Be careful if you couldn’t resist the urge to plant your tender vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and annuals (marigolds, vinca, etc.) if a frost is predicted. These plants won’t tolerate a frost.
This weekend is the busiest time of the year for garden centers, and I urge you to support your local small garden centers. They usually have the more unusual plants and garden decorations as well as a great sales staff to answer your gardening questions.
I started my career in a small, family-owned garden center in Springfield.
One of the biggest sales items for garden centers this weekend will be hanging baskets, especially selected for mom for Mother’s Day.
These baskets are well-cared for and look really nice in the garden center. The problem is, they don’t always look the same (quality) come late June or July, right?
Here are some tips for keeping these baskets looking good all season.
First, select the right location for the plants. Check to see if they require full sun or shade. In addition, try to keep them out of a really windy location. A basket in full sun and wind will dry out very quickly. This can sometimes be a challenge.
Watering is extra critical for hanging baskets. As mentioned above, sun and wind can dry them quickly. Avoid letting the baskets completely dry.
If they get dry they wilt and sure, they might perk up with a good soaking. However, every time these plants wilt they are stressed. The blooms are the first to suffer, followed by the rest of the plant.
Don’t stress your plants. Water frequently, as often as is needed. In some cases, this might be twice a day.
Hanging baskets are grown in a soilless mix, which means that they require additional fertilization to keep them looking their best. They can’t get their nutrients from the soil like your garden plants; therefore you have to provide them.
Purchase a good hanging basket fertilizer and follow label directions for mixing and how often to water.
Inspect the plants regularly to make sure pest problems are cropping up. It’s much easier to manage an infestation when you spot it early.
And finally, if the plants get a little straggly come July, don’t hesitate to rejuvenate them with the pruning shears. Cut them back about one-third to half of the way. They’ll fill back in nicely and look good the rest of the season.
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms.
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