Article
Flower Beds: Perennial And Annual Flowers
By Joey Reynolds
Annual flowers live their whole life in one season. They sprout, mature, flower, set seed and die. Perennials live three or more years, some not flowering until their second year.
The first step in planting flower beds is to test your soil. A soil test will determine nutrient deficiences, pH, and even soil structure. This will determine how you should amend your soil. This will also help determine what will grow in that site. Prepare the soil by adding organic matter, shifting the pH if needed, tilling or turning by hand, and adding fertilizers.
Planting of perennials and annuals is about the same. Plant container-grown plants by removing the plant from the container; turn it upside-down, holding your hand over the root ball to catch the plant. Tap the bottom of the container and slide the plant out. Cut an X in the bottom of the rootball to spread the roots out. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the container. Fill the bottom of the hole with loose soil, to be sure the plant sits level. Place the plant in the hole so the crown is at the same level it was growing at in the container. water the plant and fill-in the hole with soil, using the soil from the container also. Fertilize the plant if necessary. Mulch around the plant, not letting the mulch touch the base of the plant.
To care for perennial plants, you should do quite a few things to keep your plants healthy and vigorous. Water if rainfall is scarce. Most plants need an inch of water per week, either through rainfall or hand-watering. However, there are plants that require less water; so research each plants watering needs. Mulch the soil well to retain moisture, slow down weeds, and keep the flowers and foliage free of dirt. Fertilize once or twice a year; depending on your soil conditions and the type of plants you grow. Some plants require poor, unfertile soil. Stake tall plants if necessary. Some plants benefit from pinching. This is when you pinch back the stems of plants to keep the growth compact. Mums are an example of a plant that actually requires pinching. Other plants need to be cut-back after flowering, either to promote another flush of flowers or to keep the plant tidy looking. Deadheading is removing the spent flowers. Some plants benefit from this and it can promote more flowering. Most perennials should be divided every three years to keep the plant from declining and becoming overgrown. Simply dig the entire plant, cut or pull it into pieces, then replant. With bulbs you can dig the mother bulb and remove the bulblets, then replant. Add winter protection to less hardy plants that are exposed, in the form of a winter mulch.
Annuals are much easier to care for. Usually once annual flowers are planted, besides watering and occasianal deadheading, they do not need much care. They can be fertilized when planted with a slow-release fertilizer that will feed them throughout the growing season.