Congratulations Marcia! I am looking forward to the day I can report the same. I still have a quite a bit of winter sowing planting/transplanting to do. What type of things have you potted up to larger containers? And will they make it to the garden this season or will you overwinter in pots? If you overwinter, will that be outside or inside? I haven't really grown many perennials from seed until this year and I am still struggling with what to do with a few things that just seem too small to plant out. So far I have potted up (instead of planting out) winter sown clematis, maple trees, and 3 types of roses. I am still looking at some very small clematis, columbine, snakeroot, blue poppies, false spirea and a few others.

Thanks again - Susan

Thanks, Susan!

I still have some potting up to do, but as of now, there are some rudbeckia, gaillardia, penstemon, hollyhocks, and digitalis that i've put in larger containers. I don't think i'll overwinter them in the containers, though. Last year i put some of my winter sown perennials into the vegetable garden and dh tilled them up this spring, so i either have to find a better spot or mark them with big stakes! Some of what i have now may make it into the ground by the fall, once i prepare new beds, and others will probably go to the Hort. Society's fall perennial exchange.

A lot of the stuff is way too tiny to plant out, so i know what you mean about that. If they were annuals, i did something with them, but perennials got potted up.

Just jumping in here to answer one of your questions, Susan. I started some perennials from seeds a couple of years ago, and didn't get them planted out into the beds by the end of the season. I ended up burying the plants up to the rim of the pots in a sheltered part of the garden, and threw a few leaves on top. The plants came through, just fine. I do that to all the plants (purchased or otherwise) that I just HAVE to have, but don't get around to putting in their final home by winter. I've had very, very few casulaties (so far). You just want to make sure you don't pick the last place to dry out in the spring...otherwise your plants might drown.

Doris

I'm I putting you to work Marcia, LOL
I too have to tidy up my pot & container shed, but some barn swallows have made a home in there and they won't let me get near, grrr.

Susan, I have a holding bed where all the WS perennials seedlings go into for the first year, even the small tiny ones are transplanted out there. I find they really start growing once they're out of the pots and into the ground. This is the only part of the garden that gets shots of Miracle Gro to help them get growing before winter.

Sharon

Thanks everyone for this discussion. This was my first year of starting perennials from seed and have found some of them are too small to plant out yet. I know just the spot for a holding bed and will try Sharon's advice. I'm also wondering about that potting shed. I have so many pots I've acquired and while my wonderful hunny is in the final stages of putting up a garden shed (and please soon a compost bin!) I'm not sure all the pots and potting material will fit. Hmmm, another project!
Kate

I store my pots under the deck. Some fit into one of those big Rubbermaid containers with a hinged lid, but i need another one! Dh might get started on a greenhouse this summer, so everything could be stored in there once it's done. He had this big wooden workbench he found somewhere (shopping at the dump, probably!) and it has served as a potting table as well as a table for much of the WS containers. It's pretty big and heavy so i don't think it will get moved until it goes into the greenhouse (hmm, maybe he can build the greenhouse around it! LOL).

My son was going to the dump this morning so i got rid of some of the milk jugs, but there's still "a bit" left to do!

As always, thanks for the great input everyone. I have been using a holding bed for most of my WS babies because I haven't got the new beds prepared yet. I think that any trees/shrubs I have started will get buried in pots over winter to wait for their final destination. I may also pot up the smallest of my seedlings because my holding bed is a pretty hot spot and they could potentially dry out more than I want if I am not vigilant on watering.

Sharon you mentioned giving your plants a shot of Miracle Gro before winter. I am also curious as to what kind of fertilizing everyone does over the course of the season in their perennial beds and gardens. I regularly fertilize my annuals in pots and other planters but haven't really given my perennials much attention that way.

Susan

Susan, I am mostly like you. The annuals in pots get regular (weekly to every 10 days) waterings with miracle grow. I was always getting yellow petunias so last year I started being more diligent in fertilizing and it made a big difference.

As for the perennials and shrubs, they are lucky if they get fertilized once during the growing season with something like miracle grow. As for when, I don't really have a schedule but try to do it before August 1st. Lately everything has been so soggy I really don't feel I should be watering, let alone fertilizing (though the top of the soil in some beds are drying out in the heat).

I sometimes dig a bit of composted manure in some beds as well.

Glen

Generally it is recommended not to fertilize perennials after August 1st in the cold zones. P&K would be O.K. but nitrogen will stimulate a spurt in foliage growth at the expense of root growth and preparing for winter.

