Growing Tips

Our Nature’s Finest® plant labels will help you design your garden layout or container scheme. You’ll find information on plant’s growth habits, highlights and suggested uses.

Sun requirements

• Check the amount of sunlight and it’s duration in your yard where you are going to plant or place containers.
• Select plants that are right for your daily sun exposure by using the codes on the labels

Full Sun 6 - 8 hours of direct sunlight	Partial Sun/Partial Shade 3 - 6 hours of sun	Full Shade 3 or less hours of sun

Layout

• Draw up a layout.
• Refer to the label for plant height, spread (width) and spacing recommendations for proper placement.

• Decide on a color scheme.

Planting Tips

• Select a growing area with good drainage and proper sunlight requirements.
• Amend the planting bed with compost to add fertility and increase drainage.
• Apply a balanced, slow release flower fertilizer per instructions to the planting area.
• Turn over the soil in the planting area (it should be good and loose).
• Place your plants in position from your layout. Now is the chance to make any changes!
• Water the containers and after they drain begin drain begin transplanting.
• Dig the planting hole slightly larger than the plant’s container.
• Remove the plant from its container and gently loosen the root ball; try to leave the soil attached to the roots intact.
• Set the plants in at the same depth that they were growing in the container.
• Back fill the hole; firm the soil in place and water thoroughly.
• Apply a water soluble starter fertilizer.
• Keep transplants well watered.
• Spread a 2-3” layer of mulch around transplants (do not cover the crown of the plant). Mulch will keep the roots cool, conserve water and suppress weeds.

Watering

• Your garden requires 1-3 inches of water per week.
• Water in the morning when possible; evening watering encourages plant diseases!
• Water the area around the plant’s base and not the foliage
• Timers are a good option for working gardeners.

Fertilizing

• Flower beds that were amended with compost and fertilized at planting may still need additional fertilizer during the growing season.
• Maintain your annuals with a water soluble fertilizer every 3 weeks to keep them flowering.
• The best time for fertilizing is on an overcast cooler day. The beds should be watered the day before fertilizing.
• Key periods to fertilize are right after the first flush of flowers fade, after pruning, and when new buds begin to open.

Read, understand and follow the instructions on the fertilizer you select. Follow the application rates and all precautions carefully. Any questions, contact the place of purchase or the manufacturer

Maintenance

• Pruning annuals that become leggy encourages bushy new growth.
• Removing the growing tip of a stem stimulates side shoots to sprout, which makes annuals fuller.
• All flowers benefit from dead heading (trimming off the spent flowers).  Dead heading stimulates the plant to produce more flowers in an effort to reproduce. Snip or pinch the faded flower and its stem off to the first leaf junction.
• Use a water soluble fertilizer the next day after pruning or dead heading to encourage new blooms.

Containers

• Recommendations for plants that well suited for containers are on Nature’s Finest® plant labels.

• Select a container suitable in size and style for your plant variety.
• The container must have good drainage, essential in preventing root rot (you may need to drill extra holes).Cover the drain holes with a piece of landscape fabric or a paper coffee filter to prevent soil loss.
• Place 2” of gravel, broken terracotta flower pot pieces or horticultural charcoal at the bottom of the pot.
• Fill 2/3 of the container with good quality potting soil.
• Mix in a slow release fertilizer into the potting mix per instructions.
• Adding soil moistening granules (at the recommended rate) will help conserve water and keep plants hydrated during hot weather.
• Remove the plants from their containers and gently loosen the root ball.
• Arrange the annuals in the container. Plants can be spaced closer for a lush appearance. Place cascading plants closer to the edge, taller plants in the center for a focal point. Observe the container from different angles and then make any corrections to the arrangement.
• Add potting soil around the plants to their soil line (do not plant deeper). Firm the soil in place and water thoroughly.
• Apply a water soluble starter fertilizer.
• Establish a watering schedule. Containers should be watered every few days during moderate weather. Hot, windy conditions may require daily watering!