Maintaining Your Annual Garden

A garden that is a showplace of beauty and color is a garden that you have been maintaining to keep it that way. Watering, Weed Control, Fertilizing, Staking and Pruning (if needed) are the key factors when maintaining a garden of annuals.

When fertilizing most people are unaware that nitrogen is the one nutrient that frequently limit's a plants growth and is the most difficult one to manage without damaging your plants.

Keeping track of your plants color and growth rate will help you determine whether they even need a fertilizer. If they do need a nitrogen application, try using a quick release water soluble form or a slow release granular form.

If you choose the water soluble apply every 2 weeks or a quick release should be applied every 4 to 8 weeks and slow release need only be applied twice. The first should be incorporated into the soil bed at planting and the second half way through the growing season. Flowering annuals will slow down or stop growing during extended long hot days of summer although some flowers tolerate short periods of hot dry weather. A good watering with a soaker hose will provide your plants with enough water, a minimum of 1 inch per week, more when it's extremely hot or when they are flowering.

Soaker hoses are excellent because they allow the water to seep directly into the ground without wetting the leaves, wet leaves in hot weather makes plants susceptible to diseases and insect infestation a problem no one wants or needs.

Weed control can be controlled when plants are space far enough apart and mulch is spread to help minimize the growth of weeds. Some weeds will still need to be pulled by hand. If you choose to use an herbicide apply it before weeds germinate and appear and keep in mind that not all herbicides are for flower beds so READ the INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Some plants may need staking as they grow, wire cages, tomato stakes and bamboo stakes are very good choices.

Stakes should be 6 to 12 inches shorter than the height of the plant, be careful not to harm the root, sink stake far enough into the ground to be sturdy from high winds, then loosely tie the stake to the plant using a coated twine or wire.

Deadheading is simply removing dead or faded flowers and seed from the plant. Annuals produce seeds after the flower fades and this can reduce flower production. To keep your flowers producing though not necessary for all flowers, cut back any dead stems and leaves, this keeps them neat and pretty.

Eudora DeWynteroffers tips onMaintainng Your Annual Gardenon her blog athttp:www.gardentoolguru.com

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