Efforts now yield spring rewards

Fall is the ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs and to transplant trees, shrubs or perennials.

The beauty of spring bulbs is well worth the effort of planting them. Tulips are the hardiest, and daffodils, crocus, anemones and hyacinth will winter, but seem to live only one or two years. The squill, Scilla siberica, is hearty to zone 4, and I have a Fritileria meleagris, or checkered lily, that has survived in my garden for a dozen years and have seen a large showier fritilaria bloom in another garden.

It is generally recommended that bulbs be planted to twice the depth of the bulb’s diameter. I plant at 2 1/2 times, which increases insulation against fluctuations in winter temperature and discourages voles from dining, but causes slower spring emergence and fewer blooms. Dig a hole as wide as the bulb, sprinkle in some bone meal, place the bulb root-side down, and tamp lightly. Except in extremely dry soil, watering is not necessary and can cause the bulb to rot. Excessively damp soil may also cause bulb rot, but this can be prevented by digging the hole 2 inches deeper and filling the space with pea gravel.

Rearranging garden plants is also worth the effort, in plant health and increased bloom. When they have outgrown their allotted space, or are simply ill-fitted to it, perennials can be moved or divided. To transplant a perennial dig all the way round and under it and try to remove the clump with the soil intact. Prepare the new location by making a hole the size of the clump. Set in the plant, water well, tamp down the soil, filling any gaps, and water again. Fertilizer is not necessary, as promoting plant growth would be harmful at this season, but if one feels compelled to supplement, make the hole 2 or 3 inches deeper to accommodate some organic matter, which will encourage the roots to establish. This same method may be used to transplant small shrubs.

Perennials that need dividing, such as lilies, iris or rhubarb, can be dug as for transplanting and then carefully eased apart using garden forks. This often-touted practice is difficult and time-consuming, with the one advantage of causing little damage to the crown of the plant, if one does not become frustrated and stomp on the forks to force the division.

A much more efficient method involves cutting the clump apart, with a sharp spade, while it is yet in the ground. Lift the division and treat it as one would a transplant, then fill in the hole beside the original clump. Some die-back will occur near the cut on both sections of the plant, but recovery is rapid, and the entire process takes about five minutes, which ensures that the root system does not get dry.

Trees and large shrubs are somewhat more difficult to transplant, mostly due to size. The great Victorian gardeners, with a few skids and plenty of manpower, moved century-old trees with, literally, miles of roots attached. This, however, is somewhat impractical. A full grown tree wants to be left alone, but anything up to 20 feet might be tackled.

Due to our cold soils, tree roots are near the surface, not much more than a foot deep, and spreading outwards. To move a tree or large shrub one must shorten these roots, which requires, properly, three years. The first year, one-third of the root system is severed, just inside the drip line, which is approximately below the tips of the branches. New feeder roots will then form on the cut roots. The second year, the process is repeated on another third of the root system, and on the third year, the last roots are severed and the tree can be dug and transplanted.

Beyond the basics, trees require a little special transplant care. They need to be oriented in the same direction as they were in originally, because of a difference in tissue growth on the north and south sides of the tree. Top-heavy trees may need staking for the first two years, until the reduced root system has expanded sufficiently to hold them upright. And, due to the extent of root disturbance, water trees daily for a minimum of two weeks, and then once weekly until freeze-up.

Make the effort to beautify and reorganize now. Your spring garden will be glad you did.

Hally Truelove is a Master Gardener and plants woman who lives and gardens in Wasilla with her two daughters, a handful of cats, a bunch of bunnies, some guinea pigs, a dog and a frog. Contact her at 376-0909.