The regeneration power of Perennials without having to start from seeds makes these ones of the most popular flowering plants.
This is especially true as we seem to have less and less time and more and more to-do items on our list.
Perennials are relatively easier to care for. They are low maintenance not only in terms of time but of soil, water, and light.
Don’t even think perennials are the solution to your Garden of Eden. They do need care, and they have their challenges in terms of insect infestation and disease. Perhaps this is due to their longer life span.
Just like people who tend to get more sick as they live longer.
Prevention – Just like many things in life, prevention goes much farther and is easier than cure. Your prevention begins with buying quality stocks of vibrant plants. Examine them carefully, look at the leaves, look under them, look for signs of stress or disease. Trust your gut. Your subconscious picks things up and tells your gut that your conscious mind may miss.
A healthy plant has a much better chance to fight disease and pests than a sick or borderline one.
You may also want to look at perennials bred to resist diseases and pest infestations. Perennial growers spend a lot of time and money to selectively breed plants to resist common problems, including drought, insects, and infections.
Your inspections do not end in the selection process; there are pathogens in the air and soil. The sooner you catch them, the easier it is to cure them.
Look for deformed leaves, too many dropped leaves, ugly spots of many colors, holes, and wounds on the leaves. Once you see, then try to diagnose quickly and treat effectively.
Type of soil, as well as watering method, amount and schedule impacts the health of your perennials, can have a big impact on their health.
Overhead watering, especially in the evenings, provides an excellent moist environment on the leaves for the disease, especially fungus to grow.
Frequent watering does the same too moist environment at the root level, which could kill the plant.
Well-drained soils, deep watering, and enough time in between for the water to drain or evaporate is a key. The last thing you want is standing water in most cases.
And remember these are perennials, they need care even when the growing flower season ends. Part of that care is pruning according to the needs of your specific plants.