom) at 6 equally spaced locations around the perimeter of the root ball. These slices should be 2-5cm deep, depending on the size of the root ball. Thoroughly moisten the root ball with water prior to planting. Whenever I plant new trees, shrubs or perennials, I add a product containing mycorrhizae to the hole prior to placing my plant in the hole. Mycorrhizae is a naturally occurring fungus that will colonize plant roots and helps roots to uptake nutrients. Watering in with a 10-52-10 fertilizer will also help get roots established however avoid any other fertilizers in fall since you want the roots to establish but you also want the top growth of the plant to be shutting down in preparation for winter.
If you have been planning to move some of your perennials or divide your perennials, early fall is a good time to do this job. Perennials that have been in the garden for a long time and that don’t have any obvious insect or disease issues but seem to be losing vigor are often in need of division. For most perennials, simply take a sharp spade and slice the perennial right down the center of the plant. Ensure to take a good chunk of soil with the new perennial piece. Some perennials that are really overgrown can be divided into 3 or more pieces. Last year, a friend decided that she needed to thin out her irises in fall. She ended up giving away pails of iris bulbs to many of her friends.
Speaking of bulbs, if you want to enjoy some tulips or crocuses in your garden next spring, fall is the time to get those bulbs in the ground. Plant spring blooming bulbs about 2-3x the depth of the bulb. If you’re not sure of the hardiness of the bulbs, you may want to put a light cover of leaves or grass clippings over the new bulbs. Do not water in the bulbs, there will be enough moisture in spring for the bulbs to grow.
If you had some spectacular calla or canna lilies, dahlias, gladiolas or begonias that you want to try to grow in next year’s garden, fall is the time to dig up those bulbs. These bulbs can be left in the ground during a light frost to kill top growth however, the bulbs should be removed from the soil and brought indoors before the soil freezes. These ‘summer’ bulbs should be stored in moist peat moss in paper bags in a dark, cool location. The peat moss should remain slightly moist throughout the winter but not wet.
Special geraniums that you want to save should be brought indoors prior to a killing frost. Quarantine any outdoor plants that you are bringing indoors for several days to monitor for insects. If you see critters crawling around, consider treating your plants with insecticidal soap or a strong blast of water in the bath tub for several weeks prior to letting them out of quarantine. Herbs, succulents and any tropical plants can be brought indoors for winter. Due to the lack of light, don’t expect those indoor plants to look as healthy as they did outdoors during the summer.
After the leaves have fallen off the trees and bushes in late fall, it is a good time to do some pruning. The exception to this suggestion is to avoid pruning trees and shrubs that bloom in early spring (ex. lilacs, flowering plum, cherry, forsythia, Saskatoon berry, early blooming spirea, haskap berry, mock orange, viburnum species and Russian almond). These shrubs produce flowers on last year’s growth and should be pruned immediately after flowering in spring. Intense pruning of birch and maple trees should also be avoided in fall and early spring until after the sap has stopped flowing. Of course, fall is a good time to prune your elm trees. Do not store any of the pruned elm wood – it should be immediately burned or buried to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.
Have no fear gardeners, the season isn’t over. There are still many chores to do in our gardens. Good luck and have a wonderful fall.
Jackie Bantle is a horticulturist living near Saskatoon.
This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society
(SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.
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