Whatever the conditions of certain areas of your property, spectacular arrangements can be yours by choosing plants capable of withstanding difficult conditions.
Choosing the perfect soil mix
Annuals usually like fertile, friable and well-drained soil. while you're planting, add compost or a time-release granular fertilizer.
Watering
The ideal time to water plants is in the morning.
- Put one finger in the soil down to the first phalanx, between 2 and 3 cm. If soil is moist at that distance, where roots are located, it is not necessary to water.
- Water the soil and not the foliage to prevent diseases.
- Check foliage for signs of dehydration.
- Add mulch to the flowerbeds to maintain a good humidity level.
Deadheading
Many breeders have created new cultivars that don't need deadheading. But removing faded flowers will encourage continuous, abundant flowering.
Perennials unfortunately, need deadhead in most cases.
Fertilising
To grow and stay beautiful, annual flowers need a lot of fertilizer.
BOTANIX water-soluble fertilizer for flowering plants 15-30-15 every 2 weeks.Dissolve in water and apply enough nutrient solution to moisten the plant's entire root system.
BOTANIX granular fertilizer for annuals, perennials and rose bushes 8-12-10 every 4 weeks. Add fertilizer to the soil using a hoe, then water.
Pruning annuals
Towards the end of July, some annuals begin to look pretty raggedy, and would benefit from having yellowing foliage and seed heads pruned.
After cutting them back, a liquid or granular fertilizer won't hurt, either. Normally, they will then quickly restart growing and blooming right up to the end of summer.
Stalking
The tallest annuals or those producing heavy flower that can easily break when raining or windy may need staking.
- Add stakes early in the season.
- Attach the lengthening shoots to them as they grow.
For your thick, bushy annuals, use the type with variable diameter metal rings that can be attached at various heights to their stake.
Tall annuals or those that produce long floral spikes, such as some hibiscuses, can each have their own stakes.
- Insert a bamboo into the soil behind the plant.
- Attach a string to them every 30 cm or so.
In the fall, some can be saved
It is possible to keep quite a few of your annuals. Many of them are actually perennials that simply can't tolerate our winter conditions.
- Bring them in for winter and they'll keep growing. They'll be even bigger when you plant them out next spring.
- Place them close to a sunny window so they get enough light.
- If you have a limited space inside, take cuttings to root in water from the plants starting in mid-August.
Annuals that can be brought inside or grown in water:
- Angel's Trumpets
- Begonia
- Coleus
- Cranesbill
- Dracaena
- Fuchsia
- Heliotrope
- Lantana
- Liquorice Plant
- Mintleaf
- Paris Daisy
- Star of Bethlehem
- Verbena
