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OUTDOOR PLANTING STARTING SEEDS INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOME PAGE PLANTS

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PLANTING

We have discussed that it is wise to begin with practically indestructable plants. We have identified a few and are ready to embark on our first attempt to cause greenery to thrive since our newfound knowledge was bestowed. Where to start!!

IT'S GOTTA BE THE MULCH!

While it is true we like to specialize in plants that like poor, dry soil, it is equally true that if you walk out into the yard on July 31st and plop your newly purchased shrub onto the hardpan you call your front yard, IT WILL DIE. So, lets talk MULCH. Mulch can be anything that suppresses weeds and traps moisture. Black plastic is mulch. Twenty five dollar a bag polished pebbles are mulch. I like PINE BARK because it lasts and looks o.k. Black and brown mulch are really stinky and have to be put back on each year because they break down really fast, which helps the dirt. Personally I would rather sprinkle fertilizer than deal with it. Some people use nutshells, pine needles, or sawdust which all works fine except that sawdust has to break down as compost for at least a year or it will burn your plants. Mulch on your garden is like insulation in your home. It saves you in the long run and you really need it.

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FOR OUTDOOR PLANTING

Your dirt needs to be stirred up, turned over and loosened up in the place where you will put your plant. If possible try to find a spot that will get at least SOME shade during the day. If not plan to do a lot more watering. Dig a hole that is about twice as wide as your plants last home was (assuming it was a pot of some sort). This hole need not be much deeper, maybe an inch or two. If you bury it too deep it will croak for sure. (There are exceptions to this rule, for instance TOMATO plants love to be buried up to their bottomost leaves.) Loosen up the dirt around the edges of your hole and gently place your de-potted plant inside. You can de-pot your plant by squeezing the pot or rolling it sideways a few times. If it is really dry then water it first.

Once your plant is in the hole then scoot the dirt that used to be in the hole around the plant and tamp it down with your foot to make sure it is a snug fit. DO NOT STOMP! If your gardening assistant is the "Bubba" type then send him for a beverage during this phase of the operation. (Bubba types really love to stomp, it's right up there with shit-kickin').

Now apply your mulch. Do like me, cheat and be cheap about it. Save some newspapers. Lay them around the plant about three or four pages thick and then dump some pine bark chips on that. Use enough to hide the newpaper. Voila! Fine'! You're done.

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WHERE TO PLANT!

Find the highest, dryest, spot in your yard completely out of range of the hose. Put the swingset there, or the garage. Do not plant anythingthere that does not grow there all by itself. Now, as for the plants; stretch your hose as far as it will go and using it as a guide, mark ANYTHING BEYOND the perimeter as the "DEAD ZONE". Use chalk line or spray paint or make a mental note. The best spots to plant have a degree of shade during some part of the day and are within the hose perimeter. Close to the house or other structure is also good as it provides protection from wind and cuts down on the harshness of the elements. Once all is said and done anything not in the DEADZONE is fair game. Higher = dryer, lower = wetter, and mulch solves most problems.
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WHEN TO PLANT!

Usually the best advice is to plant "after the last danger of frost" in your area, this does not mean that July 31st qualifies as a safe date for planting. In order to know when your "last frost" is you will have to consult the Planting Zone Map As long as you are in the North American region this map should apply. Otherwise consult a local chart. I particulary have had actual success planting in the late Fall as concerns Perenial type plants. The overwintering gets their roots established, the spring waters them up and a FULL 50% of my attempts using this method actually survived the blazing summer drought in my shade-less yard and bloomed the following year. Concerning Annuals and Fall blooming plants, planting immediately after the last frost in Spring is the way to go.

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WHAT ABOUT STARTING SEEDS INDOORS?

I find it cleaner, simpler and equally effective to flush them down the toilet. If you must, do not use those little plastic greenhouses (suicide boxes). Use full sized window boxes with drain holes in the bottom and put them outside during fair weather. Bring them in for temperature drops and hurricanes. Water as soon as they dry out, this means daily in the summer. The bigger the planter, the more dirt it has in it, the slower it drys out. More= better. NEVER FERTILIZE SEEDLINGS. They fry in the chemicals.

Some seeds really don't like to be transplanted. Some just love it. That's why it is so important to break out that Planting Zone Map and be sure about the frost and start your seeds in planters. I have really been fortunate with lettuce on the porch in a window box. I start it by making two pencil scraped in the dirt in a flower box and sprinkling seeds in the grooves. So far I have managed to grow Romaine lettuce, Oakleaf lettuce, Arrugula and easiest of all, Black Seeded Simpson. If you need to transplant simply dig the plants out of the planter and plant them in the ground according to the instructions here.

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SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR WEBSITE PLANTS

PERENNIAL= COMES BACK NEXT YEAR
ANNUAL=GOT TO PLANT IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR