Tips and tricks to ensure success for future foliage

Long-time gardening columnist Lyndon Penner may be hanging up hisgloves with CBC, but he still has tips and tricksto prepare you for next year's growing season.

Dry weather parchedSaskatchewan throughout the summer and Penner recommendsa different approach to taking care of perennials and trees before spring 2018.

"I don't think in gardening there's ever a time to give up," said Penner, whose Friday interview with SheilaColeson The Morning Editionmarkedhis last gardening column with CBC.

"The amount of water a tree uses in a day isreally significant," he said. "I have a lot of perennials that are looking extra crispy."

Penner recommended a few tricks to keep foliage drought-resistant:

• Use lots of compost.
• Consider deep root watering.
• Choose a soil that holds moisture well.

In preparation for spring after a dry summer, he recommends a "slow, deep" watering before the colder weather hits.

Be sure to keep waterpressure at a trickle. Soak the base of the tree five minutes for every foot of growth and repeat every three to five days.

"The newer the tree, the more water it should be getting," he said.