Extension Communications
Extension 4-H Youth Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3630
(515) 294-9915
|
|
Extension Communications |
4/12/04
Contacts:
Richard Jauron, Horticulture, (515) 294-1871, rjauron@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033, jmcguire@iastate.edu
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning April 16, 2004
Selecting and Planting Bedding Plants
By Richard Jauron
Extension Horticulture Specialist
Iowa State University
Home gardeners will soon be buying bedding plants (annual flowers and vegetables) from local garden centers and greenhouses. To help ensure a successful start to the gardening season, select strong, healthy plants and harden them outdoors for a few days prior to planting. Proper planting is another key to success.
Selection
Select short, stocky plants with dark green foliage. Avoid tall, spindly
plants. Smaller seedlings become established in the garden more quickly than
larger
ones. Also, smaller plants often are more productive. When selecting bedding
plants, large transplants are usually not the best choice.
Hardening
Bedding plants started indoors or purchased from greenhouses should not be
planted directly into the garden. The intense sun and strong winds may damage
or kill the tender seedlings. Bedding plants should be "hardened" (acclimated
to outdoor growing conditions) before transplanting them into the garden. Initially
place the plants in a shady, protected site. Then gradually expose the plants
to longer periods of direct sun. Closely watch the plants during this period.
If possible, check on them at least once or twice a day. Thoroughly water the
seedlings when the soil surface becomes dry to the touch. Move the plants indoors
if strong winds, a severe storm or an overnight frost threatens them. The bedding
plants should be ready to plant after six or seven days of hardening.
Planting
Most annual flowers should be planted outdoors when the danger of frost is
past. A few frost tolerant annuals, such as pansy, sweet alyssum, and snapdragon,
can be planted two to three weeks earlier. Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower
seedlings can be planted outdoors in early April in southern Iowa, gardeners
in northern counties should wait until mid to late April. Tomatoes, peppers,
cucumbers, melons and other warm season vegetables should be planted after
the average last spring frost in your area.
Carefully remove bedding plants from plastic cell packs by gently squeezing the bottom on each compartment. Plants in plastic pots can be removed by tipping them on their sides and tapping the bottom of the pots.
If possible, set the plants into the garden in the evening or on a cloudy day. Planting at these times reduces transplant shock and allows the plants to recover somewhat before being exposed to the hot sun. Place plants in the ground at the same depth or slightly deeper (no more than 1/2 inch deeper) than they were in their containers. Tall, leggy tomato plants can be planted much deeper than previously grown as roots will develop all along the buried stems. Many annuals, such as petunia, snapdragon, salvia and periwinkle, should be pinched back to encourage branching. Others, such as impatiens, are self-branching and don't require pinching. It's also advisable to remove flowers on blooming annuals. Removing blossoms when planting aids plant establishment. Vegetable transplants should not be pinched.
When watering newly planted transplants, apply a starter fertilizer solution to each plant. A starter fertilizer solution can be prepared by mixing 2 tablespoons of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, in one gallon of water. When the fertilizer has completely dissolved, give each plant approximately 1 cup of the starter fertilizer solution.
-30-
Editors: No photo is available for this week's column.