Annuals can be arranged by colour, stem height or leaf shape to create a magnificent flower bed or to make a beautiful bouquet. Usually, flowering occurs early enough that they are already in bloom when made available for purchase. This facilitates the choice of shapes and colours to decorate the garden, keeping in mind that the bloom may last until fall.

During the summer, nothing compares to a beautiful garden full of flowers. For this, annuals provide a variety of shapes, colours and sizes that can be arranged to fit any taste.

The types of annual seedlings

In nurseries, plants are transplanted after 3 to 4 weeks before being planted permanently. The technique applied to seedlings in nurseries is mainly used for hardy September species. In spring, the seedlings are easy to manage for species that do not need to be transplanted. The use of containers is very convenient for plants that grow fast and have large seeds, such as sweet peas and nasturtiums. When made up of biodegradable peat, the container will be planted directly with the seedling. Non-hardy varieties that take a long time to develop and cannot withstand the cold need to be sown under a cold frame, in a greenhouse or indoors.

How to plant annuals?

Usually sold in small clumps ready to be planted, annual flowers can be planted starting in mid-April. After removing the plants from their containers, check the roots and moisten them if they are too dry. Large enough holes should be dug, before carefully removing the seedlings from their pots. Each plant must be arranged so that the portion of the stem that looks like the roots is flush with the soil’s surface. Plants should be spaced 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) apart, although Surfinia require a larger space because they increase in volume as they are growing. Feel free to provide regular fertilizer supplies because fertilizer is quickly consumed by frequent watering and by the plants themselves.

How to maintain annuals?

Annuals need water and should be watered regularly so that the soil is always moist. In summer, petunias and begonias require daily watering. If the plants bloom late, use a liquid fertilizer to fertilize them reasonably. To avoid the flowers’ depletion, the most wilted ones need to be progressively removed. Thus, new flowering stems will form to ensure a continuous and abundant flowering. To force them to divide in order to bloom again, slightly pinch the tips of each plant.

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Published in Flower guide by Alexander on 06 Jul 2011