Flower Gardening Tips: Good Soil Produces Great Flowers
January 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Flower, Gardening Tips
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The Earth laughs in flowers.” Any gardener who has known the joy of working with these bright, aromatic blessings of nature recognizes the truth of Emerson’s words. In this guide we want to help you get your next flower garden off to a great start, so the earth around your home will be merry with fragrant color from early spring through late fall.
A great garden begins in the dirt. Preparing the soil to embrace your bulbs, seeds, annuals, or perennials will guarantee them the right start toward thriving beauty. It helps to picture your flower beds as a living ecosystem in which your plantings are a part of the whole. Maintaining the total health of the beds will allow each part of it to prosper. Therefore, use chemical fertilizers and herbicides in limited quantities, if you must use them at all. They tend to eliminate helpful organisms such as earthworms and beneficial fungi from the soil. In their place, choose compost or natural mulch. Mulch is the layer above the soil found in forests. It is comprised of decomposing leaves and other organic matter being turned back into the soil from which it sprang. Replicate this system in your garden by adding leaves and grass clippings to the soil to enrich it.
If you are planting established annuals or perennials, choose healthy plants. Inspect flowers before you buy them, or upon their arrival if they were purchased by phone or online. Placing healthy plants in healthy soil makes a winning combination! Choose a cloudy day for transplanting your flowers. This will prevent adding stress on what will already be a big day for them. Some experts suggest early evening plantings, to allow the flowers the longest period of time to adjust before the next sunrise. Spring planting is best, but hardy annuals will be just fine, even in the heat of summer, if plenty of water is supplied. Mums do best if planted only after the first cold snap of the fall.
Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball for planting. Make it deep enough to cover the root ball, but not so deep the stems will be buried. Covered stems in most soil invite rot that will make quick work of your new friends. Remove the plant from the container, and gently work your fingers around and through the root ball, to stimulate activity and to separate the individual roots so they can spread out more effectively. Set the plant in the hole and gently pack the remaining space with the removed dirt. It is important to remove air pockets, or the soil will settle with the first watering, exposing roots to the sun and to pests.
Once in the soil, give your flowers a good soaking. Be sure to apply the water gently, so roots are not dug up by the force of the spray. A watering can of hose attachment with a diffuser work best. Inspect your plants for settling of the soil, and build up those areas. Cover the area with mulch, being careful not to pack it against the stem. The purpose is to hold water in the soil, not against the exposed stem, which may cause rot.
Take care to provide a healthy place for your beloved flowers to grow. They’ll laugh more heartily, and you will find yourself laughing along with them.
Flowers Gardening Books & Products
Products :
Grandmother’s Cut Flower Garden Seed Mix 15 Grams 22 Varieties
Songbird Mix Seeds Large Packet 40 Grams 12 Different Flowers
Stack & Grow – Indoor / Outdoor Stackable Flower & Garden Planter With Wheel Base
Books :
The Big Book of Flower Gardening: A Guide to Growing Beautiful Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Roses
Burpee Complete Flower Gardener
Related posts:
