Their shoots will naturally grow toward the sun. For bareroot plants, it’s not always easy to tell which end is up, but most will have a “crown” - the point at which all the roots come together. You may even see new growth emerging from the crown. Typically the crown of the plant is planted one inch or so below the soil surface with the roots draped over a mound of soil and spread downward into the planting hole. Each type of bulb and bareroot plant has its own recommended planting depth and spacing guidelines. Please refer to the plant-specific instructions further below or on each package label.

Tips for Success

Watering
After planting, give your plants a thorough watering. As your plants are establishing themselves in your garden, it’s important to water them
regularly if there is no rainfall. Watering twice weekly, for the first few weeks, is a good idea. After that, check the soil moisture weekly and water as needed. If you experience particularly hot or dry weather during the summer, it may be necessary to water more than once a week, especially plants growing in containers or in full sun. Maintaining adequate moisture in the soil reduces stress and promotes long-lasting blooms. Some plants have more specific watering requirements; please refer to the individual plant care instructions further below.

Fertilizing
A bulb is a plant’s food storage system. During the first year of bloom, the bulb provides the plant with most of the nutrients it requires. But, for best results, and to ensure good blooms the following season, we recommend supplementing your soil with a balanced, slow-release bulb or flower fertilizer such as Bloom Start. Typically, one application of fertilizer in the spring is enough to provide your plants with the extra nutrients they need to produce healthy foliage and long-lasting flowers.
Some perennial plants can be encouraged to produce more flowers for a longer period of time when watered with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. For more specific fertilizing recommendations, please refer to the individual plant care instructions further below.

Mulching
Applying a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over your garden beds helps
retain moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. It also helps to
suppress weeds.

Dividing
Perennials generally require division every three to five years. You can
tell it’s time to divide if your plants appear too crowded or if you notice
decreased flower production. Late fall or early spring are the best times to divide perennials. Dig the entire clump from the garden, retaining as many roots as possible. Divide the plant into portions, gently pulling clumps away from the main plant. Some plants will be bound tightly together. You may need to cut them apart with a sharp spade or gardening knife. Each division should contain a number of healthy shoots and roots. Plant the division just as you’d plant a new plant. Be sure to water thoroughly.

Planting In Containers
Many summer-blooming bulbs and perennials can be grown in containers as easily as they can be grown in your garden. Some plants may even do better when planted in containers - refer to our plant-specific instructions below for recommendations.
Keep these things in mind when planting in containers:
• Choose a pot with a drainage hole or add several inches of drainage
material, such as broken crockery or gravel, to the bottom of the pot before adding potting mix. If your container does not have adequate drainage, excess moisture can cause plant roots to rot.
• Use a light potting mix that contains some peat, perlite and/or vermiculite. Don’t use garden soil—it packs too tightly and may contain diseases.
• Leave at least a few inches of space between plants, although they can be planted closer together than you would plant them in your garden.
• Containers dry out faster than garden soil and may require daily watering during the summer. Check the moisture level every day or two.
• Potting mix contains fewer nutrients than garden soil. We
recommend giving your container-grown plants a weekly application
of balanced, liquid fertilizer during the growing season.

Almost anything can serve as a container for growing plants. In addition to terra cotta, plastic or pressed fiber pots, you can use recycled whiskey barrels, 5-gallon food buckets, bushel baskets, plastic tubs, wooden planter boxes, even old tires! Self-watering planters, which have built-in water reservoirs, are great innovations.

The size of container that you use should be determined by the plants you plan to grow. Begonias may get by in a 6-inch deep container, but don't try to grow a canna in a container that holds less than 3 gallons of soil. The general rule is to use the largest container possible, because the more soil there is, the more root space there will be -- and the longer your plants can go between waterings.

Make sure the containers have drainage holes -- on the sides rather than the bottom if possible -- so excess water can drain and roots won't get waterlogged. For large pots with drainage holes on the bottom, elevate the pots on bricks or scraps of wood so that the water can escape.

In general, a 20-gallon pot should have four to six 3/4-inch holes; a 30-gallon pot should have at least eight 1-inch holes. You can put stones or bits of crockery in the bottom of the pot, but with a well-aerated soil mix, this is unnecessary and will only steal valuable root space.

Once you have chosen the right container, you are ready to pick a soil mix. Soil for container-grown plants should be light and friable, well drained and moisture-retentive. Garden soil is much too dense and can introduce disease and insect problems. Most container-grown plants are happiest in a soilless blend such as is found in most professional potting mixes. At the nursery we offer Pennington Pro Potting Soil.

Any soil mix will become compacted over time. If your containers seem water-logged and heavy, you may need to replace your soil mix at the start of a new growing season with a fresh mix.

Watering
If you go off to work in the morning without watering your windowboxes or patio containers, you are likely to come home to droopy, if not dead plants. When plants get too dry, their delicate feeder roots die and the plant must concentrate its energy on re-growing damaged roots rather than producing fruit or flowers.

That means unless you use self-watering planters or have a drip-irrigation system, you'll probably need to check on your plants daily, and maybe even twice a day if the weather is really hot. If you have more than a few planters, and especially if you travel, a drip-irrigation system is ideal.

Three Watering Innovations for Containers
1. Water-holding crystals absorb and retain up to 200 times their weight in water. When blended into the soil, polymers can reduce your watering chores by 50 to 70 percent.

2. Self-watering containers have an inner pot that holds the plant and soil, and an outer pot or bottom reservoir that holds extra water. A wick joins the two and pulls water up into the root ball as it's needed.

Most reservoirs are large enough to supply water for several days or more depending on the weather. Liquid fertilizer can be added to the reservoir to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients. These containers can generally be used both indoors and out.

3. Drip-irrigation systems are simple, easy to install and take the work and worry out of watering. Add a timer and your plants will be content even if you can't be there to give them daily attention.

Watering Tips

Start with a moisture-retentive soil mix.

Water until all the soil in the container is moist and water runs out the drainage holes.

For large containers, reduce evaporation by covering the soil surface with a thin layer of attactive mulch such as shredded bark.

Your plants will always prefer rainwater (collect it in a barrel from your roof) rather than using treated soft water. So, try collecting water in a barrel to water your container plants.

Fertilizing
Because most potting mixes provide few nutrients, your plants will be totally dependent on you for their food. Add granular fertilizer such as Bloom Start at planting time, then water weekly with half-strength, water-soluble fertilizer for an added benefit.

Maintenance
Each week during the growing season, remove spent flowers and pinch back leggy stems. When necessary, replace tired plants with some fresh annuals, especially late-season favorites, such as ornamental kale, and Pansies.

If you plan to overwinter some of your potted plants, they should be cut back and put in a cool location. Water sparingly and do not fertilize until spring. Once warm weather arrives, remove plants from their containers, tease away old soil, and repot the plants in a fresh soil blend.

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