Plant Care

Now that the weather has finally warmed up, and a good number of people have their annual planters, gardens, and landscapes out and ready to go, how do you keep them looking their best?  People often ask me “what kind of maintenance do I have to do in the garden?” 

The amount of maintenance required to keep your garden and landscape looking good depends a lot on your perception of how you think it should look.  If you like a more formal look with neatly trimmed shrubs and not a wilted bloom to be seen, then it is going to take constant pruning and fertilizing.  For a little more natural look you can let the plants do their thing and keep up with some simple watering and weeding.  The bottom line is you can do as much or as little as you want to.

The most important factor in having a healthy and attractive garden is watering.  Annual planters are going to need the most attention.  A small pot will need to be watered almost every day where a large pot or planter may only need to be watered every 3 or 4 days depending on the weather.  Also fertilize your annual planters every couple of weeks with a high phosphorus fertilizer such as bloom plus, to promote better blooming.  Shrubs and perennials need to be watered once every 5 to 7 days, where trees only need water once every 10 days to 2 weeks depending on irrigation and weather.  A slow release fertilizer will also promote healthier trees and shrubs.  By doing these few things your planters, gardens, and landscapes should look great for the entire summer and as always if you have any questions contact your local nursery professional.