Groff`s Plant Farm

Groff’s Plant Farm
Monday-Wednesday 9-5 Thursday–Friday 9-7
Saturday 9-5
CLOSED SUNDAY
Fall is For Planting
Fall 2014
“Fall is the best time to plant.” This is a mantra that both dad and I
have tried to spread for a long time. The soil is warm, the air is cool. This
encourages root growth over shoot growth. The fall rains usually come and
help with watering.
However there are two problems with that.
1. Most of us have been in the garden since March, pruning,
mulching, watering, planting, weeding, harvesting and (hopefully) enjoying
the results of our labor. By August, Sept, and October, we are winding
down, and don’t want to spend as much time in the garden.
2. Waiting too long to plant certain things doesn’t give them a
chance to heal into the ground before winter. Last year this was a problem
as winter was unrelenting. Late planted shrubs and perennials that would
have normally been ok, heaved when the ground froze.
Bank behind greenhouses 0-4. Mix of grasses, groundcovers,
This summer we planted a sweeping bank behind greenhouse 4
and blooming perennials
and down towards my house. There are more areas I have yet to fill in. I
have few qualms about the majority of my wishlist. Several large daylily clumps will be divided and moved when they finish blooming. Some
hostas will find their way towards the woods edge. Ferns, coralbells and tiarella will fill in that shady bed. Under the dogwood tree I’m planning a nice patch of lamium to cover the ground.
Ornamental grasses should be put in soon. Even though they look their best in fall- the time to plant most grasses is June-August.
Warm season grasses especially need a chance to establish their roots before winter.
The majority of shrubs can successfully be planted through late autumn. I have my eye on some viburnums and service berries but I
will probably not be in a big rush. If you want to plant butterfly bushes, hydrangeas, vitex, crape myrtles or anything else slightly tender, I
would lean more towards September.
Bare-root trees and shrubs are also prime candidates for planting in the fall. You can plant dormant trees, successfully through when
the ground freezes.
Now is also a great time to plant bulbs. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, scilla, and more unique beauties like frittilaria and allium planted now
will yield a big return come spring.
If you have perennials too big for their spaces, divide them now. Dividing spring or summer bloomers now won’t disrupt their next
year’s flowering. See article on facing page.
The garden season is not over. Many fall-bloomers, are now coming into their glory. There is still time to plant, but don’t procrastinate.
New crop of 4” perennials will be ready
around September 1st.
Lettuces, pansies, violas, fall mums, ornamental cabbage and
kale are ready now.
PHOTO CONTEST
Please submit up to 3 photos of your garden with
your name and the town where you live by October 1st. We
will accept photos through the mail or e-mailed to
groffsplantfarm@epix.net.
Our staff and customers that stop by in October will
judge the winner. We’ll pick three winners in the categories
of best garden, and best individual photo. 1st prize wins a
$100 gift certificate, 2nd prize wins a $50 gift certificate and
3rd place wins a $25 gift certificate.
Dividing Perennials
Hosta display bench in the shade section
Beautiful fall-blooming anemones... eating the walkway
Looking out my front door over the walled perennial garden my dad has planted loving over the last 5 or 10 years I see a
combination of plants that bloom from late winter through fall
with a pleasing mix of textures and leaf colors.
There are
large clumps of hellebores that brave the snow to bloom in late
February and March. Bergenias and lungworts join them in welcoming spring. Huge tree peonies are covered with blossoms in
May; a row of feathery soft amsonia is graced with light blue flowers in the then turns ablaze with fall color in September. The liatris is a butterfly magnet in July and August. However there are
some areas that need to be refreshed. Fancy echinaceas have reseeded purple and are now threatening to eat the walkway, a lovely
clump of Japanese iris has overgrown it’s bounds and stopped
blooming nicely, and the fall-blooming anemones are overtaking
the monkshood. It is time to divide.
Dividing perennials seems to be one of the biggest topics of confusion out there in the gardening world. When? How? Which ones? I'll do my best to not create any more confusion.
General rule of thumb is to divide spring-flowering perennials in the fall, and fall and late summer bloomers in the spring. Think about
the weather- you want at least 4-6 weeks before frost for the roots of newly-divided plant to get established. On the spring side, ideally divide
perennials before it gets too hot and you'd rather not drag your hose around.
