Need advice about fall planting and such

[ewizabeth]

Hi All,

Tomorrow I'm renting a sod cutter and DH and I are going to widen my garden patches around the house and yard.

I have some plants that need to be moved to sunnier areas. Would I do best to leave them until next spring or do it now?

Also, if I plant perennials, will they survive with a fall planting? Does that give them enough time to develop a good root system where they sit? Would they do this best if I cut off any flowers? Or can they root and flower at the same time?

The plants that need moving are a lilac bush, daylillies and some other perennials.

Also, I want to air root my serviceberry tree so I can plant a new one in the back yard. Does that work? And if so, does it take a long time? Would that do better in the spring?

I'm so excited about all this, I've wanted to do this for over ten years! :Excited:

Oh, we're also removing a ten foot strip of sod so that I can plant a row of asparagus in the early spring! :D DH will dig the trench next March, but at least we'll have the sod taken out! :)

[Girlie Girl]

Good luck to you! Sounds exciting. I will be waiting to see the responses because I also have some plants to move but don't know if I should wait. Have fun...but don't overdo yourself!

[Av8rgirl]

Hi All,

Tomorrow I'm renting a sod cutter and DH and I are going to widen my garden patches around the house and yard.

I have some plants that need to be moved to sunnier areas. Would I do best to leave them until next spring or do it now?

Transplanting now is a good idea. Plants will have the winter to recover. Add some fertilizer/root stimulator and be sure to cut them back. Also make sure they have plenty of water.

Also, if I plant perennials, will they survive with a fall planting? Does that give them enough time to develop a good root system where they sit? Would they do this best if I cut off any flowers? Or can they root and flower at the same time?

The plants that need moving are a lilac bush, daylillies and some other perennials. Yes, I am still planting this time of year. It's cool and plants do quite well this time of year. Water them in well, and add some fertilizer/root stimulator.

Also, I want to air root my serviceberry tree so I can plant a new one in the back yard. Does that work? And if so, does it take a long time? Would that do better in the spring? Air rooting/layering is a relatively easy process but doesn't always work. Serviceberry's transplant quite well. I would cut it back and transplant it. Is it a big "tree" or the small serviceberry shrub? There are many varieties of serviceberrys. Here's a link to explain how to air layer.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/ornamentals/airlayer/airlayer.html

I'm so excited about all this, I've wanted to do this for over ten years! :Excited:

Oh, we're also removing a ten foot strip of sod so that I can plant a row of asparagus in the early spring! :D DH will dig the trench next March, but at least we'll have the sod taken out! :) Make sure you get good clean sand for the asparagus.

Have fun! Sounds like you've got quite a weekend project ahead of you! Can't wait for the pictures! :D

[ewizabeth]

Hi GG and Cheryl, :Wave-Hello:

Thanks for the advice Cheryl. :) My biggest goal for this weekend is to get the sod removed, and lay down mulch in its place. The rest can wait a day, or a week. :) DH thinks it will take several hours for the sod, but I think with the sod cutter it will go fast.

My serviceberry shrub/tree is huge. I keep trimming it back but it's easily over ten feet high when I go at it.

DH would love it if I would just transplant it. He doesn't like having it in the front yard. I personally, love it, but it might be happier in the back and I know the birds would still enjoy it back there.

My goal is to have a couple of sun gardens and shade gardens as well as some mixed. It will be next spring until I really start to coordinate and fill things in, but at least this weekend will be a start! :)

[Av8rgirl]

How's your project coming, Wiz???

[ewizabeth]

Hi Cheryl,

Well, it has been in the upper 80's and lower 90's this weekend, but we got a LOT of work done. :)

DH removed approximately 1,000 -1,200 square feet of sod with the sod cutter. It took about six hours though, because he'd cut, and then stop to roll it up. It was too heavy for me to roll. Since it was a holiday weekend, I didn't have the heart to ask anybody to help since I knew it would be an all day job.

As soon as we started to set it out front, a neighbor asked if he could have it. :yahoo:I was worried that we'd have to get rid of it somehow. DH has a small SUV, so it's hard for us to haul too much.

I did the trim spots at the back of the rows with a pointed shovel (most of them anyway). Then I picked up all the pieces and put them with the sod. Our neighbor wanted it all! :)

Finally we had it all removed, so yesterday DH went to get loads of cypress mulch. He got 2 cubic foot bags, total of 57. I wanted a thick layer to cover the dirt. We got about 8-10 bags of top soil too, for some low spots next to the house.

I had to raise up a few hostas in those spots. I moved some hydrangeas and daylillies too. And laid all the mulch. I tried to work in the shade as the sun would move. The first day I had to keep coming in to rest and cool off, but yesterday, I worked straight through with only one break.

