Divide and Conquer!

The best way to keep your perennials in check is by dividing ’em. This will keep overgrown plants from taking over your whole backyard, reduce overcrowding, and eliminate any old or weak growth. And guess what? Early fall is the best season for dividing! So get started as soon as possible, using the 6-step to-do list below:

1. Cut all the top growth back by half, and dig up the roots.
2. Gently tease or break clumps of the plants apart, or cut them with a sharp knife or spade. Make sure each new piece has at least one bud or stem and some roots.
3. Treat each divided perennial to our Transplant Tonic: In a 5-gallon bucket, mix 1 can of beer, ¼ cup of instant tea granules, 2 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid, and 2 gallons of water. Let the plants soak in the mix for about 10 minutes or so.
4. Have a perennial exchange with your neighbors, where you can trade your divisions for a bounty of fresh new plants! (Or, skip to Step 6.)
5. Plant your perennials in their new location using compost-enriched soil. Give ’em a good watering, then dribble any leftover Transplant Tonic around each plant for an extra boost. By next spring, they’ll be growin’ strong!

For even more garden grow-how, check out our bestselling book, Terrific Garden Tonics! It’s filled with hundreds of Jerry's world-famous solutions to give you the lush lawn, beautiful blooms, and gorgeous garden of your dreams. And you can try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview!

4 Steps to Fabulous Flowers

What would you say if we told you there’s a no-sweat, no-dig way to have a fabulous perennial garden in less than one year? You’d better believe it, because it’s true! And here’s how:

1. In late summer (ahem, that’s right now!), stake out the site where you want your new bed, then cover the area with a 1-inch-thick layer of newspapers. 
2. Place a few rocks over the papers to hold them down, and soak the area thoroughly. Water again as needed over the next few weeks to keep the papers moist. 
3. Once fall has arrived, remove the rocks, then spread 6 to 8 inches of leaves over the area. Top that with 8 to 12 inches of good soil or compost.
4. All winter, sit back, and let the ingredients settle in. By the time the following spring has begun, you’ll have a loose, fluffy flower bed that’ll be a joy for you to plant in—and for your perennials to grow in! 

There are hundreds more terrific tips to get fancier flowers and brighter blooms in our bestselling book, Flower Garden Problem Solver. You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview! Then, check out our Facebook page, and be sure to follow us!

Store Your Bulbs for Winter

Instead of spending your hard-earned money on new dahlias, tulips, lilies, or other tender bulbs every year, why not simply keep the ones you already have? As soon as their leaves start to turn color in the fall, dig ‘em up and wash them in a bucket of our Terrific Bulb-Cleaning Tonic (below), then tuck them away in a frost-free place until next spring. Here are the easy bulb-cleaning instructions:

1. Mix up a batch of the Terrific Bulb-Cleaning Tonic: 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo, 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, and 1 quart of warm water in a bucket.
2. Gently drop your bulbs into the mixture. Let them soak for a minute or so, remove them, and set them on a wire rack to drain.
3. Be sure to let them dry thoroughly before you put them away; otherwise, they’ll rot.
4. When next spring rolls around, pull out those bulbs, plant ‘em as usual, and enjoy the beautiful blooms—and that extra money you saved!

For more great gardening tips all year ‘round, check out our bestselling book, Old-Time Gardening Wisdom! You can even try it out for FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview. Happy growin’!