You’ve selected your annual and perennial plants, chosen their location in the garden, amended the soil and everything is planted. Or close to it!  Now what? How can you take care of them to maximize their potential?  A bit of simple and easy maintenance will keep your plants healthy and blooming.

Once they start blooming, most annuals will flower all season long, until cold temperatures or frost put an end to their display. Many perennials will bloom for several weeks. We listed some of our favourites in this article if you missed it.

Here are some simple tips to keep your plants looking great!

Water

Newly planted annuals and perennials, even drought tolerant plants need to be watered at planting time. 

Perennials will need water every week for the first two weeks and during periods without rain. Most perennials do well with a minimum of one inch of water per week.  

Water is absorbed through the roots, so water the soil and not the foliage. Low (pressure) and slow (volume) allows water to adequately soak into the soil instead of running all over the place! It’s also best to water in the morning rather than at night because foliage that stays wet all night is susceptible to rot and foliar diseases. 

Annuals planted in containers will need to be watered more frequently than annuals in a flower bed. Hanging baskets and planters will most likely need water daily, and in the heat of summer twice a day. For hanging baskets, the water should run out of the bottom. 

In planters or the garden, use your finger in the soil to test it out - if it feels dry, your plant needs water.

Mulch

Mulch is always a very good idea to maintain soil health in the garden no matter what you’re planting!

An organic mulch will help enrich your soil, and keep it moist. A layer of at least 2 inches of mulch will also suppress weeds. Who doesn’t love that? The only caveat: don’t allow the mulch to touch your plants.

Deadhead

Deadheading or removing flowers that have finished blooming is important for many plants. Doing this allows the energy from the plant to be sent to producing new blossoms in annuals, and some perennials.  

How do you do it? Take sharp, clean scissors or pruners, and cut off any dead flowers just below the base of the flower or above the first leaf. With some plants you can simply break off the spent flowers.

Bonus: your plants will look much better without dead flowers on them! 

Note: some annuals don’t need deadheading. For example, Verbena, Lantana, Lobelia, Impatiens, Petunias, and Begonia.

Fertilizer

Let’s face it, fertilizer packaging can be confusing. They often feature three letters and three numbers. What does it all mean? What is N-P-K? This Eising article explains all you need to know about fertilizing and is worth the read. 

However, in a nutshell, this is a really easy way to remember the function of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous and K (potassium) when it comes to fertilizing. The numbers are the percentage of each of those nutrients that the fertilizer package contains. 

N = UP - foliage and blooms

P = DOWN - roots

K = ALL AROUND - overall plant health

If you used an organic, slow-release fertilizer when you planted your annuals or perennials in the ground, you shouldn’t have to fertilize again during the season. 

Most potting soil in planters or hanging baskets contains the nutrients needed to help your plants get started. An easy way to maintain nutrients throughout the season is sprinkling Shake n’ Feed Ultra Bloom 10-18-9 slow release fertilizer on top of the soil. It will slowly  feed your plants for three months.  For heavy feeders like petunias or plants that are hungry, looking light, and in need of an instant boost, use a water-soluble fertilizer with an NPK ratio of approximately 20-20-20 every two weeks to keep them blooming. 

For perennials, trees and shrubs that need more nutrients during the year, Shake n’ Feed slow release 18-6-12 fertilizer can be applied in the spring and it will feed your plants for three months during the growing season. The same fertilizer can be used for trees, shrubs and perennials in subsequent seasons.

As a rule of thumb, it’s better to under-fertilize and watch how your plants respond. Over-fertilizing can lead to sick plants that have yellow or brown leaves. In your garden, the only way to know what your plants need is to test the soil. Otherwise you’re guessing! To test your soil in Ontario, samples can be sent to The University of Guelph.

July is the perfect time to think about landscaping projects. Your spring cleaning garden planting is complete, and now you have all this time on your hands! Before you put any big plans into motion, it’s a good idea to do a thorough, thoughtful evaluation of your landscape. 

 

Landscape Evaluation Is the First Step to Planning Your Design

Whether you’re figuring out how to start landscaping from scratch or hoping to update an existing design, your landscape has unique elements and features that you should examine. To ensure your plans are successful, they need to be realistic and compatible with the terrain. 

Identifying potential problem areas can help you either solve those problems or find creative ways to work around them. If you go ahead with a big project without taking the time for evaluation, a small problem could turn into a big, expensive one. 

 

Cover All the Bases by Following These Steps for Landscape Evaluations

Don’t be intimidated—performing a self-evaluation of the landscape is easier than it might sound! You don’t have to be a professional to get a good idea of the conditions of your landscape.

First, Evaluate the Levelness of the Landscape

Is your yard sloping? That can create issues for several reasons:

• Plants at the bottom of the slope may suffer from soggy soil, as water will drain in that direction. 
• You can’t put a pond on a slope.
• Structures like gazebos will need pillars or foundational piling to make them level.
• Extreme weather may cause landscape instability and erosion.

Luckily, there are many creative ways to work around a sloped yard; in fact, it can set the scene for some really distinctive contemporary designs! Levelling the landscape in tiers can create multiple hardscapes and garden areas of different heights, and the results are often quite breathtaking. Retaining walls can help stabilize terrain and create more room to dig out space and level the terrain. 

So, if you’ve got a sloped terrain, don’t let that discourage you from going forward with a landscape overhaul. It may take a bit more effort to work around, but the finished product will be absolutely gorgeous. 

 

Test Your Soil

The texture, nutrient density, and pH level of your soil all affect the growth and health of your landscape plants. Before investing in a bunch of beautiful new trees and shrubs, you want to ensure their new home is up to their standards! A soil test can determine whether you need to amend the soil with organic material like compost and manure, fertilizers, or pH adjusters like dolomitic lime or elemental sulphur. 

What Needs Repairs or Replacements?

Old hardscapes like pavers, concrete, or wooden decks can incur damage over the long term. Identify any problem areas, missing bricks or nails, rotting wood beams, or anything else that looks amiss. Test irrigation systems, check pond equipment, and make sure any outdoor fireplaces or ovens are clean and working correctly. 

 

Ask Yourself: What Do I Want Out of My Landscape?

Everyone has different tastes, and the style and atmosphere of your space are ultimately up to you. The functionality of your landscape is also a factor—do you want it to be a space for entertaining and having big parties, an eco-friendly permaculture paradise, or a cozy, serene space for you to unplug and relax? Creating a landscape design is hard to do if you’re unsure of what you want, so take some time to evaluate your own values and what you want to achieve with your space. 

If you’d like a professional opinion on your Ontario landscape and what kind of plants and installations will work well in your space, contact Eising Garden Centre to speak with our landscaping team! We provide onsite consultations, professional installations, and expert advice to help make your dream landscape design a reality.