Monday, January 30, 2012

First time plant owner here. Teach me the basics?

I went out and bought a bunch of flowers on a whim, and then realized I have no idea how to take care of them! I mean, I understand the watering, sunlight, and temperatures... but what are things I should know, and things to look out for?



The hanging plants I bought are: a fern, two hanging petunia plants, geraniums, and something called a 'new guinea impatiens'.



I also have potted hydrangeas, azaleas, mums, hybrid lilies, and more geraniums.



Questions:



"Annuals" mean that they come back every year, correct? What should I do with my annual hanging pots when they're not in bloom?



Also, can I use the same soil and fertilizer for all of these plants? What kinds work the best?



If I plant the flowers outside, and it rains a lot, couldn't they be drowned?? What about the hanging baskets? I don't want them "over-watered". (I hope that's not a stupid question).



Also, what is the correct way to "prune" my plants, and do all of them need pruning? How often should this be done?



Thanks!
First time plant owner here. Teach me the basics?
perennials are the ones that come back every year,

the hanging basekts you bought (petunias and impatients and geraniums ) are annuals

the fern you need to take inside during the cold months



the potted shrubs, just google some info on them



plants can't really drown outside planted in the ground unless the soil isn't good for draining



you can overwater a plant inside a planter though, so be careful



pruning the annuals just should be taking off the old blooms (dead-heading) sometimes you should take off just the bloom, other plants you should take off more of the stem, down to the last "elbow" of the stem

good luck and happy planting



next year think about doing some veggies too! they are so easy and cheap if you buy them from the seed packs!
Reply:Annuals don't come back. I suggest you Google how to care for your plants in your hardiness zone.
Reply:First off the new guinea impatiens need to be kept in the shade with just a little sun as does the fern. I hang my petunias and geraniums on my open carport so it gets some sun and some shade. Keep watered when the soil drys out.



I don't know what zone you live in so I am not sure what will come back next year. Hydrangeas, azaleas, mums and lilies can be planted in the ground usually. I have never planted geraniums in the ground before but I guess you could.



You could leave them in the rain but I would not all the time it would beat the flowers down. Best to catch you rain water and use it to water your flowers.



I use Osmocot for fertilizer. It will not burn your flowers. Use as directed.



The way you prune is to "dead head" which means to pinch or cut off the dead flowers. With the petunias be sure to get the whole bloom down to the end not just the top. Dead heading helps the plant bloom longer.



What I like to do is plant plants that either re-seed themselves or come back year after year. Not knowing where you are from I can not help you with that. But you can type in on your Yahoo search bar your state and the type Extension Service. See if you find anything there about horticulture or landscape or planting of any kind. This will show you what is best suited in your own state.



cat
Reply:Really all you have to do is make sure they get enough water and sunlight. The impatiens and fern would do best in the morning sun, and shade for the rest of the day. The geraniums and petunias will take full sun and will need to be watered often, depending on how much and how hot the sun that they get is. You can also go through and "dead-head" the geraniums, petunias and impatiens. That is basically picking off the dead (or dying) blooms from the base of the stem, not just plucking the dead flower itself off. It encourages new blooms and new growth and will make the plant more full and thrive.



Annuals are not hardy, and they are only seasonal. Perennials are the ones that come back each year.

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