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Growing annual flowers in your garden can be easy

All annual flowers (called annuals) are flowers which go through the growth life cycle with beautiful varying colours in summer and die off in one growing season. Its quiet easy to grow annual flowers as the majority of them can be sown directly into the garden. However there are some that require be starting indoors and then later transplanting outdoors when it's warmer.

Annual flowers flourish when they are grown in apposition that has plenty of sunlight and well drained rich soil. There are some annuals flowers that do well in the shade however this does not mean that they are confined to these places alone.

In fact annual flowers can be grown almost anywhere as they are very robust plants. Annual flowers thrive along a wall or fence, an island garden or on a patio or balcony. You can plant annual flowers as fillers among perennials

You can generally plant annual flowers in 3 positions based on the sunlight amounts that they receive. Full sun positions receive sunlight for most of the day, partial shade positions receive a minimum of 6 hours of light per day and full shade which does not receive any sunlight at all.

Start your seed

Dig a hole following the instructions on the supplier's seed packet. The soil will need to be moistened before the seed can be planted in it. When the soil is sufficiently moist sow the annual flower seeds and cover them with soil. Ensure that the soil remains moist at al times by misting the soil should be kept moist at all times until the seeds have germinated.

Hard coated seeds such as Morning Glory and Sweet Peas need to be soaked for 12-24 hours to help them germinate with less trouble.

Seeds can be started indoors. Fill a seeding pot or tray with potting soil to a centimeter from the top. Sow the seed in the moist soil and cover the tray with a plastic dome or wrap to ensure that moisture is kept in the tray. Make sure that the soil does not dry up before the seed has germinated.

Its good practice to remove the cover at least for as single hour each day to make sure that there is no damping off. If damping-off occurs you can use a damp-off fungicide. Thin out the plant when they grow bigger and transplant them when temperatures go higher in the garden.

You can cover the plants with a thin layer of mulch to ensure that moisture is kept in the soil. Mulching also promotes root growth which will ultimately result in a healthier plant.

Irrigate the plant as soon as the soil is dry 1,25cm below the surface. Make sure that the soil does not become soaked with water.

General Information on Annuals