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Crocosmia not blooming well

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Crocosmia is a very pretty summer flower that often bears orange or fiery red flowers on vertical stems.

I mentioned that I grow Crocosmia in a recent post and said that some of my clumps were getting quite large and crowding out other plants.

What I didn’t realize was that if the clumps get too large, enough that individual Crocosmia begin to crowd one another that their blooms will suffer.

If you find that your Crocosmia are blooming poorly do think about dividing the clump. Poor bloom and a thick stand of foliage are two indications that the Crocosmia needs rejuvenation.

In the early spring dig up the clump and divide it gently into several smaller portions.

If you examine your clumps you’ll notice that there are two different forms of roots and new growth. You’ll find that some corms have produced underground stems with roots (stolons) that are destined to send up new shoots. Detach and plant these tiny new plants on their own. The other form of growth that you’ll see is a chain of corms along a slender root. Keep these chains attached as you replant for best success.






Planting Bare Root plants

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This is a continuation of “Buying Bare Root Plants“:

Once the bare root perennial plants that you’ve ordered have arrived you really should plant them. The sooner they are in the ground the better.

However the weather doesn’t always co-operate, and if you must store them temporarily until the weather is nice enough to begin planting your bare root shrubs, trees and perennials you can “heel in” the plants by laying them in a temporary trench dug in a shady spot in the garden and cover the roots with moist sawdust bark or soil. Sometimes if the weather is really bad, you might choose to store your bare root plants in a cool storage area – perhaps your basement, a root cellar or even your garage.

You should receive detailed instructions as to how to plant your new plants. Read the instructions carefully. I know for my bare root roses it was often suggest that I soak the roots for 8 to 24 hours before planting.

Begin by digging the hole for your plant. It’s a good idea to dig a hole that is both deeper and wider than what you need for the roots. You can check the soil conditions easily in this way, you can amend the soil to some degree just for that particular plant, and the soil in the area that you are planting the bare root will be looser and allow the roots to spread out and grow.

When checking the conditions of the soil make sure that the soil is moist – not dry, not excessively damp either. If it’s too damp or even wet wait a few days for it to dry out. Perhaps the area you are digging in is in the path of a snow and ice melting area and happens to be damper in the Spring than other areas of your garden.

When you are ready to plant your new bare root plant remove the packing material from around the roots. You shouldn’t put moss or wood shavings in the planting hole. Throw that stuff out.

Cut off any damaged or broken roots and be sure it’s a clean cut.

Make a cone shaped mound in the center of the planting hole and position the plant so that it’s at the right depth. The correct depth is the depth it was at at the nursery or whatever your instructions say for that plant.

In my area root grafts on roses should be buried about two inches below ground but in warmer zones the root graft is always above ground. This is another reason to read your instructions carefully.

Spread the plants roots out as evenly as possible. Slowly backfill the hole using the native soil from the hole. Do not use chemical fertilizer or fresh manure in the planting hole as that can damage the roots. Hold the plant upright as you fill in the hole and firm the soil. Be sure that there are no air pockets in the soil around the roots.

I often fill the hole half way with soil gently packing it around the roots and then water the soil slightly. This helps remove some of the air in the soil and or air pockets too.

Once your new bare root plant is planted care for it as directed. In no time at all you should have a happy thriving plant.

Good Luck!

Buying Bare root plants

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January through March is the right time of year to be looking through gardening catalogues and making orders for new bare root plants that will arrive at your home in early spring.

There are many bare-root plants to be found through retail nurseries, mail-order and online.

In this area, USDA zone 5b, or Canadian zone 6b it’s much too early to plant bareroot plants such as fruit trees, roses, raspberries, strawberries, flowering shrubs and other perennials, but if you live in a warmer zone you might be closing in on the right time period for planting.

Here we plant bare roots in April when the ground has thawed enough to dig in. Sometimes we even plant bare roots as late as early May.

One great thing about purchasing bare root plants is that they are often much less expensive than potted plants of equal size. As much as 40% to 70% less! Another bonus is that some plants are hard to find and are only available bare root.

I’ve planted several bare root Roses and other perennials and I must say that they tend to establish themselves much more quickly than potted plants.

If you go right to a nursery to purchase your bare root shrubs or trees be sure to choose plants with strong stems and good form. Look at the roots if possible and select ones with a healthy looking well formed root system.

Avoid any plants with slimy roots, or ones that look dry and withered.

Roots are often packed in wood shavings and wrapped in plastic so it can be hard to see the roots well. Try to avoid packages that have been opened or appear damaged, water-logged, or seem to be excessively dry.

When you order plants by mail check them carefully as soon as they arrive. You’ll be checking for packing errors as well as broken damaged plants. Notify the supplier immediately if you have any problem with the plants that have just arrived. The earlier you do this the better as problems can often be rectified quite fast.

Read – Planting Bare Root Plants next.

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