Basic Plant Maintenance Routine?
YEP!

I am stoked to be sharing a plant maintenance to take the guess work outta caring for your vivacious, herbaceous annuals!  Promise it is not complicated, consisting of all the information needed for you to master your greenspace!  With this information you can create your own custom routine including the following: vigilant weeding & cultivating, timely watering, regular fertilizing & mulching!

Lets get right into the ‘meat-and-potatoes’ of it..

Maintenance Considerations

 

Weeding / Cultivation

• Regular, shallow cultivation: one of the best ways to combat weeds in annual flower beds and border plantings.  This destroys young weeds and weed seedlings before they become mature.  This may be done with a little three prong hand rake or a gardening hoe or what ever tool your heart desires.
• Cultivation prevents surface crusting of the soil.
• Mass plantings of annuals require less weeding & cultivating.  This is due to the fact there is very little room for weeds to get growing amongst more established mass planting of annuals.  Of course, while the mass planting is establishing, you will need to weed & cultivate more than once the annuals are established.

 

Water

• Proper watering is KEY to successful gardening
• Well structured soil, with good drainage properties, is needed.  Amending the soil, with organic matter, will improve drainage in heavier soils & greatly improve moisture retention in lighter textured soils.
• Type & timing of watering will depend on: weather conditions, type of plants, as well as soil condition.
• Deep, infrequent watering is best.

 

Fertilize &/or Mulch

• Annual incorporation of Compost or well rotted manure, will aid in maintaining an adequate balance of nutrients for annuals.  This will happen in the fall or before planting in the spring.
• Watering plants in, at time of planting, with a starter fertilizer is highly recommended.  Following up with regular applications of a more balanced fertilizer throughout the annuals growing season will ensure the best display from your plants.
• Organic Mulches are extremely beneficial.  For more on mulches, search blog for ‘mulch’ (bottom left corner!)