Page 7 - Griffin Gazette Spring 2016

Schizachyrium ‘Standing Ovation’ or even Hakonechloa Aureola
Juncus. Don’t rule out grasses for shade
pots either! Hakonechloa, for example,
can do well in shade and also offers a
beautiful flowing habit.

2. Remind your customers that fall is
considered the ‘second spring’ and is
a great time to plant new perennials or
revitalize older plantings. For example,
plan on having a new crop of peonies (and
spruce up the old), herbaceous or tree,
and promote the benefits of planting them
in fall; September is generally considered
the best time to plant or divide peonies.

3. Offer your customers an educational
seminar around fall perennials for a
nominal fee, perhaps giving them a
discount coupon when they attend.
Your perennial sales that day are sure
to increase!

4. Many retailers use fall as a time to put their
old plants on sale. In theory, this isn’t a
bad idea, but consider those plants with
a critical eye. If they look terrible, they’re
better off in the compost pile rather than
taking up valuable bench space. Poor-
looking product does your reputation no
favors; if you can’t clean it up, pitch it out.

Forward Thinking to Spring Ahead
On to the second half of the perennial-
planning equation: the items you’ll need
to pot up in the fall for spring sales. This
includes anything that flowers in the spring,
as well as items you want to size up for
exceptional container fill. Items such as
dianthus and iberis, for example, should be
brought in so they can get well established
before going into dormancy. Very broadly

Miscanthus Morning Light thinking, growers in northern states want
these crops potted up by late August or
early September; growers in southern states
want to plan for October or early November.
If you wait much longer, you’ll be running
into shorter days and plants beginning to
shut down for the season. The goal is to
encourage some new growth to get good
pot fill, and time to harden off, before the
onset of short days and cold temperatures.

Another consideration when planning
your perennial orders for fall: availability.
The breeders and young-plant producers
generally release their spring collections for
the next season in July. If you wait too long,
you may miss out on that cool new daylily
or that hot new campanula. “Order early!”
is a good mantra to follow; doing so also
positions you to take advantage of any early
order discounts that might be offered.

Don’t be left in the cold! Connect with your
SHS Griffin sales representative early about
the new items that’ll be offered in fall, or
spring the following year. Both the bread-
and-butter items as well as the new up-and-
comers are important. Happy planning and
happy planting!