Perennials can be planted anytime from spring through fall.
Prepare the garden by breaking up the existing soil (use a hoe, spade, or power tiller) to a depth of 12-16” (30-40cm). Add organic matter such as manure, peat moss or garden compost until the soil is loose and easy to work. Organic ingredients improve drainage, add nutrients, and encourage earthworms and other organisms that help keep soil healthy. Give plants an extra boost by adding a granulated starter fertilizer or all-purpose feed that encourages blooming (for example fertilizers labeled 5-10-5).
Check the plant label for suggested spacing and the mature height of the plant. Position plants so that taller plants are in the center or background of the landscape design and shorter plants in the foreground. To remove the plant from the container, gently brace the base of the plant, tip it sideways and tap the outside of the pot to loosen. Rotate the container and continue to tap, loosening the soil until the plant pulls smoothly from the pot.
Dig the hole up to two times larger than the root ball and deep enough that the plant will be at the same level in the ground as the soil level in the container. Grasping the plant at the top of the root ball, use your finger to lightly rake the roots apart. This is especially important if the roots are dense and have filled up the container. Set the plant in the hole.
Push the soil gently around the roots filling in empty space around the root ball. Firm the soil down around the plant by hand, tamping with the flat side of a small trowel, or even by pressing down on the soil by foot. The soil covering the planting hole should be even with the surrounding soil, or up to one inch higher than the top of the root ball. New plantings should be watered daily for a couple of weeks to get them well established.
Plan ahead, for plants that get tall and require staking or support cages. It’s best to install cages early in the spring, or at planting time, before the foliage gets bushy. Vining plants require vertical space to grow, so provide a trellis, fence, wall or other structure that allows the plant to grow freely and spread.
Finish up with a 2” (5cm) layer of mulch such as shredded bark or compost to make the garden look tidy, reduce weeds, and retain soil moisture.
I planted a Saxifraga x adensii and it flourished producing two flushes of yellow flowers, then in August especially mid August it slowly died. I planted it in one of those half round pots that go on a wall about 3”-4” diameter and just let rainwater do it’s job. Have I done something wrong or is that it’s life and it will come back next year? I look forward to your reply.
Hi Paul,
The best way to figure out what is going on with your saxifrage is to remove it from the container and inspect the roots. One thing they don’t tolerate is wet feet. Do your planters have drainage or does water build up in them? If you’ve been relying solely on rain for watering and have had some dry spells, then the opposite could be true, and the roots may have gotten too dry. At this time of year, even thought the flowering period is over, the foliage should still be present, so something does seem amiss.
If you inspect the roots and they appear plump and healthy then you can just return the plants to the pot and water them back in. If they’re clearly dried up or rotted away, then obviously there’s a good chance the plants are already dead and won’t be returning next season. A word of caution if you live in a region with freezing winters – plants in containers hanging on a wall are especially vulnerable to root damage from freezing temperatures. If you’re growing perennials in a wall planter, even if they are doing well now, it would be best to take the planter down for the winter and put it in a location where it will be sheltered from harsh winter weather, such as a shed, garage, or along a fence or wall that blocks westerly winds. You could even mound mulch around the base of the pot for added protection if you are holding the planter over outdoors for the winter.