Horticulture Forum: Feb. 1999, Planting Annuals

Whether it is an entirely new landscape or a new landscape bed of annual color for the spring, some simple guidelines to remember can be very helpful in making the installation a year-long success.

BED PREPARATION. Proper soil preparation is critical for success with bedding plants. The area should be tilled 8 to 16 inches deep. Most landscape managers incorporate some organic matter, such as leaf mold, compost, peat moss or sterilized manure, in the upper 6 to 8 inches of the soil surface. This organic matter improves moisture retention, drainage, aeration and soil structure, and these materials should be applied at a rate of approximately 25 percent of the soil volume where the roots will be. This will require 2 inches of material if tilled to an 8-inch depth.

Fertilizer is also incorporated at this time. Most summer annuals do not require a high level of fertilization. The fertilizer applied assures establishment, vigorous initial growth and subsequent flowering. Apply 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of bed as a complete low-nitrogen material with a ratio of 1:2:1, 1:1:1, 1:2:2 or similar. Higher rates are sometimes used, however, excessive nitrogen can result in rank vegetative growth and can reduce flowering. Also, some managers choose to incorporate slow-release products at planting to reduce supplemental additions of nitrogen.

Most bedding plants tolerate a soil pH range from 5.5 to 7.5. Alkaline sites require the use of tolerant species. Additions of lime, sulfur or other pH adjusting materials should not be made except on the basis of a soil test.

Some managers also incorporate fungicides, wetting agents and water-holding compounds. However, their cost and varying benefits should be carefully evaluated and justified before increasing project costs.

After incorporating organic material and other supplements, the beds should be raked smooth and slightly mounded. Sticks, clods and other debris should be removed from the bed.

PLANTING. Plant summer annuals only after the danger of killing frost is past. Some species are relatively cold-tolerant and can be planted in the early spring or even in the fall in some areas. Contractors should also take care to store plants that cannot be planted due to scheduling or weather in a lightly shaded area and water them as needed.

In addition, it’s important to keep plants moist during the planting. They may dry out quickly in the open. Carefully remove plants from the pot, including those made of peat. Gently crush the root mass with the fingers to stimulate root growth in the surrounding soil.

Begin planting in the center of the bed and keep traffic in the worked soil to a minimum. Make the hole slightly larger than the root ball and set the plant at the same depth or slightly higher than it was growing in the container. Smooth out the soil around the plants after planting, including footprints.

MULCHING. Some landscape managers mulch annuals immediately after planting, while others wait until the plants have “set-up” for a few days, and some contractors (probably the majority) do not mulch at all.

Mulch can be quite beneficial to a bed as it aids in water conservation, weed control and gives the bed a “finished” look. Organic mulches such as pinestraw, bark, compost, fumigated or composted hay or straw, should be applied 1 to 2 inches deep. Incorporate a little additional fertilizer if an organic mulch is used or spread a very small amount of fertilizer material on top of fresh organic mulch to compensate for nitrogen loss during decomposition of the mulch.

WATERING-IN. Finally, water the newly planted bed immediately after planting or mulching. Use a water wand, breaker or sprinkler to water the base of the plants. Water until the bed is wet to a depth of 3 inches for transplants from 2-inch containers and deeper for those from larger pots. Keep the wand or breaker in motion to reduce washing of the soil or mulch.

Some managers “water-in” with or inject a “starter” solution containing a soluble, high-phosphate fertilizer such as 10-52-17, but the benefits to this are questionable, especially if adequate nutrients are incorporated prior to planting.

The author is a landscape extension specialist with the University of Hawaii.

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February 1999
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