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!

Perennial Prime Time

Right now is prime time for dividing your overgrown summer-flowering perennials, so don’t let this opportunity slip by! If you’re not sure where to start, just follow these simple steps:

• Think it over. Decide where in your yard you want to relocate the excess growth. Or, make plans to do a perennial exchange with friends and family!
• Thoroughly water the clumps you plan to divide a few days before Division Day. When the Day arrives, cut all the top growth of the clumps back by half, and dig up the roots.
• Gently tease or break the clumps apart, or cut them with a sharp knife or spade. Make sure each new baby plant has at least one bud or stem and some roots.
• Treat ‘em to this Dandy Division Tonic:  1 can of beer, ¼ cup of instant tea granules, 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid and 2 gallons of water mixed together in a 5-gallon bucket. Let the pieces soak for about 10 minutes or so.
•  Plant your baby plants (or any plants you received in a perennial exchange) into compost-enriched soil, and give ‘em all a good drink of water to settle things in. By next spring, these babies’ll be rarin’ to grow!

For even more great garden grow-how, check out our bestselling book, Flower Garden Problem Solver. It’s filled with hundreds more brilliant blooming secrets that’ll give you a gorgeous garden all year ‘round. And, you can even try it out FREE for 21 days with our amazing Free Preview!

When in Drought…

Rainfall in the upper Midwest over the last couple of weeks has helped bring some relief to parched corn and soybean crops, but more rain is needed to prevent further damage. 

The news isn’t as good for drought-stricken crops in the lower Midwest where the chance of rain is bleak. The intense—sometimes triple-digit—heat is compounding problems by frying already stressed plants to the point of no return.

At this point in the growing season, I’m sure you’ve already cut back on the water you’re using to keep your flowers beautiful. The good news is that—with a little planning this year—you can find plenty of gorgeous perennials that need very little moisture for next year. Here are some characteristics that indicate a definite lack of thirst:

·        Deep roots that resent being transplanted—peonies, for instance

·        Fleshy, thickened roots that hold moisture—like daylilies

·        Silver or gray leaves with waxy or hairy coverings—such as lavenders and dusty miller

·        Thin or narrow leaves—for example, yuccas and many ornamental grasses

·        Fleshy leaves and stems—such as sedums and hardy cacti

Just keep in mind that even the most drought-tolerant plants need a steady supply of water while their root systems are forming. The amount varies, but in most cases, it’s about an inch of water a week either from your hose or from Mother Nature’s rain clouds.

Give Your Lawn Some Late Fall TLC

Kids will soon be knocking at your door, all decked out in their Halloween costumes. They aren’t the only ones who’ll be expecting goodies from you, though. Your yard and garden are also begging for a little TLC before winter sets in! Here’s what you need to do:

•     If fall has been dry in your area, give your plants a nice, long drink so they don’t go into the winter with parched soil.
•  Dig up tender bulbs, such as gladiolus and dahlias, and store them indoors for the winter.
• Remove all dead or dying foliage from your beds. Dispose of any woody stalks, diseased, or insect-ridden matter, and send the rest to the compost pile.
• After fall clean-up, spray all of your perennial beds with this mixture:  1 can of beer, 1 can of regular cola (not diet), ½ cup of dishwashing liquid, and ½ cup of tobacco tea. (To make tobacco tea, place half a handful of chewing tobacco in an old nylon stocking, and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark brown.) Mix all of the ingredients in a bucket, then apply liberally with your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer.
•  Once the ground freezes, mulch beds with chopped leaves, composted manure, salt hay, or pine needles.
•  As soon as Jack Frost has visited your garden, remove all summer annuals to the compost pile. Sprinkle 1 pound of bonemeal and 1 pound of Epsom salts per 100 sq. ft. of flower bed. Let it set for a week, and then till the soil under.
• Mulch your roses with leaves, straw, and soil, or cover them with Styrofoam cones.

Once you’ve got your garden beds all settled in for their long winter’s nap, you can turn your attention to warmer thoughts—like lighting a fire in the fireplace, and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea!

Get Ready Now for Beautiful Blooms This Spring

Right now is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs for a gorgeous display of beautiful blooms next year. Bulbs are a low-maintenance gardener’s dream. They come equipped with their own stored food supply, and they know exactly what to do to replenish it year after year.

Here’s how to get your bulbs ready and rarin’ to grow:

·        Soak ‘em in this Beauty Bath to get ‘em clean and ready an hour or so before planting. Mix 2 teaspoons of baby shampoo, 1 teaspoon of antiseptic mouthwash, and 1/4 teaspoon of instant tea granules in 2 gallons of warm water.

·        Plant each bulb at a depth that’s three times its size. That means that tulip bulbs, which are usually about 2 inches in diameter, go 6 inches into the soil. And about 3 inches is just the ticket for miniature daffodils, which start off as 1-inch bulbs

·        Feed ‘em my Bulb Breakfast of Champions for a slow and steady source of nutrients at planting time. Mix 10 pounds of compost, 5 pounds of bonemeal, 2 pounds of bloodmeal, and 1 pound of Epsom salts in a wheelbarrow. Work this hearty meal into every 100 square feet of soil in your bulb-planting beds. Or, if you’re planting bulbs among other plants, work a handful of this mix into the soil before setting in the bulb.

Looking for more super secrets for growing a gorgeous garden? Check out my Perfect Perennials book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with quick tips and super secrets for bloomin' beauties that'll flourish year after year with little or no work!