A Complete Guide to Annuals

Memorial Day is not only the symbolic beginning of summer, but it's also a signal for millions to begin their lawn and garden work. Nurseries and home improvements stores from coast to coast report drastically increased sales on Memorial Day weekend.

One of the lawn and garden activities you will be most likely be doing, is planting. If you're interested in low maintenance, early flowering, and long season blooming plants; consider planting annuals this year.

Ames True Temper, a major maker of traditional garden tools, offers the following tips to help gardeners maximize their annuals output and minimize the work that goes into them:

Choosing Between Perennials and Annuals

Annuals live for just the one year while perennials grow for several years, spreading all the while. Perennials cost more than annuals because they are a permanent addition to your garden. Blooming almost immediately, annuals give you a one-season burst of color and will keep blooming until the first frost. Annuals cost more in the long run, since they require yearly replacement. However, they provide the benefit of flexibility. With annuals you are able to easily change your garden scheme and landscape from year to year.

Choosing Healthy Annuals

You need to select healthy plants if you've decided to grow annuals this year. Many people choose to grow their annuals from seed. Others choose to purchase their plants from green houses. While both ways are acceptable, always remember; You must choose carefully if you're buying from a green house. Usually, garden centers are happy to share their information about soil, sunlight, water, and wind shielding requirements for each plant with their customers.

Deep green plants should be sought out; spindly plants in cell-packs have been stored there too long and should be avoided. It is also wise to check for signs of disease by examining the leaves and stems and removing the plants from their pots to check the roots. Roots should appear firm and white, and contain no spirals or kinks.

Readying the Soil

Bad conditions or wrong nutrients can keep annual flowers from growing well and may even kill them. Areas that don't drain well or where water pools after rain should be avoided when planting. A soil with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.4 is best for most annuals. Before you start work with your garden beds, test the pH with a home soil test kit and add lime sulfur as required to put the pH in its proper range. After the pH is in the proper range, spread 2 to 3 inches of compost, and cultivate it at least 8 to 12 inches deep.

Planting

Make sure and harden off your seedlings before planting them -- i.e., shift them gradually outside from the controlled environment of the greenhouse. You can do this by putting the seedlings outside for increasing time periods until they can stay outside safely. Otherwise, the sharp temperature and humidity fluctuations could kill your plants.

Weed the area where you are going to plant and loosen that soil, and dig a hole big enough to house the entire root system previous to planting. This landscapers' tip is terrific for saving time: Don't scoop up soil, but "stab and separate" it in one fell swoop. This is much quicker and simpler than scooping out all the dirt, which is the traditional method of digging.

True Temper's 7-in-1 Planter's Buddy is a tool specifically designed to do just that. It has a large stainless steel blade, which will let you use the tool just like professionals. This is a tool designed to perform several tasks, as it includes straight and serrated edges to open containers, weeding, and cutting twine or sod without ever needing another tool. It sports 12 inch measurement markings ion the front side that enable easy distance measuring while planting. Tamping down fertilizer spikes, wooden stakes, or other markers is easy with the poly tamper located on the end.

Annual Maintenance

Although, they require a large amount of maintenance, annuals do bring a rare and colorful beauty to your garden. These plants require a great deal of care if they are to continue thriving and blooming all summer. Most annuals require a significant amount of water, so keep an eye on their soil. If the soil does become dry, completely soak the annual, and take care that you are not just wetting the surface. Moisture on leaves and blooms helps the spread of disease, so keep the foliage as dry as possible.

Dead heading (removing faded flowers) is also vital. You will keep your annuals flowering longer simply by walking through the your garden and removing the dead blooms once a week.

These simple pieces of advice with keep your garden in glorious bloom all summer long. When you're finished, treat yourself by relaxing and appreciating the fruits of your labor.