Annual Bedding Plants

1. Annual Bedding Plants Horticulture/Landscape 5th Hour

2. Objectives • Identify the four uses of annual plants. • Design a bed layout using annual flowers. • Explain the steps in preparing the soil for annual flowers. • List six steps in the aftercare of annual flowers.

3. Annual Bedding Plants • Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one year. • The plant starts from seed, grows, blooms, set seed, and dies in one season. • Both vegetable plants and flower plants can be classified as annuals. • The market for bedding plants has grown in the last 10 years.

4. Annual Bedding Plants • Today a wide variety of retail outlets are marketing annuals. • When purchasing bedding plants it is important to male sure that the plants carry labels which give the price, required sunlight, and planting care instructions.

5. Flowering Annuals • Flowering annuals are easy to grow and lend color to landscapes a short time after they are planted. • They are usually started from seed indoors early in the spring and transplanted to the garden. • The most popular plants include: • Marigolds, petunias, zinnias, celosias, pansies, and snapdragons.

6. Flowering Annuals • Flowers annuals are generally used to: • Provide a mass of color around a house foundation, in flower beds, or in front of evergreens. • Fill spaces between shrub plantings or other perennials and give color when these plants are not blooming. • Provide color in bulbs beds after the bulbs have bloomed

7. Flowering Annuals • Supply cut flowers. • Plant along fences or walks. • Cover bare spots between or in front of larger shrubs. • Create seasonal color.

8. Selecting Flowering Annuals • When deciding upon which annuals to grow, first consider the purpose of the plant and where it is to be planted. • Consider height, keeping shorter plants in the front of beds. • Select plants with colors that will blend in well with one another.

9. Planting Hanging Baskets • When planting hanging baskets, the standard rule is to plant one less plant than the size of the pot. • Example: 8 inch pot select 7 plants and place six of them around the outside of the pot and the other plant in the center of the basket.

10. Planning and Designing the Flower Bed • Flower beds for annuals range in size and design according to individual needs and preferences.

11. Preparing the Soil • Before preparing new beds, test soil for drainage. • Dig a 10 inch hole and fill it with water. Fill it again the next day, if the water has not seeped into the soil within 10 hours there is a drainage problem.

12. Seeding • Most annuals are seeded indoors and set outside as plants. • Some annuals may be seeded directly outdoors. • Examples: Baby’s breath, poppy, cleome, sweet pea. • Wait until the the soil warms to about 60 F before setting the started plants outdoors