insideKENT Magazine Issue 78 - September 2018 | Page 104

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH:
SEPTEMBER
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH:
1. Divide herbaceous perennials
2. Pick autumn raspberries
3. Collect and sow seed from perennials and
hardy annuals
4. Dig up remaining potatoes before slug
damage spoils them
5. Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway
6. Keep up with watering of new plants, using
rain or grey water if possible
7. Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant
watering
8. Clean out cold frames and greenhouses
so that they are ready for use in the autumn
9. Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof
netting
10. Plant spring flowering bulbs
DIVIDE HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
Here are some simple tips for dividing
perennials:
Lift plants gently with a garden fork, working
outwards from the crown’s centre to limit root
damage. Shake off excess soil so that roots are
clearly visible.
Some plants, such as Ajuga (bugle), produce
individual plantlets which can simply be teased
out and replanted.
Small, fibrous-rooted plants such as Heuchera,
Hosta and Epimedium can be lifted and pulled
apart gently. This should produce small clumps
for replanting.
Large, fibrous-rooted perennials, such as
Hemerocallis (daylily), require two garden forks
inserted into the crown back-to-back. Use
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these as levers to loosen and break the root
mass into two sections. Further division can
then take place. Place the bulbs in the hole with their ‘nose’, or
shoot, facing upwards. Space them at least
twice the bulb’s own width apart.
In some cases, a sharp knife, axe or lawn
edging iron may be needed to cleave the
clump in two. Replace the soil and gently firm with the back
of a rake. Avoid treading on the soil as this can
damage the bulbs.
Plants with woody crowns (e.g. Helleborus) or
fleshy roots (e.g. Delphinium) require cutting
with a spade or knife. Aim to produce clumps
containing three to five healthy shoots. If the ground is moist or the bulbs are autumn-
planted, watering is not critical. Otherwise
water straight after planting.
DIG UP REMAINING POTATOES
Lift early potatoes carefully with a fork as soon
as they are ready, when tubers are about the
size of a hen’s egg or more. Flowering often
occurs at this time, but the tubers may be ready
before. Provided the crop is healthy, leave
main crop plants until early to mid-autumn
to bulk up (but the tubers are prone to slug
damage).
Some bulbs, such as winter aconites, bluebells
and snowdrops, are thought to be best planted,
moved or divided ‘in the green’, when
flowering is over but they are still in leaf.
However, dried bulbs are often offered and
can be successful.
Lift on a dry day and allow potatoes to dry on
the surface of the soil for two or three hours.
PLANT SPRING FLOWERING BULBS
Aim to plant in groups of at least six, as the
more bulbs that are grouped together, the
better the display. Typically, 25 to 50 bulbs may
be needed to make an impressive show.
Dig a hole wide and deep enough for your
bulbs. Plant most bulbs at two to three times
their depth. For example, for a bulb measuring
5cm (2in) high, dig a hole 10-15cm (4-6in)
deep and sit the bulb in the bottom of it.
The RHS is a UK charity established to
share the best in gardening. Their work is
driven by a simple love of plants and the
belief that gardeners make the world a
better place.
For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk