Garden Tips: Annuals, Rhododendrons, Fertilizing

Annuals produce flowers not for our enjoyment but to make seed to ensure their reproduction. On many plants, the flowering process stops if the flowers are allowed to fade as the seeds are maturing. It is therefore important to regularly remove withered flowers from your annuals. Deadhead Ageratum, Calendula, Cosmos, Marigold, Pansy, Rudbeckia, Scabiosa, Verbena, and Zinnia each week. Remove the yellow flowers from Dusty Miller as they are produced in late June.

Shrubs like Viburnum, Rhododendron, and Mock Orange need to be pruned after they finish flowering. Remove spent blossoms before they set seed on evergreen Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel. This helps with overall vigor. The plant will be able to put its energy into forming next year's flower buds and new growth instead of seeds.

Fertilizing perennials directly to the foliage of new plantings with a dilute solution of a liquid fertilizer such as 15-30-15 will give them an added boost. Young leaves absorb the fertilizer quickly. It is best to apply foliar feeds early in the day before the intense heat sets in. Even in May, it's still not too late to fertilize your shrubs. Your plants still have time to use fertilizers while they are actively growing. Once it gets hot, growth slows down and plants don't require as much fertilizer. Use a complete balanced fertilizer. As a general rule, apply 1 tablespoon per foot of plant height. Refer to the product label for detailed information.

References: Month by Month Gardening in Georgia by Walter Reeves & Erica Glasener