How to Plant Perennials

Planting Perennials

Perennials are always a welcome addition to the garden. They are very easy to care for and will add color and pizazz to your yard or garden. Perennials are always a welcome addition when planted beside a pop up gazebo or canopy gazebo or a quaint garden bench. Perennials have the advantage of not having to be replaced yearly as with annuals, which only live through one season.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you are in the planting mood. Be sure to have the your garden tools on hand. Small to medium-sized plants are more easily planted using a trowel, while larger plants might require a spade. When digging your hole make sure that all the holes are large enough to allow for the roots to spread out and grow properly. Overcrowding your plants by planting them too close together is a common practice among novice gardeners. When planting, you should hold your plant so that the crown i.e.,the place where stems or leaves join the roots, is 1/2 to 1 inch below the soil surface. Be sure to pat down the soil firmly around the roots and water as needed. I usually add water to the hole before I put in the plant so that I know the roots will have the moisture it needs to get established.

Tall or faster-spreading herbaceous plants should be planted about 2 ft. apart. Plants of medium heights should be planted 15 to 18 inches apart, and small plants 9 to 12 inches apart. When planting in groups of one kind, plant them in irregular patterns or group odd numbers instead of even numbers. This will make them look more natural and more appealing. Leave less space between the plants than what is called for while giving more space between groupings. In this way, each group with grow together making one solid plant.

March and April are the best planting months, followed next by October for many varieties. Herbaceous plants grown in containers can be planted from these at almost any time, provided the soil conditions are favorable. Perennials can be purchased at any of your home and garden stores as well as some of the chain stores that have a garden center.