It is time for a mid-summer garden check-up

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

As summer has passed the midway point, perennial beds may be looking a little rundown and in need of a summer spruce up. With just a bit of time and effort you will have your gardens looking fresh once again.
Unfortunately the majority of perennial plants do not continuously flower throughout the growing season like annual plants do. The secret to a great perennial garden is to have varieties of plants with bloom times that follow each other that way you have plants blooming for most of the time in your garden. When choosing perennial plants check the tag for their scheduled bloom time as they may help you select other perennials and fill in voids in your garden. Once your plants are done blooming, it is always wise to trim back the flower stalks once the bloom has faded. The sooner you do this following flowering the better it is for your perennial plant. Because perennials grow back from year to year they need to produce energy and store it in their root system in order to overwinter and grow next spring. By cutting spent flower stalks off right away you will help the plant produce more energy for itself and the root system instead of developing seeds. Unless you want to have seeds for yourself or other gardeners from your plants, get in the habit of trimming off all the spent flowers. If you haven’t done this, this season yet, get out and do so, as this is the first step in your mid-summer spruce up.
If you want a certain perennial to mature or grow larger at a faster rate you can trim the flower stalks off as soon as you see them emerge from the plant redirecting the energy into the growth of the plant instead of the production of flowers and seeds. It is also okay to cut the flower stalks from plants you may have planted for the beauty of its foliage and not its flowers. I dislike the flowers on hostas, lamb’s ears, coral bells and some other shade loving leafy plants so you will always see them trimmed off in my gardens.
While trimming away any of the spent flowers make sure you also trim away dead leaves or any with disease, as well. But never cut down perennials with green leaves in midsummer. The green leaves are needed for the production of food and energy. You can trim back and reshape perennials, if needed, if their growth has gotten out of hand or they appear leggy. Just make sure you never trim back more than one third of the plant.
Trimming and weeding go hand in hand. Annual weeds are very easily removed by pulling them out. Catch annual weeds before they go to seed and you will be thankful later in the season. Perennial weeds just like your plants will put down deep roots and you may need assistance of a small trowel to successfully remove them and their root system. Persistence pays off with weeds. By continuously removing perennial weeds and their root system you will tax the root system and the perennial weed will die for good, this may take a few diggings but your persistence will be rewarded. Even quack grass will eventually succumb to your vigilance.
Now that the weeding and trimming are complete, stand back and admire the improvement to the visual appearance to your perennials. New plants have become the focal point at this stage and others look refreshed after trimming and now just show foliage.
Midsummer is a good time to check the foliage of your spring flowering bulbs. At this time remove any dead leaves but keep any that are still green or just starting to yellow and they are still sending energy back into the bulb for next year. Check them again in a few weeks.
Most gardeners make the mistake of not watering their gardens enough. They fail to realize that you may need to water even if we have had some rain or the weather hasn’t been that warm. I am often contacted because a gardener thinks they have a disease on their plants because they are showing signs of dying leaves when in reality they are suffering from drought. Remember that even if the surface of the soil may be moist after a rain that moisture is not where the roots of the plant can absorb it. Dig a small hole in your garden about a foot deep to really get a feel for the moisture of the garden. If the soil is moist and holds together slightly when squeezed in your hand the soil is moist enough, but if the soil does not hold together or is powdery, you need to water and water well. You need to do this often throughout the growing season to make sure your plants are getting enough water. Watering your perennials well is the most important thing you can do for them, plants under drought conditions will be stressed and making them more susceptible to insect and disease and even death from lack of water. Overwatering can also cause death and rot in plants so make sure to use the small hole technique to ensure proper watering levels.

Midsummer is a great time to add fertilizer to your perennial beds if you haven’t already done so. This will provide the plants with a boost of nutrients to help them store energy for winter and develop a good root system. You can apply a granular slow release fertilizer or a liquid fertilizer when you water. Whatever method you choose, use a fertilizer with a high middle number to encourage good root growth. If you cannot find a fertilizer with a higher middle number, use an all purpose with even numbers like 20/20/20. Make sure you do not use one with the first number being the highest otherwise you will just promote green leaf growth.

This is also a great time of year to plant more perennials in your garden. Many nurseries are clearing out their stock and have plants at reduced prices. When planting, do so early in the day or in the evening and not in the heat of the day so as to reduce planting shock. Water well the day you plant and make sure to continue to monitor the moisture for at least a month after planting. Newly planted plants require more water than those that are already established, so you may have to water your new plants even after a small rain. Make sure to fertilize following the instructions already mentioned. At this point in time you can divide perennials that have bloomed earlier in the season. Treat any new division like they are new plants as far care goes for the first month until they establish a new root system. Do not divide plants that are currently blooming or will bloom later in the season, at this time, leave them for division next spring or late fall. You can also dig up a perennial if you want to move it to a new location at this time. To prevent stress to the plant dig a large hole around the plant leaving the soil and roots intact and plant in its new location, again following the new plant care rules.
As you can see just a little mid-summer maintenance can spruce up your perennial garden and keep it looking great until the snow flies. Good housekeeping not only keeps disease and insect infestations to a minimum but it also keeps your garden looking great even when you do not have any flowers blooming.