When planting annuals, I have seen and read that you should pinch off the flowers when you plant them. This supposedly prevents the flowers from going to seed so that the annual can spend its energy creating more and fuller blooms. Is this true? If so, are there any annuals that shouldn’t be pinched back?

Removing the flowers at the time of planting lets annuals concentrate their efforts on establishing healthy roots and vegetative growth. This procedure also helps pave the way for an abundance of flowers. Basically, all annuals will benefit from removing the blooms, including flower types such as snapdragons, salvia and zinnias.

I know the main benefit of watering with a soaker hose is that the water goes right to the plants’ roots where it is needed, but how do you know exactly how much water you are applying since you can’t really see the water being delivered?

Environmentally conscious gardeners love soaker hoses. Many of today’s soaker hoses are made from recycled car tires and are a great way to supply plants with a slow, deep, uniform watering with little runoff or waste.

Soaker hoses wet an area 1 to 3 feet wide along their length, depending on soil types. If your soil is heavy in clay, hoses should be spaced 2-3 feet apart for even coverage; loam soils 1-2 feet apart; and sandy soils 1 foot apart.

Hose length should not exceed 100 feet. However, multiple lengths of 100 feet (up to 6) may be split off a main feeder hose and run simultaneously. Under normal house water pressure, a 1/2 inch soaker hose will deliver about 1 gallon per minute per 100 feet of hose, which is equivalent to 1/2 inch of moisture in 100 minutes (per 100 feet of soaker hose).

I want to use only organic fertilizers on my garden. What should I use on my annuals to achieve the best blooms? What about my perennials?

All plants need a proper balance of nutrients to grow and flower well. The major nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potash are required in the largest amounts by plants. Nitrogen is regarded as the most important element for healthy foliage production. Phosphorous is essential to strong root development and flowering. Potash strengthens stems and roots, contributes to disease resistance and winter hardiness. Many minor nutrients such as iron, manganese, zinc, etc. are equally important, but used by plants in much smaller amounts.

The point to remember is that a balance of nutrients is essential to good plant growth and flowering. There are many balanced, organic-based fertilizers on the market that would work well. They can be worked into beds when turning the soil in the spring and can be used monthly during the growing season. Foliage applications of liquid seaweed will help supply additional minor nutrients.