If you have decently fertile soil and add compost regularly, perennials don't need much in the way of fertilizer. Maybe a touch early in the growing season? Something like peonies and Roses would be an exception....they benefit from additional fertilizer. Plants grown under trees may need some additional fertilizer because the trees suck up nutrients at a tremendous rate. I do sometime fertilize everything with P&K. P for blooms and there is evidence that K improves winter hardiness. I tend to avoid nitrogen because everything in my gardens tends to have tremendous top growth and is floppy anyway. (High Floppability Factor in my gardens!) But...then my compost is sheep manure which does a number on them. Of course, the standard answer to fertilizing is to have your soil tested before doing any fertilzing.

Glen, I am in the same boat as you are. Adding anything mixed in a liquid only adds to the sogginess!

Like Marcia, I am somewhat caught up in the gardens....at least as caught-up as I will ever be. Gotta get going on remapping my beds and updating my perennial lists. That hasn't been done for two years and I am way behind on that task.
Jan

Susan, I stop fertilizing the WS holding bed around the end of August, same thing with the roses, this will signal them that winter is on its way and its time to toughen up.

With my pots and containers, I faithfully use Miracle Gro once a week, sometimes twice a week, the Wave Petunias really do well with a fertilize regimen.

The roses and hostas get alfalfa tea, and everything gets the composts I make, everything is mixed in there, grass clippings, leaves that I save from fall, coffee grinds that I save from work (6 icecream buckets a week) egg shells, chicken, cow, horse manure, kitchen wastes, chopped up weeds and foliage, you name it ;)

For a surprise early birthday present, hubby made me a tumbler composter. I love it!

Sharon

I never seem to have enough compost, but i do have a bit this year and will put some on some of the beds - it will be a thin layer, though. I've used the slow-release beads in some containers, and some i fertilize with some other thing in a purple container that is supposed to stimulate blooming. As for the perennials, i usually toss a couple of handfulls of granular organic fertilizer on to the beds every few weeks, stopping in mid-August as has been recommended. Nothing scientific, just whatever works! :)

I am pretty much caught up as well...finally finished putting everything in the bed down the side of the house. I still have a few things that need to be potted up into larger pots but that can wait until next weekend. I NEED to have it all done before we head out east at the end of July...then I'll have to find someone to water for me while I am gone...New stress!!!

Ugh, reading about how you are all caught up makes me think about how neglected my garden is this year. I still have fall sown and WS seedlings crammed into too small pots that should be potted up, tree seedlings to move and weeds that are out of control. The army of squirrels that have moved in are taking care of the strawberry patch as well as chewing the rubber off the bottom of the garage door, grrr.

We are on vacation, a working vacation of course, doing construction projects and I can't even get any garden work done. We are demented people, our last vacation was a canoe trip in 2000. I better go get some cheese to go with this whine!

Thanks for all the tips on fertilizing. I have been trying to add compost every year to all my beds but I need to step up my compost production as I don't ever seem to have enough either. Sharon - How big is your tumbler? Did your handy husband build it from plans or is he just that handy? Would you have a picture I could pass along to my garden assistant?

Thanks Susan

Susan, it seems that Photobucket is down tonight, I'll post a photo tomorrow if I can. The tumbler is made out of a 45 CAN gallon barrel that sits on rubber wheels, I think DH just made it from his head ;)

I should also mention too that I always add bonemeal to any newly planted perennials/bulbs/trees/shrubs as well, I buy the No Name Bone Meal in the big yellow buckets that they sell at Extra Foods/SuperStore.

Today I went shopping and found some excellent deals on some perennials at Walmart. This is what I picked up for $1 each. whooohooo!

Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii Peach
Gentian cruciata
Leontopodium alpinum Edelweiss
Primula florindae Giant Tibetan Cowslip
Primula polyantha
Primula pubescens 'Exhibition Blue'
Salvia nemorosa 'East Friesland'
Salvia nemorosa 'Select Rose'

While coming out of Walmart parking lot, I had noticed a big sign from Canadian Tire having a garden sale up to 75% off.....I'll have to go back on Friday since there was no room in the truck cab!

Marcia, just a little side note, received your Red Mums in the mail today, will plant them out tomorrow....thank you, thank you, thank you sooooo much!!!!

Sharon

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It is high enough so that I can get my wheelbarrel under it. Because of the high temp days we've been having lately, it's a cooking alright!

Sharon

Wow Sharon that looks great. That's one handy hubby you have. I have printed your photos to show my husband. Our 'To Do' list is always so long I'm not sure where it will place but it looks like a slick rig. And what a great stack of composting material you have.

