Summer Plant Care

Naylor roadside market

2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Bushes

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TEN TIPS FOR SUMMER PLANTING

1. Container-grown plants are the best option for summer planting. It's not the time to do bare root or transplant newly dug plants. However, container-grown plants can be planted without disrupting the roots.

2. If you buy a plant in summer, don’t save it to plant in fall. Getting it in the soil helps keep the roots cool and allows more water retention.

3. Plant on a cloudy and/or cool day, or in the evening as temperatures are starting to dip.

4. Fill the newly dug hole with water and let it drain before planting. After planting, deeply soak the plant.

5. Mulch with a 2 to 3" layer of organic mulch (or non-organic if you require firewise landscaping). This will help maintain soil moisture and keep weeds at bay.

6. For the first two weeks, water deeply and often — possibly every day in very hot, dry conditions. Water less often if you are getting rain or cooler summer weather. A "deep" watering for shrubs and trees entails leaving the hose on. Then, soaking the plant for 3 to 4 minutes. (30 seconds is usually enough for perennials). You can reduce watering to every other day or every few days as the weeks go on.

7. Pay attention to soil moisture levels. Do not let the soil around the roots get too dry. In dry summer areas, overwatering a new shrub or tree is pretty hard. However, overwatering a plant is possible in areas that get consistent rain in the summer.

8. Don’t skip watering while you’re away on vacation for a week. If you don’t have automatic irrigation, get a neighbor to water while you are gone.

9. Consider using a tree gator or something similar to help properly water new trees deeply and efficiently. (A great waterwise approach for areas dealing with drought).

10. Be patient. You’re just trying to keep them happy until fall. It will grow next spring.

Learn more tips about Planting Shrubs, Trees, and Perennials in Summer here.

HAnging BAskets

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HANGING BASKETS AND PLANTERS LOOKING GOOD ALL SUMMER

WATER OFTEN

Hanging baskets and flower planters typically need more water than flowers in a garden. How often you will need to water your baskets will vary depending on the time of year and temperatures. I can usually get away with watering our planters every 2-3 days during the cooler spring days, but I up it to once per day during the summer months. If it’s exceptionally hot or windy out {or if you have smaller baskets}, you may even need to water twice per day. Follow these tips for the best water guidelines…

Try to water your plants at the coolest time of day so the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
Smaller hanging baskets and planters will generally dry out quicker than larger baskets {due to the smaller amount of soil}, so be sure to check them more often.
Give the hanging baskets enough water so that the water streams down through the drainage holes. The baskets should feel quite heavy with the water weight.
If you’re not sure if your planters need water, poke your finger down into the soil about an inch to see if it is dry at that depth. It’s time to water if it is!
Remember that there is such a a thing as too much water! If the soil is too wet or the planter remains in standing water, root rut can occur. It’s all about finding that happy medium!

DEAD HEAD

As the flowers die, be sure to remove them by pinching them off where they meet the stem. Not only does this make your baskets look better, but it also encourages more blooms. There are some flowers, however, that don’t require this, so check the care instructions on the specific flowers you’re planting. It might save you a little time!

FERTILIZE.

A little bit of fertilizer {either a liquid fertilizer OR a dry release fertilizer} can go a long ways! I only started doing this a couple of years ago and it made a big difference in our planters. The fertilizer will replenish any nutrients in the soil that are depleted with watering and will help to create fuller looking baskets. Make sure that you fertilize when the soil is moist – not when the plants are wilting – and follow the directions on the specific fertilizer that you’re using. As your flowers grow, they may require more fertilizer than they did at the beginning of the season. It’s also a good idea to re-fertilize if your flowers are out in a heavy rainfall as the excess rain can drain the fertilizer.

TRIM ONCE OR TWICE A SEASON.

Planters {and especially hanging baskets}, can start to look prety straggly by mid-summer. You don’t want your hanging basket looking like it has a mullet! If this happens, give them a little “haircut” to increase branching and create a fuller looking basket for the rest of the summer. To trim, use a pair of sharp sheers to trim off at least a couple of inches. Baskets with a lot of trailing flowers may need a little bit more. You basically just want to even things out. Be warned that you may lose some pretty flowers short-term, but your baskets and planters should bounce back quickly and will be much healthier in the long-term.

ROTATE YOUR HANGING BASKETS AROUND.

If you notice the one or two of your baskets is doing a lot better than the rest, try rotating their location if possible. We have two hanging baskets on either side of our front porch but one side always gets a strong blast of the afternoon sun while the other side is a little more temperate. By mid-summer, one basket was looking great and the other was looking pretty sad. For the past few summers, I’ve switched the baskets every week, and it’s made such a difference.

So that wraps up my favorite tips for maintaining hanging baskets and planters. I hope it’s inspired you to head down to your local garden store and pick up some flowers this weekend! There’s usually an awesome selection by this time of year and some great sales on for Mother’s Day! {A little yard labor would be a good Mother’s Day gift too!}

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Bedding Plants

Petunias are treated as annuals in most areas, but can be grown as tender perennials in Zones 9 to 11. The flowers come in many colors and patterns, and bloom from spring until frost!

Water thoroughly

You can fill any size or shape of pot, basket or container with bedding plants. But whether you’ve grown them yourself or bought them from a nursery or supermarket, make sure you water them thoroughly before planting. Submerge the whole pot, rootball and all, in a bucket of water and leave it for a couple of minutes to soak through. Once all the air bubbles have escaped, remove the pot from the bucket and let it drain before planting. Bedding in pots and baskets requires watering every day, especially during the summer months. Even after bouts of heavy rain, it’s surprising how little water will actually reach the compost, which can remain bone dry due to the protective umbrella effect of the plants’ foliage.

