Growing Tips

Tips from the Greenhouse

Owning a greenhouse business, we know that caring for flowers isn't always an easy job. For this reason, we decided to add a page that consists of growing tips that we have picked up over the years. We do not proclaim these tips to be 100% effective all of the time, but over the years they have been helpful in improving the health of our flowers.

Planting:

• Plant containers with a growing mix or soilless soil—do not use a potting soil or topsoil.
• If you are creating a new flower bed under a tree, that has surface roots, you must first dig out the area under the tree. After doing that, you should place a nursery cloth down to prevent roots from the tree from soaking up the moisture and nutrients from the plants. Fill the area with top soil and then you are ready to plant.
• When using root or bark mulch in a flower bed, be sure not to smother the plants with it; it is usually a good idea to keep the mulch 1 or 2 in. away from the base of the plants. Also, make sure that the flowers are not planted in the mulch, the roots need soil to do well.
• Keep plants moist for the first 2 weeks, then moisten and allow them to dry before rewetting inorder to build a strong root system.

Fertilizing:

• Fertilize your flowers at least once a week with a liquid fertilizer such as Miracle Grow or Peters.
• During times of excess heat and humidity, large plants like geraniums and petunias will require you to increase fertilizing to twice a week.
• When fertilizing, NEVER go over the recommended fertilization rate.
• Use a granular fertilizer on vegetables.
• You should make a ring around the plant no closer than 5 in. away from the base, but remember to use only a handful.
• We suggest that you use either a 10-10-10 or a 5-10-5 rate of a general purpose fertilizer. Fertilize once when planting, then again midseason.
• Between the middle of December and the middle of February, apply granular fertilizer to perennials. It will get down to the roots and provide a big boost to the plants in the spring.

Specific Plants:

• Cut back Montauk Daisies at least twice, making the last around July 10th. Keep mums between 6 to 8 in. until mid July by cutting them back at least 3 times.
• Pinch off dead flowers on petunias and geraniums, and cut them back periodically to keep them looking healthy and strong throughout the summer months, follow the flower stem all the way back to the main branch.
• Plant corn in a couple of short rows rather than one long row; the tassels need to be near each other in order to pollinate.
• Tomatoes need to be planted deep; about halfway down the plant is a good rule of thumb. Also, remove the bottom leaves before planting.

Perennials:

• When dealing with perennials you have two choices: you can either cut them back to 3-4 in. during November or wait until the spring and trim off what does not come back to life.
• Always remember not to cut back perennials that are vines such as clematis, sweet peas, trumpet vines, etc, until you see what does not come back to life in the spring.
• New Guinea Impatiens should not be allowed to dry to the point of excess wilting, they will be damaged if this occurs.
• Portulaca should be kept on the dry side for best flowering.