Planting Summer Flowers

Tipton County Extension agent Joellen Dimond  shows how to turn a winter flower bed into a summer one. She starts by pulling out the winter flowers. They still look good but the summer plants need to have the chance to be established before the heat arrives. She also digs up the tulips because in the Mid-South they may or may not flower again next year. Then she smooths out the soil and fertilizes with a slow release fertilizer. This will probably be enough fertilizer for the year because of the organic material in the soil, but if not and the plants start showing signs of a lack of fertilizer we can add more later. Then she spreads a thin layer of mulch on the bed. It is easier to plant through the mulch than spread the mulch around all the plants.  Joellen then lays out lantanas and begonias in their containers to check spacing, and then plants them. After they are planted she plants setcresea to fill in around the other plants.

April 16, 2016

Related Videos:
Applying a preemergent to this flower bed
Pruning these flowers when they grow

Related Resources:
Flowers (a list of publications for various flowers)
Growing Annuals
Annual and Perennial Flower Shade Gardening in Tennessee