I have 12 more bags of mulch to spread, and then I might go look at perennials if I have time later. I won't need too much though, because I have a lot of stuff that I can divide in the spring and relocate.

I might get some bulbs from Breck's though. After laying the last of the mulch I'll take some pics to post.

It isn't going to look fancy, but it will give me lots of room to garden. :)

For the asparagus spot, I spread a layer of peat moss and mushroom compost and covered it with mulch. In March I'll rake off the mulch so DH can dig the trench and we'll mix in some clean sand as you suggested.

[SandyC]

Hey Wiz, your project sounds great! I am going to the store this week to buy plastic twist ties for my garden. I will put a different color on each size so that when I re-arrange it I will know the larger from the smaller plants. I have a few large plants taking over the smaller ones and I know by fall I will have forgot which is which. lol Wish you were near because I have hostas and bleeding hearts that are so big! I bet I'll be able to divide them into 5 or more. lol

[weegot5kiz]

Sandy how did your new bushes take? well I hope

Ok everyone curious about hummingbirds, we planted a bush this spring it didn't take too well, and I cant recall what it was, might of been that scarlet plant I think something like what you got Sandy, it looked like it... but am curious about planting a yellow toonie and a butterfly bush, Fin had good luck with her butterfly, and it would cover a nice area of the pond and any other suggestions on what type of plant to plant for hummingbirds would be nice

[ewizabeth]

Hi Sandy and Frank,

Sandy, if you can take a pic of your hostas, I'd know if I could use them. I look for certain types that do better in my yard. I'd come there and get some if you want to get rid of them! I could give you some asters, or purple coneflower in the spring, I have lots to spare! I could give you maybe 3-4 quart size plants each. Also, I have a huge fuchsia colored peony that divides pretty well. I could give you a big chunk of that in the spring if you'd like. Also, a cutting of Annabelle hydrangea that does great with morning sun and acid soil. BTW, bleeding hearts are for shade, right? Do they bloom a long time, and have nice foliage that lasts?

Frank,

I've had good luck with tall or short maroon and pink snapdragons (annuals), and also fuchsia, a hanging basket type of plant for the shade. I used to get hummingbirds with those.

[SandyC]

See? You know all the names and I feel dumb. lol The bleeding hearts are in the shade and the hostas are too. I have peonies as well as geraniums I believe? My entire garden is in the shade and the foliage is great. So far I have something blooming each season, except winter of course. lol Let me know when you'd like to come by and look at what I have. I plan to start re-arranging this fall so anytime before I start that would be good. If there is something you'd like that needs to wait for spring I could do that too. I don't really need any plants at this time since I am being over taken by my one garden but you are more than welcome to come by and take what you want.

We have a guy down the street who raves how well my garden looks but I am not a green thumb at all. If I like the way it looks and is shade friendly, I buy it. And for some reason they grow and grow well. lol

Frank, they are doing really good. The Rose Of Sharon looks a little yellow but I think I watered it too much since I planted grass around it.

[ewizabeth]

That sounds good Sandy! I think most of my plants are for shade anyway, except for the hydrangea. It gets big snowball blooms, that go from green to white, and then turn pinkish in the fall before drying nicely to overwinter.

I looked up bleeding hearts and they sound great! I could use them as fillers for the back of my shade garden. Planted among hostas is supposed to be a good way to use them.

BTW, don't feel bad about not knowing the names. I took some horticulture classes about 12 years ago so I learned a lot from that. Before that, I didn't know much at all, and I used to mistakenly plant the wrong things in the wrong places, lol. I did that a lot. :o And my garden didn't look all that great, so if yours looks good, you're batting a thousand I say! :)

[ewizabeth]

Well, I finished with my yard work tonight. I just typed a long reply and lost it with a CTRL-V. :(

I planted a new dogwood, cornus 'Kousa', also a Rose of Sharon in lavender. My serviceberry tree is history (long story). But the yard looks nice. I'll try to take pics if it isn't pouring rain tomorrow.

[SandyC]

Next time that happens Wiz, try CTRL Z to get it back.

I bet your yard looks great!

[ewizabeth]

I'll be going out to take some pics before the rain starts today. :) BTW, in my above post where I said most of my plants are shade, I meant most of my plants are sun plants. I tried to edit but it was too late last night when I tried.

[ewizabeth]

Ok, I took pics, and added an album to my profile. It shows the spots where we did the most work.

DocJohn is awesome for providing this ability to us here! :)

[weegot5kiz]

nice Wiz you have been busy,

was looking at the cat too, talk about a slacker lol

[ewizabeth]

Thanks Frank,

That's the baby. :rolleyes: He's also smart, he pulls out the drain plugs and stuffs things down there. Also, he likes to chew electric wires (um, maybe not so smart?) :) He'll be 2 on 9/12.

