Flower Beds

PREPARING ANNUAL FLOWER BEDS

Dig or till area thoroughly.

Add organic matter such as composted cow manure or mushroom compost.

Add soil conditioner if additional drainage is needed

Add fertilizer such as Plant-tone, Osmocote or Dr. Earth.

Mix thoroughly

Insert plants at desired spacing. To determine how many plants you need, consult the chart and formula on the back of this sheet.

Apply a 1” to 2” layer of mulch such as pine bark or shredded hardwood over the bed in between the plants

Water thoroughly after planting and mulching are completed.

Enjoy your garden!

HOW MANY PLANTS DO YOU NEED

Is this a dilemma for you? Are you always coming back because you didn’t get enough plants? Or giving away plants because you bought too many? It is possible to determine how many plants you need for a flower bed!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Square footage of area to be planted. How far apart plants need to be spaced (usually on plant tag). The square foot factor (see chart below).

The Formula:

Square Footage of bed x SF + needed number of plants (where SF is the square foot factor)

Example: Impatiens should be spaced at 9” apart. The measured area of your impatiens bed is 5” x 20” or 100 sq. ft. Square feet x SF = number of needed plants. 100 x 1.57 = 157 needed plants.

Helpful Hints:

If you have an odd shaped bed, try to measure in terms of a rectangle or square. If you think this increases or decreases the area of the bed, add or subtract an estimated amount from your total area before using the formula. It should remain fairly accurate. Our flats have 36 plants. Simply divide the number of plants needed by 36 to determine how many flats you will need.