by Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly//
Garden centers and nurseries are in full swing and loaded with great plants. For quick color and longevity of bloom, nothing beats annuals or bedding plants as they are known in the trade. Follow the tips below to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Annuals are purchased because they are fast growing, have tons of blooms or have great colorful foliage, for example, coleus, dusty miller and Persian shield. It is important to select healthy plants that have bushy growth that fills the pot. Foliage should be lush with vivid color without obvious disease spots or insect damage.
For the blooming annuals, it is tempting to purchase a plant in flower. But in most cases, this should be avoided if possible. A plant in flower could have been fed a high nitrogen fertilizer to spur rapid growth and development, which can result in a plant that is a heavy feeder. When these plants are transplanted into the garden and their high-maintenance diet is not maintained, they can quickly lose vigor. Look for plants that are just beginning to flower or are in bud. Sometimes plants are flowering because they have been in the pot too long and are too mature and leggy. These should be avoided, or if purchased, should be cut back to encourage densely branched new growth. Examples of these are marigold, red salvia, and celosia. Continue pinching these plants for awhile to get that bushy plant with many flowering stems.
Kelly writes Garden Tips weekly and is a horticulture specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.