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| Photo Credit: Felder Rushing |
| This aster could be divided and shared with family, friends or neighbors. |
Your perennials have been selected and you’ve got them snug in the ground, ready to show off. Now you need to know how to properly care for them. Let the following suggestions be a guide:
Water your planted perennials regularly until they’re well-established. Encourage roots to grow deep in the soil by watering for longer periods at a time, fewer times per week. Mulch around the plants to conserve soil moisture, but don’t pile it up around the plant’s stems like a volcano. A donut of mulch around the plant – and about 2 inches deep throughout your beds – is best. Perennials won’t need frequent fertilization if they’re planted in a well-prepared bed with average or better soil. Fertilizing too much can lead to soft, leggy growth – and you don’t want to encourage lots of growth near the end of the season either. (The new shoots will get nipped in the crisp autumn air.) | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Grandiflora™ | | Even ‘Miss Manners’ obedient plant can be aggressive and need division. |
Your plants will let you know what they need. If your perennials appear stunted, exhibit chlorosis or show lack of vigor, then you need to fertilize. Heavy feeders like garden phlox or perennials that have been growing in a bed for many years will also need some fertilization. One method is to apply a topdressing of compost or a light application of an organic or chemical general-purpose fertilizer (10-10-10, 12-12-12 or 5-10-5) in spring. Follow directions on the label! Generally, you’ll sprinkle the fertilizer around the base of the plants and, if the soil is dry, water it in. If you think your perennials need a midseason boost, use a foliar feed with a water-soluble chemical or organic fertilizer.
Grooming and DividingIn fall, check out your perennials around the garden. If the foliage looks diseased or is unsightly, cut it off. Compost the leaves and stalks that look healthy, and try to remove diseased parts from your garden because they can harbor pests for next year. I like to leave the majority of my perennials through the winter, standing proud and tall and providing food or shelter for wildlife.
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