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Tip
# 1. When growing flowers, start with a good soil mix. Make sure it is light and airy, and rich in nutrients. If the soil is clayey or heavy, it may retain too much moisture or suffocate the plant. This is true whether you are planting in containers, forcing bulbs, or preparing your garden beds. |
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Tip # 2. Most
flowering
plants and bulbs
need proper watering to thrive.
Too much water or too little can
be harmful. Discoloration of leaves
is an indication of a watering
problem, If you can squeeze water
from a handful of soil, then the
plant has too much water. Water
your plants gently, allowing them
to drink slowly and being careful
not to drench them all at once,
which may give them a shock. |
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Tip # 3. Some
plants and flower
bulbs prefer to be
watered from beneath, so that
they can absorb the amount they
need slowly and hydrate as they
wish. |
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Tip
# 4. Be careful not to leave container plants sitting in stagnant water that drains from a watering. Stagnant water causes plants to become too moist. Placing a few rocks or pebbles in the saucer allows excess water to drain. |
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Tip # 5. Most
flowering
plants benefit from
misting with cool water.The
cooler temperature aids exterior
water absorption and refreshes
the plant. |
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Tip
# 6. Water plants and flowers in the garden when the sun is low, either morning or evening. Do not water them in the heat of the day, when water on the flowers and leaves may scorch the plant. |
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Tip
# 7. Proper fertilization is
helpful. Nutrients are important to
a plant's development, but be careful
not to overfertilize: More is not always
better. Read instructions carefully
and follow the guidelines.Too much fertilizer
actually harms plants, inhibiting instead
of promoting growth. |
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Tip # 8. Cut
flowers in the morning
or evening. Flowers cut at midday
may not hold up. |
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Flower
Growing Tip # 9. Flowers from
the garden are the best source for cutting.
However, when your garden is not producing
in abundance, buy plants from nurseries,
greenhouses, florists and grocery stores.
The flowers are still growing and can
be kept until they are used. Cut what
you need to use and allow the plant
to produce more flowers. |
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Tip # 10a. When forcing bulbs to bloom in
winter, plant them shoulder to shoulder
and leave the top one-third to one-half
of the bulb exposed to prevent rot.
Close planting and partial exposure
cut down on excess moisture and allow
a greater show of flowers. |
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Tip
# 10b. Gently scrape away the dry roots on the bottom of the bulb.
It will root more quickly and be less
likely to rot. |
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Tip
# 11a. Place rocks or broken
terra-cotta pieces in the bottom of
the container before planting to help
with drainage.
Tip # 11b. Mixing a little sand and horticultural
charcoal into the soil mixture also
helps drainage and keeps the soil
fresh. |
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Tip
# 12. When planting bulbs outside,
they should generally be planted at
a depth of two and one-half times their
diameter. Bulbs planted too deep or
too shallow will not perform as well. |
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Flower
Growing Tip # 13. Make sure
bulbs and plants are not crowded when
planted — the roots need room to grow
if the plant is to flourish. |
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Tip
# 14. Cutting back garden plants after their flowering period or to produce
more flowers should follow one rule:
Only cut back what is dry and discolored.
While a plant is green, it is still
in its cycle, and cutting back too soon
can actually inhibit growth for the
next year. |
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Tip
# 15. Multiflowering plants should
be trimmed back as the blossoms are
spent to encourage more blooms to develop. |
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Tip # 16. Some
plants, such as delphinium, can
be fooled into blooming a second
time. Once a flower has bloomed,
cut the entire plant back to the
ground, leaving only the base
of foliage. The plant will actually
force itself to produce a second
flower.
It may lack some of the height
and bloom count of the first,
but for the most part will produce
a second beautiful flower. |
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Tip
# 17. Some plants can be forced
to become larger. When the plant sends
up its initial flower stalk, cut the
stalk back to the base of the leaves.
The plant will then send up multiple
shoots, producing more flowers. |
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Tip #
18. To produce
a large
flower from a plant
that usually produces several
blossoms, focus on one bud, trimming
the others away so the plant can
focus its energy. This method
is known as "disbudding."
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Tip
# 19. Plants should be divided
every few years to give them a vigorous
new start and make them stronger bloomers.
Wash away the soil from the roots before
you make the division, so that you can
see the best place to cut or pull. Be
sure to leave a good clump of roots
for each section. |
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Tip
# 20. When growing plants from
seeds, make sure not to crowd them, as this will inhibit growth.
If seedlings appear crowded, pull the
smallest and weakest, concentrating
on the healthy ones. |
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Tip # 21. Protect
your garden with nutrient-rich
mulch over the winter, concentrating
on the most frost-sensitive plants
that need extra protection to
survive. Plant flowers
according to your temperature
zone if you want plants to return
and thrive every year. Some perennials
can be planted as annuals in cooler
climates. |
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