For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
how to divide perennials + when you should do it
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Continuing with the theme of fall planting (if you've been reading my other emails from the past month), let's talk perennials. In yesterday's email, I went over what you should plant right now (in this late summer to early fall period when the soil's still warm) if you want beautiful spring color. One of the things you could plant—or more accurately, replant—are the divisions from perennials you're already growing. You've probably heard of dividing plants as a way to get more plants for free (and that's certainly a benefit!), but the most important reason to divide your perennials is to keep your garden healthy. After a few years, as your plants grow in and become more crowded, they also tend to get leggy, be less vigorous, produce fewer flowers, or start showing dead spots. Dividing and replanting them rejuvenates their growth and keeps their size in check. (Also, some perennials should NOT be divided, and I go over that too.) Seasonal tipsOnly 9 more days until fall officially begins...Which means our family packed in allll the road trips before the kids went back to school this week: up and down the Cascade Lakes Highway, around the Waldo Lake Wilderness, and through McKenzie Pass and Santiam Pass. We were supposed to go backpacking last weekend, but the colder, drizzly weather changed our plans last minute and we decided to camp in the RV for Labor Day weekend. Miraculously, we found a camping spot near Silver Falls State Park at a winery. (Isn't it cool that you can camp at a winery?!) Silver Falls in Oregon is known for its Trail of 10 Falls (a 7-mile loop that passes 10 stunning waterfalls). It's one of the most picturesque state parks I've visited, with cliffside trails that actually take you behind a few of the falls! Starting at South Falls, we hiked about 5 miles of the scenic canyon trail and saw 8 waterfalls before reaching North Falls on the other side of the park. We were very lucky to meet a nice family at the north trailhead who offered to give my husband a ride back to our RV at South Falls, so we were able to skip the last (and much less dramatic) 2 miles on the upper rim trail that don't have waterfalls. It was our first visit to Silver Falls and definitely won't be our last. I'd love to come back on a hot summer day with a picnic and take a dip in one of its swimming holes! (Yes, the water is super cold—ahem, I mean refreshing—year-round, but being from Central Oregon means we're used to that. 😄) We've only got one more road trip next weekend before fall starts, and I'm looking forward to ushering in cooler weather and changing leaves soon! P.S. Learn how (and when) to divide perennials for a healthier garden. P.P.S. Learn how to store all the vegetables you grow (or buy) with my Fruit & Vegetable Storage Guide. Download the PDF, print out the charts, and save money in wasted food! |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."