Caring for your Plants

Choose what type of plants you'd like to learn to care for:
Gerbera Daisies (see below)
Hanging Baskets (see below)
Apple Tree Care and Pruning
Vegetable Gardening Timeline and Tips

Gerbera Daisies

The secrets of getting them to rebloom.

We have planted over 700 gerbera daisies in the greenhouse. These are always popular in the spring for planting in pots or Mother's Day gifts. We get a lot of questions about growing them.

Here are some of Mike's tips for Gerberas:

They like filtered light more than direct sunlight. Under a tree or something that provides some sort of cover from direct sunlight. They do need sunlight so do not plant them in the shade.

Fertilize every two weeks with a water soluble fertilizer that has a low middle number (like 15-7-15 or 12-2-12). This will help blooming and not leaf growth.

Gerberas will not bloom continuously. They bloom, then take about a two week break to refuel then bloom again.

Some people say it is best to plant them by themselves. Don't mix them with other plants.

When you water, you want to get them wet...then let the soil dry out before watering again. They like to be dry-wet-dry-wet. If the flowers start to droop it is typically from too much water not too little.

Hanging Baskets Care

Here are Mike's tips on how to keep them looking nice all summer:

Water your baskets once a day and on especially hot days twice a day. If they start to wilt or look droopy, they probably need water. The exception to this would be shade loving baskets like double impatiens. They may only need water every other day. They may also appear droopy due to the heat, but do not require water. After the day cools off they will regain there normal shape.

Fertilize them every two weeks with a water soluble fertilizer. You want to use a compound with a low middle number (like 15-7-15 or 12-2-12) so that it promotes flowering and not more leaves. (The exception to this is Geraniums and New Guinea Impatiens...these do NOT want any fertilizer.)

As the plants grow longer (especially for petunias) you can "give them a haircut." Cut back some of the longer parts to allow light to reach the leaves in the center of the basket and keep it healthy.

If your basket contains verbena, you can cut off the dead flowers to keep it looking nice. Any Million Bells or Petunias will NOT need to be deadheaded. We use only self-cleaning petunias in our baskets.