South Carolina ETV

Making It Grow! News Articles

October 16, 2005

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Tropical storm Tammy brought much needed rain to the Palmetto State.
With little to no precipitation during September, many of our
ornamentals and trees were in desperate need of a good drink of water.
We also needed adequate soil moisture for fall planting around the
home landscape.

There are several flowering onramentals which require fall planting.
One that generates lots of interest each year is the spring flowering
bulb.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to properly planting bulbs. Soil
preparation and fertility are of paramount importance. What we do in
the fall during planting will go a long way in determining the
appearance of the bulbs the following spring.

Our first order of business is making sure the soil is tilled to a
depth of at least eight inches. Bulbs grow off faster if they are
placed in soil that is not compacted. Since most of our state has
received adequate rainfall, rotor-tillers should have little trouble
pulverzing the soil. This will help with drainage. Many bulbs do not
like to grow in soil with poor drainage. Some of the iris cultivars do
prefer moist conditons.

It always helps to have adequate phosphorous around the bulb when it
starts its growth. Phosphorous is a major essential element that
promotes early roo growth. Using bonemeal or normal superphospate at
planting should be satisfactory. It is always a good idea to take a
soil sample to determine soil pH. There is no need to worry about
phosphorous or any other element if soil pH is not in the sufficient
range.

The pansy has grown in popularity over the years due to the numerous
cultivars and versatility in planting locations. Whetther it is used
in plant boxes or on the edge of borders, the pansy has become one of
the favorite flowering winter annuals. Time of planting is very
important. When pansies are planted in late fall, they have a tendency
to bloom less. Try to get your pansies planted this month.

There is an All America Selections (AAS) Winner for 2006 that you may
want to try. 'Skippy XL Red-Gold' (Viola cornuta) is the first pansy
to win the prestigious AAS Award. The flower is ruby red with violet
shading below the golden yellow face. This cultivar has demonstrated
heat tolerance which is an excellent trait for our area. It also has
good winter hardiness. This pansy spreads to around eight inches, so
be careful not to plant it too close together.

Mother Nature has finally given us adequate soil moisture for the
planting. Let's not procrastinate and miss this good opportunity.