I am interested in how long it takes to cook up usable compost. What is your method - do you let one barrel brew and then use it or are you continually adding and using as you go along? Am I correct that I see in the picture the barrel has some holes punched in it for air circulation?

I saw an interesting looking one from Lee Valley that sits on a container base and will collect any compost 'tea' that may drain off.

Thanks - Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Rolling Composter

Guilty as well, Sharon. Does your DH have a patent on this? LOL! I showed it to my DH last night while he was framing our deck (1st mistake) and he just looked at me with exasperation. Then, after counting to ten and carefully formulating his words (he really doesn't ever get mad), he asked me how many projects I wanted him to complete this year. He promptly put it on the list after the deck, firepit, paving stone edgings, garden shed and greenhouse. Hmmmm . . . now, what are my priorities? Anyway, with your permission, I would like to keep your pictures on file for future reference. : ) Maybe I'll make it.

Shauna

Geez, I will have to tell hubby to patent it ;) You have my permission Shauna and Susan, just send the cheque in the mail... LOL ;)

There are no holes punched in, those are just dents on the drum, however there is an air hole on the left side of the drum, it has a screw cap that is put back on when I turn it. I donÂt know how long it takes for this tumbler to make finished compost, I expect a month if I turn it on a regular basis.

I also have one of those black square plastic composters, right now that one is full which takes a whole season to brew. I also have a three-bin system and an open-pile which takes a couple of seasons to get good compost.

Sharon

Sharon, that compost tumbler you DH made looks wonderful. It reminds me of something my dad would have made when he was a young man. * Something useful made from ( mostly ) found material, and made well! - and looks snazzy too--

I've been using the farm woman's lazy compost method, first I have the brush pile, ( which is unseen from house or yard ) for the bigger stuff, then a little ways up from the brush pile is the spot in the bush where I toss the grass clippings, or big hunks of grass from weeding, kitchen waste, etc. I then throw more dirt, grass on top of that, etc. Eventually I start another one of the smaller piles with the kitchen, small stuff when the first one gets big.
When I need compost, I go to the oldest pile, and see what's what. Way underneath the big brush pile, which was started about 70 years ago by my grandparents, there is a ton of good stuff. I often take my wheelbarrow in there and load up for mulching and topping up. The thing is, way, way underneath I may find a few surprises, as way back when, I think Grandma and Grandpa used the brush pile as kind of a catch all place for garbage, which in those days mostly seemed to be made up of the big brown bleach bottles, a very few cans, and old shoes, and a bit of broken crockery. ( had to use that term, don't get to say that very often! ) Interesting stuff some of it, but I always wear heavy gloves! Anyway, it's great compost.
Then, when I get a load of that, I go get another load of good stuff from behind the old barn, where the manure has been busy mellowing for another 70 years! Natch, some of it isn't that old, but underneath is a gold mine of good stuff.
And I mix it the compost from the brush pile with a bit of the old manure. And that mix is my main fertilizer.
I'm thinking I will try to make some manure tea one day though, just for the handy type watering fertilizer.
For small plants I've grown from seed, container plants and when transplanting, I do use a mild solution of miracle-go.
And I've been know to toss some granules of the long term release fertilizer granules in the perennial gardens once, maybe twice a year before a rain, if I think of it, and if I haven't finished topping up with my compost,etc. I must admit, my fertilizer regimen is hit and miss. But I do stop any fertilizing around the first of August or so.
All this talk has reminded me that I have a wheelbarrow of the "gold" waiting out there for me to put here and there.
Faith

A woman's work is never done!

Today, I cleaned out the chicken coop (try doing this chore on a hot humid day....never again! ;)

I also emptied out the square black composter and started a new batch, the stuff that I emptied was not quite finished so I added it to a lasagna bed that I'm working on. I also turned the old piles and started a new one. Whew!

Sharon
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Sharon, love the chickens! What are they, the whites must be leghorns? and the others? Wow, even your refuse area (future garden gold) is tidy, how do you do it?

Here are some of my precious ones, producers of great garden fertilizer!

My what beautiful fancy ladies you have there, what kind are yours Martha? The browns are Leghorns too, we started out with 24 a couple of years ago, now were down to 17. We got more on order for next spring.

How do I do it,....sometimes I wonder this my self ;)

Sharon

The white with a little black and feathered feet are Light Brahmas, the other is a Buff Cochin. The group in the next pic are the sturdy and reliable Barred Rocks. I have a lot more breeds and some awesome heritage turkeys as well. That is why my garden is a weedy and neglected mess right now, too much time spent fixing up ancient chicken coops, building fences and on and on.