Definition of Annuals

An annual is a flower that lives for only one growing season. You’ll have to plant new annuals each year either from seed or from young plants. This allows you to try out new annuals and color combinations each year.

Choosing the Right Annuals

There are several factors you must consider when choosing what annuals to plant in and around your home. Before running to the lawn and garden aisles, take a few minutes to determine which annuals work best with your environment, your lifestyle and your pocketbook.

The Basics of Planting Annuals

Now that you have chosen the right annuals for your home, it’s time for some basics on planting them. Following are some helpful tips for creating healthy soils and healthy annuals that can add color, beauty and life to your home.

Healthy Soils

By adding organic soil amendments each time you plant, the texture of your soil improves over time and so do your flowers. Create your own amendment with a compost pile or buy a prepared planting mix and work into the top eight inches of your soil.

Plant Depth:

Always plant at the proper depth. It's easy to set transplants too deep and rot your stems. To plant at a proper depth, dig a hole deep enough so that the top of your transplant's root ball is level with the surface of the ground.

Watering:

Water newly set bedding plants regularly until your plants are established. Watering needs vary depending on your soil. Poor, sandy soils should be watered as often as once a day. Plants in clay soil may only need watering every second or third day. After a few weeks of regular watering, your plants should be well rooted and only require watering during periods of dry weather.

Fertilizer

Always fertilize hybrid bedding plants. Hybrid bedding plants are bred for show and respond to fertilizer with many flowers. Before you plant, you should work a timed-release fertilizer into your soil. Most time-release formulas last three, six or even nine months, unlike liquid fertilizers that last only two weeks.

Insect Protection for Annuals:

To encourage stronger blooms and protect your annuals against insects for up to six weeks, use Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules. To help rid your annuals from damaging insects on contact for up to 30 days, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate.

Mulch:

After planting, mulch with an organic product such as bark or compost. Using an organic product reduces weeds, conserves moisture and adds precious organic matter to soil as it decomposes. Your layer of mulch should be two inches deep and should not be piled next to the stems of your plants.

Shortcuts:

For a shortcut to planting annuals such as geraniums or petunias, consider transplanting hanging baskets of annuals into the ground. Although it may cost a little more, this process requires fewer plants and less time to make a noticeable difference.