Planting and Caring for Annuals

Whether you started your plants inside as seeds or went to your local garden center for flats of your favorite annuals, you'll need to properly plant annuals and care for annuals in order to achieve the garden you've spent so much time planning for. Use the suggestions that follow to do just that.

Planting

Get your plants off on the right foot by taking care when planting annuals in your garden bed.

• Gently break up the root-ball of annuals grown in cell packs or pots before planting them. Often, the roots have overgrown the potting area and become matted. You'll have to pull off the tangles so the roots will be able to grow freely into the soil.
  
  If roots are wound around the bottom of the root-ball, use your finger to gently work the roots free of each other. If they are matted over the entire root-ball, you'll need to tear or cut the mats off, leaving the roots below intact.
  
  
• Use a spacing aid to plant annual displays and cutting gardens in even rows. Even the most beautifully grown annuals can be distracting if they are spaced erratically. Fortunately, spacing is one element you can easily control. Here are some options:

• Make a planting grid by stapling a large piece of wire mesh over a wooden frame. If the mesh openings are 2 inches square and you want to plant ageratums 6 inches apart, you can put one seedling in every third hole.

• Make a spacing rope. Tie knots in the rope to mark specific measurements, for instance, noting every 4 or 6 inches. You can stretch the rope between two stakes to make even measurements along a straight line.

• Take a yardstick with you when you go to plant. Measure the distance between each plant in a row and between rows rather than simply eyeballing it.

�2006 Publications International, Ltd. Zinnias benefit from proper growth care.

Watering

Along with soil and light, water is an essential ingredient for plant growth. It's not easy, especially at first, to gauge exactly when plants require water -- so much depends upon current weather and soil conditions.

The Benefits of Deep WateringWhen plants are watered infrequently but heavily, they'll develop large and deep root networks. Frequent light waterings cause plants to develop shallow root systems just below the soil surface. This causes plants to be poorly anchored and therefore subject to toppling in heavy wind or rain, as well as liable to wilting unless they're watered daily. Therefore, slow, deep-soak watering produces stronger and hardier plants. Whenever possible, water in the evening or overnight rather than in the morning or the heat of the day.

For example, if good soaking rains fall frequently, it's obvious additional watering is unnecessary. However, when there's a light rainfall every few days, it's possible that only the soil surface has been dampened without much water actually reaching plant roots, necessitating the addition of water.

Plants subjected to bright sun and wind also lose a lot of
water that needs to be replenished. Similarly, because trees continually pull large quantities of moisture from the surrounding soil, annuals planted near or under them need more frequent watering than those in the open.

All of these factors affect the rate at which soil dries out.
Some plants require soil that is constantly moist, while other species tolerate -- or even require -- some drying between waterings.

So how do you judge when to water and how much water to give? The one sure way to test is by poking your finger 2 to 3 inches into the soil and feeling how moist or dry it is. Taking a pinch from the surface isn't good enough; you need to know what it's like down in the root zone.

Inexperienced gardeners should check soil moisture any day that there is little or no rainfall. Over time, you'll develop a feel for the overall conditions and check only when you suspect the soil may be turning dry. Remember, it's always better to check too often rather than not often enough. Don't wait until drooping plants indicate that the soil is parched.

When you do water, water deeply. Many people briefly spray a thirsty flower bed with a handheld hose. When they tire of holding it, become bored, or think they have watered enough because the water has stopped soaking into the soil as rapidly as it did at first, the watering session is ended. Always pause to check how deeply the water has penetrated. Guessing usually results in reaching only the top 1/2 inch leaving the soil beneath it still dry.

A better approach is to use an automatic sprinkler, letting it gently "rain" for an extended period of time. Check at half-hour intervals to see how deeply the water has penetrated. Turn the water off when the soil is moistened to a 4-inch depth. Don't water again until your testing indicates the need.

One problem with sprinkler water is that the foliage becomes very wet, creating an ideal environment for the spread of fungus diseases. In addition, flower clusters heavy with water are more likely to bend and break or to become mildewed.

The best way to water is with a soaker hose. The water slowly oozes from the hose's many tiny holes for several hours -- even overnight. All of the water soaks directly on the soil and down to the plant roots without any waste or damage.

�2006 Publications International, Ltd. Lay a soaker hose in place when plants are small and leave it there for the season.

Drip irrigation is another excellent slow-soaking system, but it's more expensive than a soaker hose. Thus it's probably a sensible alternative for those who have large plant beds or who garden in climates where irrigation is constantly needed in order for cultivated plants to survive. Once the system is laid out, it can remain in place year after year; in areas that freeze, however, it must be drained for the winter.

There are two additional factors that will help conserve moisture and thus reduce the frequency of need for watering. One is the incorporation of compost into the planting area; this causes the soil to be able to soak up and hold water longer. (This is true when organic matter is added to light and sandy soils; conversely, when it's added to heavy soils, it helps to lighten and aerate them.)

The second technique that helps retain moisture is the use of mulch. Laid on the soil surface between the plants, mulch protects the soil from sun and wind drying.

By using these two ideas, you can cut down on the time needed to care for your garden, and even more importantly, help conserve water, nature's precious resource.

