[Russ]

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Last couple of years I've been using a compost/cow manure mix to plant my seasonal color program in. What are you guys using? What kind of results are ya getting? Anybody adding sand?

[GLAN]

are you talking about using annuals in pots and containers or planting the annuals in the beds?


In pots....we use potting mix

In beds we just plant them in the ground as is. Throw some Osmocote to the base of the plant..........and that's it.

[Russ]

In beds where your planting a couple hundred pansies. petunias, mums and then kale/cabbage. Do you raise your plantings?

[GLAN]

Raising the planting for annuals is kinda hard to do in existing beds.

If I want height........I plant close together...give you an example

Take Impatient.....If I need them low or as low as possible I will plant them 12, 16 or more inches apart.......If I want them taller......I will plant them about 4 inches apart..........Now If I am going for an indiviual grouping and need the size of a shrub from the impatient.....I will take 3, 4 or the entire 6 pack, dig one hole, hold them all together and plant them.......That way I can get impatient as high is a desk (using a desk for reference)

Even though I can achieve different affects depending on plant distance.......the one thing that makes what I want to happen, happen........is Osmocote. A healthy dose right at the base when planting. All I have to do then is step back and watch them grow, and grow during the season.

On a side note.........every one asks me how I get my flower plantings do what they do.......Tell them "trade secret"

[kevintree]

Glan

How much Osmocote do you use per annaual ie in planting hole

TIA

Kevin

[GLAN]

Originally posted by kevintree
Glan

How much Osmocote do you use per annaual ie in planting hole

TIA

Kevin

I never measured the amount........been doing by hand for so many years.........but if I was to guess at a quantity 1/8 cup?

I take a hand full......use that for 3 - 4 individual plants........If I am feeding 3, 4 or more in a cluster as I described above......then half a hand full or so.........same for the 4 inch pots of annuals......Helychrisum, Lantana, Heliotrope and the like.

Throw it right at the base, right on top of the soil

[TrickyDick]

We do about the same as Glan. Osmocote and spacing are key. Another trick is to fertilize the new plants heavily with liquid 10-10-10 or something so they fill out fast and keep the weeds down.

I'd add organic matter if the soil needs it and sand if it's heavy but not every year.

It seems like if you fertilize and water right you can grow pretty good annuals in almost anything but good soil never hurts.

[Will Sharp]

we plant in a clay base soil. We always mix in decomposed pine bark fines. (2-3 inches deep on top and till) they last very good keeping the soil porous. We also mix in chicken or mushroom compost. We also fert with like lesco 14 14 14 100% slow release. Our beds are raised, hence the clay based soil. we need our beds to be able to be watered every day or 2 and also drain as not to sit wet. In the winter with Pansy's we merit drench the beds to keep the aphids out during a warm spell. Flowers are hard here to have the best and not talk to them every day, ha ha hope this helps........

[pineapple]

We use an Osmocote type fert mixed in. A general purpose fert that is coated is cheaper than Osmocote and works as well.

In our experience the annuals in pots do better if they also have an initial feeding with a Miracle-gro fert. Instead of mixing it with water, like you are supposed to, we just sprinkle it into the soil. Since we water immediately after planting, it dissolves and the plants love it. That stuff is pretty weak and we have not had any burn.

[TrickyDick]

Have to be real careful with the miracle grow type (what we call "blue stuff") ferts because if you don't dissolve it all it can kill your plants. We had a guy water all our planters a few years ago and some plants got killed because he didn't dissolve the stuff well enough in the water and little b-b sized bits of it ended up sitting against stems and killing things and making me mad.