Gardening With Herbaceous Plants

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Gardening With Herbaceous Plants

• My thanks to Jim Harbage at South Dakota State
  for his presentation-January 2001

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Herbaceous Gardens

• Steps in developing a garden
• Site analysis and modification
• Site plan
• Establishment
• Maintenance
• Overwintering

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Site analysis
• Light
• Hours of full sunlight
• Soil
• Texture
• pH
• Fertility
• Moisture
• Natural or applied
• Temperature
• Heat reflection or exposure

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Light
• More than six hours of full sun Full sun
• Three to six hours of full sun Partial shade
• Zero to three hours of full sun Shade

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Soil
• Texture - drainage
• pH - acid or alkaline
• Fertility - organic material

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Moisture
• Natural precipitation
• Irrigation
• Drainage
• Note
• Many perennials planted in heavy wet soil (clay)
  will fail to survive.

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Site modification
• Soil amendments
• Addition of pathways, walls, ponds, etc.
• Changing slope or grade

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Site Plan
• Design
• Choose materials

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Design
• Proportion
• Balance
• Pattern
• Focus
• Flow

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Selecting plants-Plant names
• Common names
• Descriptive (sometimes)
• Confusing (usually)
• Latin/Scientific names
• Specific
• Descriptive
• Oh no! Not the dreaded latin name.

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Choose materials for
• Match to site conditions and hardiness
• Flower - size, shape, color
• Bloom period - duration and time
• Plant size - height and spread
• Foliage - texture and color
• Ease of maintenance
• Cost

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• This bed is designed to provide continuous bloom
  through the growing season.

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The Garden Plan

• A. Buddleia-Butterfly bush (2)
• B. Coreopsis (12)
• C. Scabiosa (1010)
• D. Verbena (3)
• E. Lantana (2 in each pot)

• F. Columbine (55)
• G. Daylily (88)
• H. Hardy Hibiscus (3)
• I. Liatris (8)
• J. Lobelia (9)
• K. Honeysuckle (2)
• L. Perennial Salvia (33)

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Once you have a site plan you are ready to go get
  your plants and start planting

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Obtaining plants
• Propagate your own
• Trade with friends
• Mail order
• Bare root versus greenhouse grown
• Local garden center

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Planting/Transplanting
• In the Spring - most plants
• Plant actively growing plants after the last
  frost
• Plant dormant plants - 3 to 4 weeks earlier
• In the Fall - Iris, Peony, Poppy
• Plant at least six weeks before ground freezes
• Iris and poppy - transplant late July early August

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Planting
• Group plants
• Plant at same depth as container
• Plant crown just below soil line
• Peony - rhizomes not more than two inches below
  surface
• Water in
• Fertilize easy does it! (balanced fertilizer or
  5-10-5 five pounds per 100 square feet)

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Care and Maintenance
• Watering
• Pest control
• Weed control
• Pinching and deadheading

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Watering
• In general - 1 inch to 1.5 inches per week (more
  when flowering or in sandy soil)
• Water deeply and infrequently
• Apply in the morning
• Avoid wetting the foliage
• Small newly planted materials need frequent
  watering since roots are near the surface

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Pest control
• Prevention - healthy, stress free plants are more
  resistant
• Good drainage
• Space plants for air flow
• Rarely use chemicals
• May need to remove some plants
• Wash off many insects with water

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Weed Control
• Start before planting - Fall is best
• Non-specific, systemic herbicide (e.g. Roundup)
• Can use after planting with care
• Early Spring before desired plants break dormancy
  (emerge from the soil)
• Cultivation after planting
• After plants can be seen
• Shallow to avoid root damage
• Mulching

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Pinching and Deadheading
• Maintain bushy plants
• Avoid reseeding
• Increase flowers
• Increase bloom season

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Preparation for Winter
• Leave dead stems/foliage
• Mulch - two weeks after first frost
• Pine straw
• Other materials
• Remove before active growth in the Spring

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• Winter Hardiness
• Consider hardiness zone ratings
• Stress reduces hardiness
• Too much/too little water
• Too little light
• Competition
• Low fertility
• Late nitrogen application (a real no-no)

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Gardening with Herbaceous Plants

• In Summary
• Select good plants
• Plant correctly
• Dont over fertilize
• Dont over water
• Good pest control