Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.
Spring is Here!
HOW SOON SHOULD I CLEAN UP MY FLOWERBEDS?
Usually everyone likes to get their flowerbeds cleaned up as soon as it starts to get nice out, but wait! Don't get too excited; wait until you know for sure that there will be no more frost. You don't want to uncover too soon; the frost can cause damage to the crowns of your plants if emerged out from the mulch. Just keep plants covered until you know for sure; one good way is to check out the buds on native plants if you see that they have swelled then time is here to uncover plants.
When you are about to remove the mulch from your flowerbeds just be careful to watch for any new buds emerging out from the ground you don't want to pull any roots out! Don't be discouraged if you don't see growth right away, usually wait until June before you start to dig up anything. Just clean any debris that is around the plants and wait for the new growth! It is so exciting to wait and see what will pop up this year!
DIVIDING YOUR PLANTS IN THE SPRING!
When is the best time to divide?
- Divide plants when the center is weak or has died
- If the plant appears to be too big or too crowded
- The plant produces fewer and smaller blooms
- If the plant doesn't grow as big as usual
- Before or after flowers have bloomed
PERENNIALS:
Make sure before you start dividing your perennials that you have a plan where to put you new plantings and to have the beds prepared!
When dividing your perennials dig out the plant carefully from the bed, with as much soil around the root a possible. Then very carefully, pending on the size of the clump, cut into two to three pieces. Make sure that each new clump of plant has about three to five shoots coming from the plant. When you go to select your new plants discard any of the plant that does not look healthy.
When you have divided your perennials, with the new planting place one plant back into the spot taken from and plant the others in the prepared beds. When put into the ground, move soil around the plant patting it firmly but also making a ring to trap and hold the water so it will evenly soak into the soil.
Some perennials should not be divided until the fall, such as:
August Dividing:
Bearded Iris
Oriental Poppy
Septembers Dividing:
Peony
Foxtail Lily
Lily
Early spring blooming alpine and rock plants- after blooms are spent!
BULBS:
The best time to divide bulbs is when they have had their bloom time, after blooming take a shovel and edge around the plant and slowly dig up in one full clump. Grab by the foliage and shake excess soil from bulbs. Discard any of the bulbs that might have been cut or broken up from the digging. Pick or pull the bulbs apart from the clump then plant them individually into areas of your flower bed where you would like to see more of that plant. Carefully put into the ground and bury them as deep as they were before, then piling the soil around the top of the bulbs having only the foliage coming above the ground. Water them in well!
Renee O'Brien
Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.
