8/23/2023 0 Comments Wild bleeding-heartIncorporate the fertilizer and lime, and rake the soil surface smooth. In the absence of a soil test, add a complete fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 at the rate of a 1½ pounds per 100 square feet. Most Georgia soils are acid and require the addition of lime to correct pH. A pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is optimal for most perennials. In some situations, it may be necessary to install underground drainage lines or construct raised beds. The next day, fill the hole again and see how long the water remains in the hole if it drains away in eight to 10 hours or less, drainage is satisfactory for most perennials. To test for drainage, dig a hole about 10 inches deep and fill with water. Good drainage is critical to the success of many perennials. Heavy clay soils should be amended with sand, perlite or coarse bark to improve drainage. Some perennials grow well in sandy soils, but most prefer soils higher in organic matter and with better water-holding capacity. Remember that you are making a long-term planting it is much easier and much less disruptive to improve the soil and correct drainage problems before planting.īeds should be deeply spaded, to a depth of at least 8 to 10 inches if possible. Good bed preparation is extremely important for perennials. Purchasing plants by botanical name and variety is a good idea because common names vary from region to region. Commercial catalogs are a good source of information on varieties. In most cases, a given species has many varieties available, which greatly extends the size and/or color range of the species. All these factors are important in selecting and using perennials correctly. Some perennials are tolerant of poor drainage, others totally intolerant. Height, spread, color, time and length of bloom, and plant habit should be given careful consideration. In addition to climatic adaptation, perennials should be selected based on their ability to perform well and contribute to specific landscape needs. The limiting factors in perennial adaptability in the Southeast are often heat tolerance and diseases that prevail in hot, humid climates. Most perennials are completely winter hardy, although there are a few so-called tender perennials that are sometimes injured by low temperatures. So exercise care in choosing plants well adapted for your particular area. Remember, much of the existing literature regarding perennials is based on conditions where cooler summer climates prevail. Not all perennials perform well here, but then not all perennials perform well in the Northeast or even in England. Many perennials perform exceedingly well in Georgia and the Southeast in general. Some sources have suggested that perennials are not well suited to the Southeast. Although many gardens and garden borders feature perennials exclusively-the classic English perennial border is legend-most often their best use comes in the skillful combination with other plants in the total landscape. They are virtually unequaled in providing year-round color and interest variations in colors, sizes, habits and time of bloom are almost endless. Home gardeners are becoming more aware of perennials and so are commercial landscapers.īecause perennials live from year to year, they offer a certain permanency to the landscape. There has been a resurgence of interest in perennials. For information on bulbous-type herbaceous perennials (daffodil, canna, dahlia, etc.), refer to Extension bulletin 918, Flowering Bulbs for Georgia Gardens. This publication is devoted specifically to herbaceous perennials (subsequently referred to simply as perennials), primarily to those that persist from crowns and/or fleshy roots. Further, those biennials and perennials that bloom the first year along with tender perennials (those actually killed by frost) are often treated as annuals in the landscape. The distinction between annuals and perennials, woody and herbaceous, is not always sharply defined because climate influences growth potential. Herbaceous perennials persist by means of various underground storage structures-bulbs, corms, tubers, tuberous stems, tuberous roots and crowns. Perennials are also classed as woody (trees and shrubs that produce woody above-ground stems and branches that live from year to year) or herbaceous (plants that produce comparatively soft tissues which often die back to ground level at the end of the growing season). Perennials live from year to year, with varying bloom times. Biennials normally do not bloom until the second season, form seeds and then die. Annuals are short-lived plants that complete their entire life cycle within one growing season. Plants are classed according to their growth cycle as annuals, biennials or perennials.
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