Pick a day that is cloudy and cool and the soil is moist. Prepare your new spot or identify a friend to give the extras to. Trim foliage back
to 1 ft to reduce water loss and stress on the roots.
Lift the plant to be divided with a large gardening fork or shovel, taking care to get as much root as possible. Err on the conservative
side. It's much easier to shake off dirt than it is to replace roots.
Some of the easiest perennials to divide are iris and other plants with horizontally growing stems called rhizomes. Just lift them, discard
large older, withered, or diseased rhizomes, and plant the smaller, plump, healthy side pieces. Cut the fans back to 6-12" and lay on the new spot.
For best results don't bury the rhizome.
Spreading root systems are also easy to divide. They form a mat with many vertical stems and may become overgrown if not divided
regularly. Examples include black-eyed Susans, obedient plant and mints. The outside edges of the plant are best used for divisions as the center
can become woody. Chop some off with a sharp shovel knife or cut apart with shears. A well-established patch will give many, many new plants.
Daylilies, grasses and hostas are examples of clumpers. These plants need to be lifted intact and teased apart or cut apart at the crown
with a sharp knife. Some woodier crowns, like liatris, astilbes, or some grasses, may require a hand-saw and some elbow grease. Be sure to include several "eyes" or growing points, per clump to ensure good bloom the next year.
Several perennials don't tolerate division very well. Plants with taproots (baptisia, delphiniums) or slow growers (peonies) I wouldn't try
to divide unless you must have more and can't find them at a garden center. Also woody perennials like lavender and artemisia don't divide well.
Since I can barely keep my lavender alive from one year tot the next, I've never needed to divide it.
How often to divide is another commonly asked question. Is the plant is doing well and blooming nicely? If you answered "yes" leave it
alone. If the answer is "no", or you simply want more, get out your shovel. Some people like a guideline of however many years, but it depends
entirely on how happy the plants are in their location and the growing season.
Having perennials to divide is a quick and inexpensive way to increase your garden, especially if you have a friend or neighbor to trade
Find us at:
Groff’s Plant Farm
6128 Street Rd, Kirkwood, PA 17536
717-529-3001 or groffsplantfarm.com
We are unable to
reuse pots any
longer. Please recycle them at
home. Thanks!
Pollinators in the Garden
Directions
Outside of the main research area of the Penn State Field Trial at Landisville the Master
Gardeners have a large native garden, and vegetable/herb idea garden. Walking through
the native area I was struck by the wealth of pollinators busily at work. If you are looking
to increase visits of bees, butterflies, beneficial wasps and moths to your garden here are
some top natives to try.
Joe Pye Weed- Eupatorium is a tall native with purple clusters of flowers
blooming July-Sept in open fields and meadows. Very little tops them in attracting butterflies. If you can’t handle a 6-8’ addition to your garden, breeders have selected several
shorter varieties. ‘Little Joe’, ‘Baby Joe’ and ‘Phantom’ are more manageable in the 2-3
foot range.
Pycnanethmum attracts a number of winged friends
Pycnanthemum
or
mountain mint,
a sun or partialshade loving native grows to 2
feet, and spreads
readily. Whitish
bracts surround
pale pink tubular
flowers. They are
loaded with nectar to attract both
bees and butterflies. This is also a favorite
FROM THE NORTH:
Take 222 south through
Quarryville. Turn left on Blackburn
Rd 1/4 mile past Solanco High
School. Continue 3 miles to the
stop sign. Turn left. Continue 300
yds across the bridge. Turn right
onto Street Rd. Look for the sign
and the lane on the right in less
than 1/2 mile.
FROM EAST OR
RT 1:
Exit north onto 472 (away
from Oxford). Continue EXACTLY 5
miles, crossing the reservoir. Turn
left onto Street Rd. across from the
Union Presbyterian Church. Continue 1.7 miles to the stop sign.
Continue straight and watch for the
sign and lane on left 1/2 mile
Better yet: Use the Google Map
directions link on our website:
Groffsplantfarm.com
spot for praying mantises to build their egg case.
Agastache- tall blue ones like ‘Black Adder’ and ‘Purple Haze’ are fragrant and
loaded with bees. I have seen numerous butterflies swarming these on our farm as well.
