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Why Do Annuals Need Fertilizer?

Annuals are plants/flowers that last one growing season. It takes alot of plant energy for flowers to bloom, and fertilizer provides a boost of nutrients needed by annuals. It is important to fertilize annuals on a consistent basis so that your annuals will bloom continuously.

What Type of Fertilizer?

We have an excellent success with an organic fertilizer, Espoma PT4 4-Pound Plant-Tone Organic 5-3-3 Plant Food.

How to Fertilize

Since annuals are typically small plants, less than 6-8 inches tall, they should be lightly fertilized every few weeks. Too much fertilizer will kill the plant. All fertilizer products have instructions regarding how much to apply, however, we sprinkle a thin layer of fertilizer around each plant. We are careful about keeping the fertilizer off of the plant itself because it will damage/burn the plant. Fertilizer is very toxic, so be sure to use gloves when working with fertilizer. Also, be careful about inhaling the fumes. It’s best to work outside when pouring fertilizer into a container, so there is plenty of air circulation. We use old coffee creamer containers to hold the fertilizer. It makes it easy to lightly pour the fertilizer around the plant. After sprinkling a light layer of fertilizer around the plant, use a gardening tool, such as a claw (Fiskars 3 Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set (7067)), to scratch the fertilizer into the top half inch of soil. Always water the plant immediately after applying fertilizer, so that the fertilizer doesn’t burn the plant or roots. For beginner gardeners, it better to apply too little fertilizer than too much. Too much fertilizer will kill the plant, so error on the side of too little.

Check your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, online Burpee Gardening or eBay for their selection of colorful annuals such as Geraniums! To see more gorgeous flowers, watch our Gorgeous Flowers playlist on YouTube! To learn how to plant, fertilize and prune your way to a gorgeous garden, subscribe to our YouTube channel!