It’s time to get our hands in the dirt again! And, unless we start them ourselves, it is also time to purchase bedding plants. With some planning, smart plant selection, and a little TLC from greenhouse to garden, this could be your most colorful and successful season yet!
Whether buying plants for your veggie garden or accenting your landscape with color, don't set foot in that garden center until you have a plan and a list in hand!
Start preparing your flower beds now, dividing perennials as needed. This will give you an accurate idea of where annuals are needed to add color. Draw your gardens, noting existing plants and empty spaces, to help you plan. Record when and how much sun each garden area gets. Consider the mature size of selected plant varieties when deciding where and how close to plant. From your drawings, make a list of plants you need. You are now ready to go shopping!
Early shoppers are rewarded with a good selection of young, healthy plants. This also allows you time to prepare greenhouse plants for garden conditions. You will not be overwhelmed by the wide array of plants available since you have a plan. Allow room, though, to try something new that you may discover at the greenhouse.
Look for short, stocky plants with dark green leaves. Check leaves and stems for spots and insects. Avoid tall, "leggy" plants. Smaller, younger plants take off faster than tall, spindly plants stressed from being in a cell pack for too long.
Sun and wind can kill tender greenhouse plants if put in the garden right away. You need to "harden", or acclimate, plants to garden conditions first. Start by placing plants outside in a shady area, protected from wind. Gradually increase exposure to sun and wind. Water when soil surface is dry to the touch. Check at least twice a day during this time since plants can dry out fast. Take plants inside if frost, wind, or a severe storm threatens. After about 7 to 10 days, plants are garden-ready.
Most plants may be planted after threat of frost is past. The average date of last frost here is May 11 to 20. Beware though! Occasionally a frost may hit us after June 1st. Alyssum, pansies, snapdragons or cold hardy veggies such as cabbage or broccoli may be planted as early as the last week of April.
Plant in the evening or on an overcast day to reduce stress from wilting under the hot sun. This gives the roots a chance to recover from transplanting.
Water plants well before transplanting. Drain and remove plants from cells by pushing up from the bottoms of the cells. Plant each transplant before removing the next one from its cell to minimize drying out. Using a knife, loosen or cut roots that have wrapped around the outside of root system. These will continue to grow this way if not disrupted. Set plants in the ground at the same depth that they were in cell packs.
Water and fertilize transplants at the time of planting. Make a fertilizer solution by thoroughly dissolving 2 T of all-purpose 5-10-5 garden fertilizer in 1 gallon of water. Apply 1 cup of this solution to each plant and water well.
By Dorrie Mininger, Master Gardener-May Newsline
