Mother’s Day weekend ushers in the busy outdoor shopping and planting season. Spend some quality time helping mom with the garden chores she’d like completed before heading back to the garden center for more plants.
Plant shopping tips
Do a quick inventory of your planting beds and containers, jot down the number and size of plants you may need. Keep in mind that trees, shrubs and perennials are good long-term investments, while annuals give you all season bloom and pops of color.
While shopping, avoid judging plants by how they look in the container. Many won’t be in bloom if it’s not their time. Familiarize yourself with a plant’s growth habits, flower type, color and sun exposure to make certain it will work in your garden. The information on the plant tag is helpful or use your mobile device and view more plant details.
At the store examine the foliage — well-colored, strong stems and healthy leaves are good signs. Yellow leaves can be a sign that the plant needs watering or might be getting too much water or there might be a bigger issue if the plant doesn’t look right. Follow your instincts on what looks heathy. No need to take home an unhealthy looking annual in the hope it will look better in your garden.
If little gnats or insects are buzzing around the plant, try a different plant or the next aisle.
Purchase plants with buds or ones that are just starting to open. It’s OK to snip off open flowers after planting to help the plant focus on root growth and establishment.
Ask a staff person if it is OK to examine the roots. Carefully lift them out of the container (easiest on 4-inch sizes or smaller); roots should be tan to off white in color. Avoid dark colored or slimy roots.
If plant roots are circling inside the container be sure to score (cut slits on four sides) before planting.
Roots growing out of the bottom of the container are OK, just cut them off at home before planting.
At home keep plants protected and watered until it’s safe to plant. They are coldest at ground level, so keep them elevated on a table or deck. Small inch-inch size containers dry out very quickly in full sun.
Hanging basket care
Hanging baskets scream buy me and are very popular with moms. Their care at home depends on three factors — location, water and fertilizer.
Choose containers with plants that match your sun exposure, windy spots will need extra care.
Containers can dry out very quickly due to the close space for the roots, plus the soil is very light and well-draining.
Check the moisture level every day with your finger or water meter. If the container feels light, it is dry. Water until water drains from the bottom of the container, this ensures that the entire root system receives moisture. A dry plant will wilt and is difficult to rehydrate. If this happens place the container (if not too large) in a tub of tepid water for an hour.
Hanging baskets may need twice daily watering on hot days.
Fertilize weekly with a well-balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Liquid fertilizers are easier to use but dry fertilizers work too, just be sure to water with or right after fertilizing. Fertilizers with added iron can stain decks and concrete so use care and catch excess water in a tray or move the baskets and water on a lawn until finished dripping. Follow all fertilizer package recommendations for application rates.
Keep the flowers deadheaded (removed) after they fade and dry, this helps keep them blooming.
If a plant dies, replace it with another plant or add more potting soil so the rest of the plants fill in the space.
Move hanging baskets to a garage or shed when nighttime temperatures fall below 50 degrees.
Container care
It’s time to scrub your outdoor containers and get them ready for the season.
Containers can harbor disease organisms, mineral deposits and debris from prior use. The white film found on the outside of containers or the rim area is salt residue from fertilizers. It’s unsightly and could leach back into porous containers if the buildup is heavy.
Use a flexible brush on plastic containers and steel wool or a stiff-bristled brush on clay or concrete pots to remove dirt and debris. Then soak the container in a solution of one-part household bleach to nine parts water for an hour (wear rubber gloves). Finish by washing off this solution with water and a few drops of dish soap. For tough salt stains make a paste with baking soda and water, then rinse.
If using large containers where it is not feasible to soak, scrub off the outside dirt or salt build up. If pests or disease were an issue last year, remove several inches of the top soil and replace with sterile, new potting soil (bagged from the garden center). This is especially important for vegetable containers where diseases can easily be transmitted from the soil year to year. Never use soil from the yard for containers, it’s too heavy for healthy root growth and may contain pests and diseases.
After sterilizing containers for this season do the same with tomato and any cages used on vegetables where disease has been a problem.
Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in Colorado. Visit her at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for more gardening tips.
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