Feed the plants

Most composts for containers and baskets contain limited amounts of food. Within four to six weeks of planting, fast-growing, hungry bedding plants will have depleted most of the goodness in the compost. So, you’ll need to add more nutrients to improve your plants’ flowering performance and encourage stronger growth. Make sure your feed contains plenty of potassium, which boosts flower growth and is a key ingredient in tomato fertiliser. Follow the instructions and mix feed into one watering per week in summer.

Another and easier way to be sure your plants never go short of food is to add slow-release fertiliser to your compost. Mix granules of feed, often combined with water-retaining gel, into the compost at planting time. Alternatively, use pellets of slow-release fertiliser granules, pushing these down into the compost. As you water your pots from above, the resin coating of the granules slowly dissolves to release feed into the surrounding compost. This is a gradual process because the granules are designed to release fertiliser slowly over many months.

Deadhead spent flowers

Pick off old flower heads as soon as they fade to stop your bedding plants wasting energy producing seeds. Some varieties of fuchsia, scaevola and other bedding look after themselves, dropping their old petals to keep displays looking clean. Just shake the basket or pot, or brush lightly over the plants to keep them tidy. Plants such as pelargoniums and petunias will require more hands-on attention, so pinch off spent flowers or snip them away with sharp scissors.

Learn more about caring for bedding plants at Gardening World.

Learn how to make a flower bed from Proven Winners here

Tropicals

How to Take Care of Tropical Plants in North Carolina

Most tropical plants can be used inside or outside, as long as it gets enough sun. They love full sun but can take some shade. They will continue to bloom profusely as long as the temperatures remain around 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

If tropical plants are overwintered in a sunny spot indoors, make sure to prune it in early February before the buds appear. Doing so will help the plants rejuvenate themselves and bloom again in the spring.

Hardy Hibiscus

The Hardy Hibiscus variety is an easy way to add flair to your garden. Each 6 to 12-inch wide flower lasts just one day, but the plant is covered with enough buds to give you constant color from midsummer to frost.

For best performance, plant your hardy hibiscus in sun to part shade, in moist, well-drained soil. Fertilize after the plant is established and during the growing season.

In areas with cold winters (zones 7 and colder), hardy hibiscus will die back to the ground. Cut the dead stems back in fall or spring. You can also make tall hibiscus shorter and bushy by cutting back by one-third to one-half in June. This will delay the start of flowering by a couple of weeks. Learn more here.

Plumbago Imperial Blue (Plumbago auriculata)

Growing plumbago plants in North Carolina can add a beautiful and colorful touch to your garden or porch. Plumbago, also known as Cape Leadwort or Cape Plumbago, is a flowering perennial shrub that produces clusters of sky-blue flowers from spring through fall. Plumbago grows well in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, making it suitable for growing in North Carolina with some care and attention.

Butterfly Bush Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum ugandense)

Known for its beautiful blue and purple flowers, Butterfly Bush Clarodendrum will attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and admiration from your neighbors. Transform your North Carolina garden into a colorful, buzzing paradise with this tropical plant rated for Zones 5-9. The Butterfly Bush Clarodendrum may need protection during the colder months. Fear not! Simply move your potted plant indoors before the first frost, placing it near a sunny window to soak up the warmth and light.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')

Add a touch of elegance to your North Carolina landscape by growing Boston ferns in hanging pots! Known for their lush, arching fronds, Boston ferns are perfect for adorning patios, porches, or shaded areas in your outdoor space. These ferns are perfect for hanging on your North Carolina porch as they need partial sunlight, and can be easily brought indoors in the winter.

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Combination & Mixed Planters

How to Take Care of Potted Plants

Once you've picked your plants and either purchased or planted them in your container, you'll need to provide the proper care to make sure they thrive. Your plants will be at their best when you are watering properly, providing the right nutrients, and trimming them back if they become overgrown.

Learn more about container care in the following articles:

How to Water Potted Plants
Proper watering of the plants in your pots is crucial to having the plants perform their best. When should you water? For containers, it’s best to soak them once a day, maybe twice in extreme heat. Water in the morning and near the roots rather than directly over the foliage of the plants.

Overwintering Potted Perennials & Shrubs
Learn how to grow and overwinter perennials and shrubs in containers.

Container Gardening Tips
Learn how your choice of container and soil and correct watering and fertilizing practices will produce great planters.

10 Container Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes people make when growing plants in containers so you can be sure to avoid them.

Tips for Picking the Right Pot

When selecting your pots, pick something that suits your style and consider the following:

Make sure your containers have drainage holes to prevent plants from drowning due to over-watering
Terra cotta pots aren't frostproof and may crack when freezing temperatures strike
Unglazed pots will dry out more quickly than glazed ones
A plastic pot retains water more effectively than a ceramic one
Small pots will dry out faster than larger pots because they have less soil
Try unique garden planters such as galvanized metal buckets, old milk cans, washtubs, teapots, roasting pans, or watering cans

Here are two ways to make gardening in containers more convenient: One, put planters on casters, or rolling plant caddies, to make them super-easy to move. Two, use drip irrigation to water your containers automatically.

Learn more about Combintion Planters and Container Gardens from Proven Winners here