Planting Summer Annuals

Planting summer annuals is a great way to supplement Mother Nature's beauty at this time of year. The best time to plant them is from April 19th through May 29th. As you get ready to plant, be sure to follow some of these simple guidelines:

Bed Perparation - You will want to add five bags of decomposed pine bark (Nature's Helper or something similar) per 1-- square feet of bed. You can stop tilling the bed when you can no longer make a dirt cloud with your hand.

Rake Beds - Use a hand rake to lightly shape and mound your newly tilled beds. Once the bed is mounded and smooth, lightly rake fertilizer, lime and a granular fungicide into the top 1/2" of the new bed.

Bed Layout - Summer annuals should be planted approximately 10" on center (1.2 plants per square foot of bed). Remember, it is better to plant one big bed than a lot of small beds.

Actual Planting - Be sure to "tickle" or lightly break up the flowers roots when you remove them from their containers. Dig the hols with your hang, and plant the flowers so that the tops of the roots are even with the newly prepped soil.

Mulching and Watering - After planting is done, you will want to apply mulch to the bed. We recommend using mini nuggets (five bags per 100 square feet). The mulch will aid in water retention and disguises the exposed soil until the flowers have a chance to grow together. After mulching, be sure to water the bed with a light mist until the soil is saturated to a finger's depth.It is hard to deny the pleasure and aesthetic beauty a well-performing summer annual bed provides. Enjoy!