By Lori Brinkey
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes this grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7
The grass is growing, the lilacs are blooming and the trees are almost all leafed out again. That means it is time to get ready for Gardens For Growth again! Do you have any perennials that need to be divided? Extra seedlings that you just can’t throw away? Or maybe even a surplus of cool weather produce such as lettuce, spinach or rhubarb? We’d love for you to bring any extras you may have to church on Sunday June 4th and June 11th. We’ll have tables set up for the plants and produce which will then be available for anyone to pick up and take home. We’ll also have a jar there to accept donations. In the past, we have used the donated funds to purchase new computers and to help pay the mortgage. Stop by the tables during the first two weekends in June and pick out something for your flower beds, garden or kitchen table. Then, join us again in mid August when all those wonderful home grown veggies are ready for sharing. We usually have lots of herbs and vegetables including a variety of tomatoes, delicious sweet corn and of course a whole bunch of zucchini!
If you are available to help with set up before the 8:30 service or take down after the 10:15 service or, could help oversee the tables after either service (no garden experience required) please contact Lori Brinkey via email or 734-223-3110. If you know ahead of time that you can bring any plants or produce it would be helpful to know for set up but it’s not necessary to call/email- you can just bring anything you have that morning.
For those of you who may be new to gardening- here’s some tips for dividing perennials. Perhaps you have bunches of flowers in the yard that come up every year and used to bloom a lot but don’t bloom much any more. Or maybe that clump of hosta you planted a few years ago has grown and is crowding out other plants. It’s likely that it’s time to “divide” them. Take a look at the simple instructions below, copied from the MSU Extension website. You will end up will several plants that you can spread around your yard, share with friends or bring to Garden’s For Growth!
Dividing perennials like the daylily is easy. Start by lifting whole clump and shaking off the soil.
Separate into pieces by hand or a sharp knife and remove dead or mushy tissue.
Replant smaller (three to five fans) divisions at their original depth into the new location and water well.
Post-planting care after division
It is best to water the newly planted divisions to displace soil air pockets that may create rot conditions over winter. If there is a dry fall, this will also get the plant off to a good start for next year. With ample rain, supplemental watering may not be a concern. Mulching the newly planted perennials with your own or commercial garden compost will supply a low amount of nutrients while evening out soil moisture. Next spring, follow up your planting efforts with fertilizer as recommended by a soil test.
Find out about other educational resources and classes at migarden.msu.edu and at Finneran’s blog. You can contact the MSU Master Gardener Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 with your questions.
To help with Gardens for Growth contact Lori Brinkey via email or phone: 734-223-3110
Join us Sundays, June 4 & 11 after worship and purchase some plants!
