Annuals and Perennials

Keep your annuals and perennials beautiful and in peak condition year round.

Quick tips on how to keep those annuals and perennials beautiful and in peak condition all season long.

Here is just what you need to get started....Home How to Guide -annuals and perennials PamphletApp.

Every thing you need is here except your efforts, creativity and action.

It's free, so what do you have to loose, but the time it takes to download it and explore what is included.....

YOU WILL BE SURPRISED!!!!!

Annual plants are plants with a life cycle that lasts only one year. Perennial plants live for more than two years. Unlike annuals, perennials tend to bloom for just a short time — one to three weeks — each year. Some people have a hard time remembering the proper term for each type of plant. Because annual means “yearly," some people think annual plants keep coming back each year on their own. Annual plants actually get their name because they only have a one-year life span.

1. Clip off any flowers or flower buds on the plant. This is done to focus the plant’s energy into developing new roots on the stem cutting.

2. Select healthy stem cuttings (preferably healthy growing tips or side shoots) that are 2 to 6 inches long. Strip off any bottom leaves where the stem will be inserted in the rooting medium (either potting soil or water). Dip the cut end of the stem into a rooting hormone powder to encourage rapid root growth.

3. Insert the cutting in potting soil (not a soilless seedstarting mix) and water the container. Cover the flat or pot with a clear plastic bag to create a moist, humid atmosphere. Don’t let the plant leaves touch the side of the bag because this will cause rot.

4. New roots should develop in one to three weeks. To test, gently tug on the cutting. Pot up the new plants in 4- to 6-inch containers and keep out of direct sunlight for three days. After this time, place the plants in a sunny location.

5. An alternative method of rooting plants, such as begonias, coleus or geraniums, is to place the stem cuttings in a glass of water to develop roots. Change water every few days until plants develop roots, and add a little soil to the jar after new roots appear. Plant rooted cuttings in 4- to 6-inch containers filled with potting soil.

6. Once the new plant is well established, pinch off the stem tip to encourage fuller growth and more abundant flowers.

Planting flower beds of annuals and perennials is a yearly ritual for many gardeners. The variety of blooms and colors are almost endless. If you are not hooked on gardening with annuals and perennials yet, it is only a matter of time. You can garden with annuals or perennials on any scale — large or small. With a little planning, you’ll have many seasons’ worth of gardening enjoyment ahead of you. ....Home How to Guide -annuals and perennials PamphletApp will prove helpful.