3 tips on growing Goldenrod

Brightly-coloured and fiery, Goldenrod adds dash and character to your garden. For all you need to know about cultivating this flower successfully in your yard, follows these 3 tips.

It may surprise you to learn that Goldenrod was once considered to be a weed. A well-deserved makeover by plant breeders have transformed this vibrant plant into a dense, brightly coloured flowering perennial which works well in gardens.

Contrary to popular belief, Goldenrod doesn’t trigger allergic reactions; the pollen that aggravates allergies comes from plants that flower at the same time so, if you like the look of Goldenrod, you can enjoy it without any irritation.

With its flaming colours, Goldenrod goes well with a huge range of other garden plants and flowers. Together with other autumn favourites, such as asters, chrysanthemums and Russian sage, goldenrod brings the season to an end in glowing colour.

A classic combination is Goldenrod and a rich purple-flowered aster, such as 'Purple Dome'. Goldenrod's fleecy, yellow plumes dramatically accent the yellow button at the centre of each aster blossom.

Because of its lean stature, be generous when you plant Goldenrod. It’s best planted in groupings of three or more plants.

Goldenrod is an easy flowering plant to grow. Follow these steps to successfully add Goldenrod to your yard. Goldenrod thrives in soil with poor to average fertility, and require little water and no fertilizer. These tips will help you cultivate Goldenrod:

• Goldenrod grown in overly-rich soil are likely to flop over and flower poorly.
• To promote flowering, however, sun exposure is a must.
• Plant Goldenrod in spring so that you can enjoy the show the following fall.
• Dig a hole roomy enough for the plant's roots and untangle the root ball with your fingers before setting it in the hole so that the roots can grow into the surrounding soil. Set plants at least 30 centimetres apart.
• The planting may look puny at first, but it will fill the gaps as it matures.
• While remarkably insect free, Goldenrod leaves may contract powdery whitish patches of a disfiguring fungal disease called powdery mildew in late summer, when days are hot and nights are cool and damp.
• Trim off and dispose of affected foliage and thin surrounding plants to promote better circulation, which discourages the disease.

Goldenrod is a splendid flowering plant to grow in your garden as a complement to other plants and flowers or on its own. These steps will help you to grow the colourful Goldenrod in your yard successfully.