Expert Tips
Organic Insecticide
Using organic insecticide is environmentally sound and inexpensive. In fact, you can easily make it yourself. There are two recipes, both are very simple to make.
First Recipe- Merely mix a bar of soap with water until it becomes gray and spray the plant, or spray your plants with old dishwater. This is home-made “insecticidal soap” and is just as effective as the store-bought product.
If your perennials are being attacked by more than a few insects and you want to make an insecticide with a little more punch, use the following recipe. This is especially effective when combatting Japanese beetles. Second Recipe- using your blender, combine one garlic clove, one onion, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper and one quart water. Mix well and let it soak for about one hour. Then add about one tablespoon of liquid soap and mix.
Bigger Blooms
There are a few different tricks for encouraging your perennial to produce bigger blooms. The first technique applies to plants that grow in clusters. Quite a few perennials spread and become a very thick clump. To get bigger blooms, merely thin your perennials out. With fewer stalks to feed, your perennials will grow more vigorously and be able to produce bigger blooms. Tall garden phlox is an example of a perennial that tends to cluster. In fact, if you thin this perennial you may find that your plant’s bloom clusters have increased two to three times in size! Many of your perennials will respond in a similar fashion.
Another way to increase the size of the blooms of your perennials is to pinch the side buds close to the stem, while leaving the center bud intact. One perennial that will respond excellently to this treatment is the peony. In fact, if you pinch off the side buds as they appear, leaving only the top bud, you might very well get a blossom eight inches across! Many of your perennials will respond in a similar fashion.
For More Blooms
There are a few different ways to double the number of blooms that you will get from your plants. The first way has already been discussed, and that is to deadhead. The more faded blooms you remove and the faster you remove them the greater your chance is of getting a second blooming period out of your perennials. Another way of getting a larger number of blooms from your perennials is to “pinch” them when they are young. Pinching consists of removing the top of each stalk of your perennials including the first set of leaves, with your pruners. This will make your plant bushier because it will have twice as many stalks and therefore will result in twice as many flowers on your perennial. Hardy garden Aster and many other perennials respond very well to this treatment.
Cutting and Drying Perennial Flowers
The best time to cut your perennials for drying or simply setting around your home is in the late afternoon. The plants’ store of energy has been built up after several hours of daylight and the cut flowers are less likely to wilt since they will be at their strongest. When making the cut, the most important factor is not at which angle to cut the flower, but how sharp the instrument used to cut the flower is. If you keep your pruners well-sharpened, the angle at whch you cut your flower is effectively rendered inconsequential.
When cutting flowers to be displayed fresh, strip the lower leaves when cut; this will conserve moisture. Put your flowers in warm water, as this will further reduce shock. Another wise thing to do is to add sugar to the water you place your cut flowers in. The sugar will stimulate bacteria that will clog the opening on the stem where you cut so your plant will not lose any more energy. When you are not going to see your flowers, put them in a cool place and they will last longer for you.
Drying your flowers is a relatively simple process. Right after you’ve cut them, hang them upside-down in a warm, dry place, out of any moisture.
