Annuals grown in beds

Before you plant annuals, it is a good idea to amend the soil with compost or composted manure. You may also wish to work a natural slow-release fertilizer into the soil.

Once the plants are well established, you can use liquid fertilizers, like seaweed. You can add these fertilizers several times over the season to encourage growth and blooming or to address specific problems (to pep up a weak plant, to correct a deficiency, etc.)

Water-soluble fertilizers can also be used for annuals.

Be careful not to overfertilize when using slow-release and soluble fertilizers!

Container-grown plants are usually heavier feeders, because only a limited supply of nutrients is available to them and nutrients tend to leach out of the soil.

When preparing flower pots and window boxes, it is best to use potting soil containing at least 1/3 compost. You can also add natural slow-release fertilizer at planting time.

Once your plants are well established, you can use liquid fertilizers, like seaweed. Applied several times during the season, this type of fertilizer produces stronger plants and better blooms.

You can also feed container-grown annuals with applications of soluble fertilizers.

Be careful not to overfertilize when using slow-release and soluble fertilizers!

**** Not all annuals need to be fertilized. In fact, some annuals, including calendulas, cosmos, nasturtiums and portulacas, flower better when grown in poor soil.