Re: need advice bare-root perennial

**"* B* <l*@msn.com>**

Judy,

Fall is the absolute best time to plant this perennial.  The ground is nice and warm and roots have a much better chance of getting established.  Make sure the plant gets well watered before the ground freezes and once it freezes, make sure the plant gets mulched so that it doesn't heave when those mid-winter thaws come.  That's what usually kills late planted perennials -- those tender roots get exposed to winter and ka-blam! There they go!  Winter mulch is intended to keep everything nice and cold.  It can be removed when things start to thaw for good around mid-March, but I'm sure by then you'll have gathered lots more info on this.

You might want to suggest that as long as there's a hole being dug, dig it a little bigger and put some spring blooming bulbs in behind the geranium. Something on the smallish side like muscari or crocus.  The emerging geranium foliage will hide the withering bulb foliage and that hole will do double duty for half the work.  And won't you look like the genius!

Lorraine 

Lorraine Ballato 
Brookfield CT  (zone 5b)
----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Judy Lowe<h*@yahoo.com> 
  To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org<g*@lists.ibiblio.org> 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:26 PM
  Subject: [GWL] need advice bare-root perennial

  Someone in our office was selling bulbs for his daugher's school. And someone ordered a perennial geranium from the list, which arrived bare root. What should she do now? She lives outside Boston (probably Zone 5B) and if her area hasn't had a frost yet, it will soon. Should she try to grow it as a houseplant over winter? Plant outside and see if it comes up next spring?

  I've had no experience with bare-root perennials in fall and wouldn't have ordered them myself, figuring that fall planting would be iffy. But I figure that someone on this list -- maybe everyone -- knows more than I on this topic and can help my co-worker.

  Thanks so much,
  Judy Lowe
  http://features.csmonitor.com/gardening<http://features.csmonitor.com/gardening>

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