Perennial Garden Maintenance

When you understand the reasons behind basic maintenance of perennials, the chores change from “maintenance” to gardening.  These are the basic practices that will help you to have the most beautiful garden with the longest life and the least problems.

1. Proper Tools
2. Pruning shears - by-pass cutters
3. Spade with a sharp squared blade
4. Metal-tine leaf rake
5. Short handled weeder
6. Trowel
7. Sturdy knife
8. Five-gallon bucket

1. Edging
2. Trench
3. Commercial edging

III. Weeding

1. Categorizing weeds - annual, perennial, broad-leaf, grassy
2. How to weed - loosen soil, grab weed, then extract roots and all
3. Pre-emergent
4. Post-emergent

1. Mulching
2. Weed prevention
3. Temperature and moisture regulation
4. Soil renewal

1. Watering
2. Established vs. newly planted
3. Weather patterns
4. Spot watering and tricks to pamper individual plants
5. Annuals and lawns vs. perennials

1. Fertilizing
2. Based on soil test
3. Organic vs. slow-release granular

VII. Staking

1. Stakes-and-string
2. Staking kit
3. Twig or pea staking
4. Hoops

VIII. Pruning

1. Deadheading
2. Haircutting
3. Cutting back
4. Pinching and dis-budding
5. Thinning
6. Dead-leafing

1. Pests and Diseases
2. Slugs
3. Insects
4. Rodents
5. Deer
6. Diseases

1. Excellent References

            Caring for Perennials, Janet Macunovich, Storey Publishing, 1996

            The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Timber Press,                                                                                                  expanded edition 2006

            Roy Diblik’s Small Perennial Gardens, The Know Maintenance™ Approach,

                                    Roy Diblik, American Nursery Publishing, 2008

            Month-By-Month Gardening in Illinois, James Fizzell, Cool Springs Press, 1999

            The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer, Stephanie Cohen & Nancy Ondra,                                                                                Storey Publishing, 2005

            Continuous Bloom, Pam Duthie, Ball Publishing, 2000