Last spring, a neighbor asked what I'd be planting this year. I replied that I was
rearranging the plants I'd used the previous year. If you have a cool, dry place
in which to store plant material, you, too, can save many of this season's favorites
for next year.
My garden is filled with annual plantings. Most of these have grown from seeds
sown directly into the soil. (Those requiring a longer growing season are started
indoors.) I save the unused seeds of the best varieties in their original packets.
Many vegetable seeds can be saved for several years. As my favorite flowers fade,
I harvest the seeds into envelopes or small paper bags. These are easy to label,
seal, and store. A word of caution: the resulting plants may not bear the same
color flowers as the parent because they have been pollinated in an uncontrolled
manner.
I really like dahlias, but the tender tubers from which they grow have variable
winter survival. When they've finished blooming, I dig them up, shake off the
loose soil, cut off the foliage and store them in paper bags containing a little
perlite or vermiculite to absorb moisture. Because I don't keep my glads sorted, I
store them in a shoebox after harvesting in the same way as the dahlias. Most
tender plants growing from corms or tubers can be saved the same way.
Autumn is a great time to divide spring-blooming perennials. The little plants
establish root systems and bloom on schedule next year. Plants such as iris and
Shasta daisies produce offspring around their "edges." After a few seasons,
overcrowding leads to decreased bloom, and the center of the plant may die. A once-gorgeous clump is now an eyesore. Take it from me, these plants need division
every three to five years.
A clump of Shastas awaiting The Knife.
The clump needs to be dug up with a spade or fork. The little Shasta shoots can
generally be separated by hand. Iris might require a sharp knife to cut apart the
rhizomes. A tough customer such as a daylily clump might need to be pried apart
with two digging forks intertwined back to back.
By saving seeds, digging tubers and corms and dividing perennials, I allow my
garden to provide plenty of material to expand, renew and share.
Native Californian Ann Bartlett never lets a lack of experience with a plant stop her from trying it in the ornamental beds around her home.
Comments