Fertilizing

The best course to follow is to have your garden soil tested before you plant, then follow the recommendations given with your test results. Knowing what nutrients are needed helps cut down on the number of choices, but still leaves the decision of whether to use an organic or inorganic fertilizer up to you.

If you're able to obtain the nutrients you need from organic fertilizers, you reduce the risk of possibly harming the environment. However, if the nutrients you require cannot realistically be obtained from such sources, there's little danger in using inorganic fertilizers as long as you apply only as much as is needed.

�2006 Publications International, Ltd. Granular and powdered commercial fertilizers release nutrients more quickly than organic fertilizers.

As you study the NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) formula on each plant food, you'll notice that organic fertilizers contain much lower percentages of nutrients per pound than do inorganic fertilizers. For the most part, this doesn't matter when feeding annuals.

Where this can become a problem is when you're trying to adjust a large garden bed's nutrient content at the beginning of the growing season. You may find that, in order to raise the nutrients to the recommended level, you'll have to add 4 inches of the organic material. This can be done if the area to be covered is small, but for large areas, it could become unwieldy. In these cases it's more practical to make major adjustments with inorganics, then proceed with organics for minor adjustments in future years.

Fertilizers are applied in a dry granular or powder form, or mixed with water for a liquid application. The granular or powder foods should be broadcast over the soil surface and dug in; liquid applications can be made with a hand sprayer or a special mixing attachment for your garden hose.

CompostingMaking your own compost from plant wastes, soil, and nutrients takes several months. Many gardeners find it easier to purchase bagged compost instead. Either way, compost is a good additive for soils low in organic materials.

To supply food for immediate use by bedding annuals that are newly planted out, a weak solution of water soluble fertilizer -- either fish emulsion or an inorganic type -- can be poured from a watering can directly around each plant. Thereafter, a couple of side dressings of granular plant food sprinkled around each plant at two-week intervals should carry them through the rest of the summer.

For best absorption, fertilize when the soil is moist. Take care to apply it on the soil rather than on the plant leaves. The plants, your hands, and the fertilizer should be dry when you fertilize. Caution: Always wash your hands after handling fertilizer.

A final word regarding two homemade soil amenders: compost and liquid manure. Compost is made by combining plant wastes with soil and fertilizer, allowing them to decompose for several months, then mixing them back into the garden. Liquid manure is made by combining animal wastes and water, allowing them to decompose, then watering the garden with the resultant liquid. Both are good organic nutrient sources even though their level of nutrients is low. However, neither is especially practical for the average, small home garden.

Keeping Things Tidy

Annuals will flourish when provided with the best possible growing conditions. However, there are a few simple care techniques that will help increase and control their growth.

• Pinching Back: To encourage plants to fill out, remove the growth bud at the end of the main stem when the plant is in its rapid growth stage that precedes first flower bud formation. For bedding plants, the best time to do this is when you're planting them out in the garden. They're at a good stage of growth and, in addition, the removal of some of their foliage will help balance any root damage they may suffer in the transplanting process. Plants grown from seeds sown directly in the garden should be pinched back when they're 3 to 4 inches tall.
  
  Simply pinch out or snap off the last inch or so of the main growing tip. This will redirect the plant's energy from this single shoot to numerous latent side buds -- there is a latent growth bud located at the node (the point on the stem where each leaf is attached).
  
  Several days after pinching, you'll see several small shoots pushing from the remaining stem. These will grow into a cluster of stems to replace the original single stem. The plant will be shorter, stockier, and fuller than if no pinching had been done. It will also be neater-looking, more compact, and have many more branches on which to produce flowers. A second pinching can be done two weeks after the first one if an even fuller plant is desired.
  

  �2006 Publications International, Ltd. Keep geraniums tidy and producing by removing the old flowers.

• Deadheading: Once annuals begin to bloom, it's important to remove spent flowers promptly for several reasons. First, once the flower dies, it detracts from the good looks of the garden. Second, even though we say it's dead, it's actually very much alive and continues with its growth toward seed production. This process pulls plant energy that would otherwise be available for new foliage and flower production into the seed head. Third, removal of spent flowers helps to quickly redirect plant energy to side shoots for smooth and speedy transfer to new growth.
  
  To make this rerouting most efficient, always cut back to just above the first side bud that is already beginning to grow. If there is no active side bud below the bloom, cut back either to a side branch or immediately above a leaf node where a latent bud will be likely to push out new growth. Make a clean cut with a sharp-bladed knife, since ragged cuts take much longer to heal and are likely sites for entry of rot and disease. These rules for cutting apply to the removal of cutting flowers as well.
  
  Occasionally it becomes necessary to cut back growth in order to keep a plant from becoming leggy or from drowning out neighboring plants. Cutting back should be approached in the same way as removing dead flower heads. Always cut back to a side growth shoot or branch that is headed in the direction you want future growth to go. This way you can steer and control growth as you see fit.

Fragrant Annuals Why not plant some perfumed flowers under an open window or beside the patio? Here are some good choices: Pinks Heliotropes Petunias Moonflowers Lemon and Orange Gem marigolds Fragrant white flowering tobacco Stocks Sweet peas

After all the hard work you've put into planning, planting, and caring for your garden, you don't want some pesky pest or disease coming in and ruining everything, do you? For tips on preventing plants diseases and pest, see the next page.