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May 2007 Gardening Q&A
Moving day dilemma
 B. Rosie Lerner
Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulturist
Starting over might be easier than taking your garden with you
Q: I was wondering if you could answer some questions I have about moving some plants and flowers that I have acquired over the years. We are moving to a new home in an open field that has sat dormant for a long period of time. We will be having a house placed there soon. But I have many roses, bulbs, iris, lilies, lambs ear, hosta, lily of the valley, tall phlox, columbine, coreopsis and clematis!
When’s the best time to move them? Can I safely take out the bulbs this spring and replant? We are to be out of here June 1. Will it be safe to move all of these different plants and flowers and replant them then? I always thought it was best to do this in the fall, but I am afraid to leave all of my plants and flowers behind and expect to recover them in the fall. — Michele Hountz, Decatur County REMC consumer
A: Well, there’s no one perfect answer to your dilemma since you have so many different species involved. Spring flowering bulbs are best moved in the late summer or early fall while they are dormant. Most other perennials can be moved either in the fall or in late winter or early spring. Middle of the summer is about the worst time to move any of the plants because that is the hottest time of year and when rains are less predictable.
It will likely be easiest to just start over with fresh spring flowering bulbs this fall rather than try to transplant those. For the rest of your plants, you may want to pot up small divisions of at least some of your perennials in good quality potting soil and try to get them through the move that way until you have time to set your new garden. Or, if you have an out of the way location at the new property, you could make a temporary nursery bed where you can move the plants and keep them pampered through summer until you are ready to make your new garden. Keep the plants mulched and watered regularly.
Q: I have some spearmint growing; I can tell when I mow over it. But I don’t know what it looks like. I would like to grow more but don’t how to go about it. Any suggestions?
A: All of the culinary mints have square stems and opposite leaves, with spearmint in particular having elongated-ovate leaves with coarsely-toothed margins. Although many seed catalogs may offer seed packets, the best spearmint selections are of Mentha x piperita and can only be grown from cuttings or divisions as the plants are sterile and therefore do not set seed. Take cuttings from actively growing stems or dig up a clump to divide. For more information on taking cuttings, see our Purdue Extension bulletin online at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-37web.html.
Q: The time is near to start overdoing yourself in the yard. What is the best method for fluffing up the mulch already around my flowerbeds? Is it necessary every year to keep adding mulch? — Glenda Plummer
A: Spring certainly did seem to bust out of the gates rather early and vigorously this year, though winter returned with a vengeance! Mulch is a great tool to conserve soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and shade soil from excess heat in mid summer. Depending on what type of mulch you use, you likely will need to top off the flowerbeds each year or two. Generally, the finer the particle size of the organic mulch material, the faster it will break down. Ground bark mulch breaks down faster than shredded bark, which breaks down faster than bark chips. And the finer materials may pack down a bit, so fluff up your old mulch and top off with additional material if the layer is less than 2 inches.
B. Rosie Lerner is the Purdue Extension consumer horticulturist and a consumer of Tipmont REMC.
If you have any questions about gardening and landscape, send them to: Gardening Q&A, Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224, or e-mail: ec@indremcs.org.
Written By: eceditor
Date Posted: 4/30/2007
Number of Views: 431
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