Annual flowers installed on your lawn require care and attention to keep them in their optimum state. With Noblesville, Indiana and its surrounding areas experiencing four seasons, it is critical that you put in the work to maintain your beautifully crafted garden to keep them in bloom longer. Utilizing fertilizers and maintaining your plants' healthy surroundings is key to ensuring the flowers bloom all season.

Our professional landscapers at Sprout Lawn & Landscape are well-equipped with skills to provide your lawns in Noblesville, Carmel, Westfield and nearby areas of Indiana the much-needed color boost with annual flowers. Here are some steps you can take to keep your annual flowers in their top shape.

Groom Your Flowers with Deadheading & Pinching

Deadheading is the process of removing the dead flower heads from your annuals. Your annual flowers will benefit from the process as it will trick the plant to continue the growth of new flowers instead of starting from scratch. It will also give energy back to the flower to continue its bloom the entire season instead of using its energy to develop the faded flowers.

The easiest way to perform deadheading is to simply pinch and remove your flowers' faded blooms using your finger and thumb. You can also do it using scissors or a knife especially on flowers such as marigolds and some hardy geraniums.

Annual flowers that create vibrant colors and benefit from deadheading include:

• Geranium
• Marigold
• Salvia
• Impatiens
• Begonia

Pinching, on the other hand, is a form of deadheading that refers to the act of removing the plants' growing stem. This encourages the growth of a fuller plant. Pinching is best done when flowers get leggy which is sometimes a result of overgrowth from increased fertilizer.

Aside from allowing for a fuller-sized plant, pinching flower stems also encourages the growth of more flowers. However, it is important to not pinch the stem too low as it may decrease your plant's overall height.

Choose the Right Fertilizers for Your Annuals

Annual flowers do not generally require a lot of fertilizer when planted on healthy soil, and increased application of it can negatively affect your plants. Providing your annuals with a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote will help them maintain their bloom since they will only release nutrients when the temperature and moisture of the soil are just right.

When applying a dry fertilizer to the soil, we recommend that you follow it with water to remove fertilizer on foliage. Liquid fertilizer can also be used but make sure to apply it on moist soil to make sure the fertilizer can easily reach the deep roots.

Your annual flowers will reward you with a vibrant and colorful lawn if they are well taken care of.

Keeping an eye out for your flowers' response to fertilizers can help you create an environment that is best suited for them.

Protect Your Annuals with Irrigation & Mulching

Just as any other landscape requires, irrigation is an important part of maintaining a healthy lawn. For your annual flowers, the best practice is to water them infrequently but thoroughly whenever you do so to provide moisture to the deep roots.

Watering your annuals early in the morning is also preferred so the foliage is dry by nightfall. Ensuring that foliage has dried off by night is important to avoid disease infestation from wet foliage.

Mulching, on the other hand, will help retain the moisture from irrigation while also maintaining a cool soil temperature. Weed growth is also prevented with mulching, thus eliminating any competition of nutrients among weeds and your annuals. Organic mulch materials such as wood shavings also aid in improved soil structure. Aside from moisture retention and weed prevention, mulch also improves the overall appearance of your lawn.

Thinking of getting your own seasonal colors and annual flowers? Talk to us today!

Add a variety of colors to your lawn with annual flowers that remain unsurpassed when it comes to adding vibrance to gardens. Improve your curb appeal now with our annual flowers planting service that our skilled and professional landscapers provide.

Here at Sprout Lawn & Landscape, we provide exceptional annual flowers and seasonal color installation in Noblesville, Carmel, Westfield , IN and other nearby areas. You can reach us today at (317) 900-7151 and get a pricing quote for your landscaping needs.