Soil Tips - 10 steps to a successful flower garden

1. Location, location, location.
   It may seem obvious, but plant placement is one of the single-most important factors. Make sure sun-loving plants get plenty of sun and shade lovers get their shade.

2. Get the right mix.
   Sandy soils do not hold together, and clay soils hold together too well. Add Jolly Gardener Top Soil or Organic Humus to help them retain the right mix of air and water to help your plants grow.

3. Give soil a boost.
   When digging a new bed or reviving an old one, add Jolly Gardener Composted Manure or Dehydrated Manure. Both will boost the soil’s nutrition. Acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwood and hydrangeas will benefit from a good dose of Jolly Gardener Peat Humus mixed into the soil around their roots.

4. Give plants their personal space.
   Plants, like people, need their space. When thinning seedlings or placing transplants, it’s best to do so according to their final growing size (and not their current size.) While your garden may initially look a bit sparse, this extra space, combined with nourishment from Jolly Gardener Amendments, will soon have your garden looking lush and full.

5. Build strong roots and stems.
   Watching those first flowers bloom is satisfying, but growing plants need to put their energy into developing a strong, healthy root system and stem structure. Pinch off the first flowers that develop to allow for the “hidden” development of the plant. You’ll be rewarded with a stronger, healthier, blooming plant.

6. Keep the weeds out.
   Once your seedlings have grown several inches, be sure to mulch with Jolly Gardener Mulch. This protective layer will keep pesky weeds from invading your soil and will also help retain precious moisture for your growing plants. Jolly Gardener offers an excellent selection of quality mulches in a wide variety of attractive, garden-enhancing colors.

7. Moisturize daily.
   Make sure the soil surrounding your plants is moist. An additional layer of mulch will help prevent the soil from drying out in between rains or waterings.

8. Take the offense.
   Prevent insects and disease pests from ruining your hard work. Healthy plants grown in a nutrient rich medium will be more disease and insect resistant. If you do need help keeping pests at bay, check with your local garden center for advice on a suitable product to use.

9. Off with their heads!
   To keep plants producing new flowers, be sure to “dead head” them — that means regularly pinching off spent blossoms. This will prevent the plant from putting all its energy into producing seeds - the certain end to your garden bouquets!

10. Spread the joy -- inside and out.
    Bring your garden inside by regularly taking cuttings from your plants. Annuals produce blooms faster and more abundantly when groomed and trimmed regularly.