If your flower beds are starting to look a little past their prime, now is a good time to add some fresh color to your garden. Horticulturalist Neil Sperry said
are a great way to spruce up landscapes during late summer. He said most garden centers have large plants available that make an immediate impact wherever they are placed, including around the pool, patio, deck and front porch.
In addition to the plants, Sperry said any type of container will do. Its only must-have is a drain hole to ensure that mineral salts are leached from the potting soil. He advises gardeners to use the best possible potting soil. He said many of the commercially available soils are too heavy and don’t drain well. A lightweight potting soil is best. A suitable potting mix should contain as much as 50-60% sphagnum peat, 20% finely ground pine bark mulch, 10% or 20% horticultural perlite and maybe 10% expanded shale.
Sperry also recommends applying a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer at every second or third watering.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-leIt starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third time yoIt starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third It starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want ta water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every secona water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third time you water.
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d or third time you water.
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every second or third time you water.
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o apply it every second or third time you water.
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time you water.
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u water.
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t-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy
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