The sweet fragrance of the pink and red species, like A. rupestris also attract hummingbirds which stop by often for a drink.
Summer Phlox- Often plagued by powdery mildew, we grow phlox for its
sweet fragrance and large bright flowers in the heat of the summer. The butterflies thank
us. I have been particularly impressed by a selection called ‘Jeanna’. She has slightly
smaller flower heads, but less mildew problems and is loaded with butterfly visitors.
Monarda rounds out the list of great natives to attract pollinators. A member of
the mint family like agastache and pycnanthemum, bee balm is a no-brainer for pollinators. Hummingbird haw-moths flock to our propagation area to drink from the red and
pink tubules, and bees swarm them as well. They have a tendency to spread, especially in
moist areas. Keep them divided every few years, and trim them back to keep them under
control in the garden. Dwarf cultivars are also available.
I want to add borage to this list- even though it is not native. Borage, and it’s
cousin, comfrey, are great additions to the herb/vegetable garden Their lovely blue flowers will help attract insects that do double duty and pollinate your cucumbers, melons and
other veggies.
Helping out our pollinators is easy with a few of these native beauties.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Borage being visited by a honey bee
Rain Gardens
The downpours earlier this spring got me thinking about ways to control some of the
erosion around my house, and some of the greenhouses. Rain gardens immediately sprung to
mind. Rain gardens have been gaining in popularity for the last several years as people are
becoming more concerned with the sustainability of their gardens and lifestyles. Especially as
protecting waterways and the Chesapeake Bay come to the forefront politically and environmentally.
Rain gardens are areas in the landscape planted with deep-rooted perennials. Often
situated on a slope, these areas act as a catch basin and slow the runoff from roof, driveway, or
sidewalk. The deeply rooted perennials filter the water ultimately assisting it back to the
groundwater instead of sewers. They also trap pollutants- in this area, commonly the nitrogen
and phosphorous that wash from farm fields. In more urban areas, the tremendous amount of
fertilizers used on suburban lawncare.
If you have soil erosion damage to your yard, particularly near downspouts or driveways, or you have standing water for several days after a rain event, you may want to think
about planting a rain garden.
Rain garden at Mt. Cuba Center. Photo
and link used with permission.
Rain gardens should NOT be situated in the lowest spot in your landscape- it should
drain within two days of a heavy rain. Standing water to that extent acts as a breeding ground
for mosquitoes and can be a health hazard. Rather, plant a rain garden on a slope near a problem area. An oval or kidney shape twice as long as wide is good to catch the most runoff.
The website raingardenalliance.org is a fantastic resource for planning and site preparation.
Plant choice is also important. Don’t think only wetland plants, because a lot of the
time this garden will be dry. Think deep rooted perennials, sedges and possibly shrubs that will add ornamental value, and attract pollinators to your landscape as well. Natives like Joe Pye weed, asters, liatris, blue flag iris, Culver’s root, bee balm, milkweed, switchgrass,
black-eyed Susan, and sedges do exceptionally well in a sunny rain garden. For partial shady areas, add cardinal flower, Virginia bluebells,
Jacob’s ladder, rue or spiderwort. Ninebark, viburnum, and red-twig dogwoods are great woody additions. The new bed behind the greenhouses uses a liberal amount of monarda, phlox, rudbeckia and catmint. Dad has been working on a rain garden at his new house incorporating a more shade-loving palette.
If you want to get really elaborate, extend your downspout to reach your garden, or build a swale lined with rocks or sedges to
divert water to your garden.
There are fantastic examples of rain gardens planted both at Mt Cuba center and Longwood Gardens. Mt Cuba also has an excellent resources on their website: http://www.mtcubacenter.org/gardening-resources/rain-gardens/
North Creek Nursery, a local wholesale plant propagator, has an expert on rain gardens on staff, Claudia West, who has been doing
extensive workshops around the area helping to educate homeowners and landscapers in this area.
We all need to do our part to help reduce erosion, and protect one of our most valuable resources- clean water. There is no reason
it doesn’t have to be beautiful too.
HAPPY FALL
FROM ALL OF US AT
GROFF’S
THANKS FOR ANOTHER
GREAT SEASON
Comments or Questions? E-mail us at groffsplantfarm@epix.net or call 717-529-3001