It’s mid-August, and here we are in the throes of summer heat, enjoying the warmth and light. Most of us in the Northern Hemisphere still have at least 60 days until our first hard frost and maybe you’re excited about the remaining days of blooms, but at the same time noticing that the plants in your cut flower garden are slowing down a bit. We have a solution for you!
Summer heat can be hard on plants that have been working hard since spring. Hopefully you’re able to irrigate at ground-level at least every 3-5 days, so your plants aren’t too thirsty (Note: overhead watering can be wasteful due to evaporation + isn’t the best for most blooms). Watering is super important, but also — don’t forget that your plants also need to EAT.
Mid-summer is a great time to re-apply a balanced fertilizer to your vegetable and cut flower garden. The fertilizer you applied at planting time is likely all used up, and your garden is ready for a snack. At the farm, where we are harvesting vigorously every day, we feed our dahlias and roses at least every 3-4 weeks. In a home garden setting, you should at least fertilize every 6 weeks.
Choose a fertilizer with fairly equal N-P-K ratio, going a little lighter on the N if you want to really promote blooms/root growth and lessen foliage growth in the closing days of your growing season.
If you choose a granular fertilizer, be sure to work it into the top 1″ of soil in a spot where your irrigation will help dissolve it and make it accessible to your plants’ roots. For liquid fertilizers, inspect the label directions to know if it is concentrated or pre-mixed, and apply to the ground beneath your plants or on the foliage depending on the product instructions. Pro tip: Don’t apply foliar fertilizer in direct sunlight or extreme heat, as it can burn your plants’ leaves.
We keep diligent fertilization records at the farm so that we know when and what was applied. It helps us keep everything in balance, and is a great idea for home gardeners too. A garden journal is a fun exercise during the summer and an incredibly useful tool for planning future years!
Fertilizing your plants now will increase the number and quality of the blooms you can enjoy over the next 6-8 weeks, so don’t delay! Head to your local garden center today.
Spent most of the afternoon wandering thru your dahlia field. It was such a treat.
I was wondering if you do bouquets for outside weddings in the tall vases you displayed today.
Hello Gwen, Thank you for coming to the Festival. We have done over 300 weddings, but for at least the next few years we are taking a break from our wedding business http://www.triplewrenweddings.com and are not accepting new work. If you visit our Fresh Cuts web page (www.triplewrenfarms.com/fresh-cuts/) you can learn about our you-pick options for brides and see references to other local florists we recommend, including Chickadee Floral who is on staff here at the farm and who designed those big vases for Saturday!