I went shopping at Menards today also. I got a hydrangea tree (awesome!) for the front garden, and some groundcover plants for the back; bugleweed, and euonymus (sp?) Now I hope all this stuff survives the extra cold and snowy winter we're supposed to have? :eek: That's according to my hairdresser who quoted the Old Farmer's Almanac.

[SandyC]

Wiz, you guys did a lot of work! Wow, it looks great!

[Av8rgirl]

Wiz, it looks great! Kousa Dogwood is great. You know it doesn't have pretty bracts/flowers like most dogwoods. The bracts/flowers are a greenish white and barely noticeable. It's most noted for it's foliage.

You did a lot in a very short time! It was great that your neighbor took all your sod! When we take up sod, we cut it off in 5 foot pieces and roll it up. Makes it easier to haul.

[ewizabeth]

Wiz, it looks great! Kousa Dogwood is great. You know it doesn't have pretty bracts/flowers like most dogwoods. The bracts/flowers are a greenish white and barely noticeable. It's most noted for it's foliage.

You did a lot in a very short time! It was great that your neighbor took all your sod! When we take up sod, we cut it off in 5 foot pieces and roll it up. Makes it easier to haul.

Thanks Cheryl,

On the tree tag it shows white flowers. :Ponder:Oh well, the tree has so many other good qualities I don't care if they aren't showy.

I also planted a Pink Diamond hydrangea. I'm going to love that one. :D

[Av8rgirl]

Thanks Cheryl,

On the tree tag it shows white flowers. :Ponder:Oh well, the tree has so many other good qualities I don't care if they aren't showy.

I also planted a Pink Diamond hydrangea. I'm going to love that one. :D

Oh yes! it's a beautiful hydrangea!!!

http://hcs.osu.edu/plantlisttext/description/co_kousa.html

Kousa Dogwood is an alternative to Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), with a later and longer bloom period, virtually no disease or pest problems, and alkaline soil tolerance.

[ewizabeth]

Okay, I had to go to Lowe's today, and they had some awesome trees at great prices. :o

I got a Bur Oak and an Eastern Redbud, two trees I absolutely love! :circlelove:

They're both native to Illinois too so I think I'll have good luck with them. I brought them home and planted them myself. :) It was cool and sunny this afternoon.

The Bur oak is about six feet tall and has the big beautiful leaves they're famous for. The redbud is about ten feet tall and nicely branched. It also has big and pretty leaves. I can't wait to see the redbud in the spring with its deep orchid flowers! :)

I just feel so fortunate to have all this done this year. :Excited: Now I hope everything makes it through the winter. It's supposed to be really cold! I peeked into an Old Farmer's Almanac when I was at Lowe's.

[Vonn07]

Thanks Cheryl,

On the tree tag it shows white flowers. :Ponder:Oh well, the tree has so many other good qualities I don't care if they aren't showy.

I also planted a Pink Diamond hydrangea. I'm going to love that one. :D


hi Wiz ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE hydrangeas ... just a note that I learned (watching PBS - Victory Garden) ... is that depending on the acidity in the soil will make the blossoms darker ...

the blues will go purple-ly ... and the pinks will go darker ...

check your soil so you won't get a surprise next spring ...

hmmmm - I may just have to scoot down by you and check out your garden in Spring! :Ponder:

[ewizabeth]

Just let me know Vonn, and I'll make you a tasty meal. :) We could have a GTG with DM, Sandy & Jim and Frank & Deb. :grouphug:

I forgot to mention that I also bought some hard plastic tree guards for the trunks of the new babies. It should keep the rabbits from devouring them this winter. :cool: (Those wascally wabbits!)

When I go out in the backyard, there will be anywhere from 1-3 rabbits sitting and munching clover. I talk to them and they just look at me like, "Momma please don't forget to fill the bird feeder so we can lay under it..." If I get too close to them they hop away casually. They like to be at least 5-6 feet away as a rule. :rolleyes:

[Vonn07]

oooooo, oooooo ... a midwest GTG ... sounds like a plan ..

I love ga-dens (from my secret garden) ... I can live thru your virtual garden ... you'll have to start posting pics!!

sometimes the tape (or paint) around the bottom foot works .. and wire around your bushes don't forget ..

start a journal of what you purchased and when ... and where you planted it .. and where you purchased it from ... and take pictures!!

[ewizabeth]

Vonn,

Those are good ideas. I do have some little white plastic tags that stick in the ground. If I get around to it this weekend, I think I'll do just that! :hug: