Let’s face it: everyone wants a beautiful yard. But not everyone can create a gorgeous green space on their own. Approximately 67% of Americans agree that having professional landscaping would allow them to have a nicer yard — and if you’re brand new to gardening, it’s easy to make a mistake that will derail your landscaping efforts.
The truth is that some flowers, trees, and shrubs are more temperamental than others. And although not all plants and shrubs for sale at your local gardening center will require an excessive amount of maintenance, all living things need proper care. If you’re noticing that new annuals and perennials in your garden are starting to wilt and die, it may be related to improper care or unfavorable conditions.
In either case, it’s important to get to the bottom of the problem in order to save your garden. In today’s post, we’ll discuss what might be plaguing your plants to help address your complex landscaping needs in Gainesville.
Over- or Under-Watering
Plants need water to survive, but not every plant needs the same amount of water. If you’re new to gardening, you might be either too eager or too neglectful in your care. Some plants are more drought-tolerant, while others are categorized as “moisture-loving.” Even that term can have different meanings, as some flowers need only a small amount of water each week. But if you haven’t watered your flowers all week, there’s a good chance that they might be dying of thirst.
As a general rule, you should water your plants when the soil is dry. Keep in mind that the soil on the surface will dry out more quickly than deeper down, where the roots are. You should always water in the morning, rather than the evening, and focus on the roots instead of the leaves. Mulching your garden can also help to retain moisture.
That said, there can be too much of a good thing. Overwatering can cause plants to wilt or turn brown. A good way to address this problem is to use a soil moisture sensor or to choose plants that can take a lot of watering. You should group plants together with similar watering needs to avoid killing any with kindness.
Improper Location Or Sun Exposure
When you buy plants and shrubs for sale at your local garden center in Gainesville, you’ll notice that each one has different requirements for sun exposure. Some do well in partial sun, while others need full sun to really thrive. A plant that’s too delicate for eight hours of sunlight could easily die if you plant it in the wrong spot, while another will fail to bloom if it gets too much shade.
You shouldn’t buy plants and shrubs for sale just because you love the look of them — although aesthetics may be important. You also need to consider their intended location if you want your garden to grow to its full capacity. You’ll want to have a plan before visiting your gardening center to ensure you choose the right plants for the ideal spot in your yard. If you know your garden doesn’t get more than six hours of sun, that will inform the types of plants and shrubs for sale you end up choosing.
Premature Planting
You might’ve been eager to welcome the spring season, which meant an early visit to your garden center. But if you picked out your plants and shrubs for sale too early in the year and planted them when you got home, you might be seeing dying plants now.
What a lot of novice gardeners fail to understand is that gardening centers prepare early on — but those flowers may not be quite ready to plant yet if you don’t have a greenhouse. Frost dates can go on until early May in many areas, so planting anything before then can result in your plants becoming frozen in the ground. If you’re chomping at the bit to get planting, focus on hardy flowers that appear in the early spring and visit your gardening center again once the weather starts to warm up.
Pest Problems
Gardeners also need to protect their flowers and other plants from pest activity. If you haven’t been able to figure out why your plants are dying, you may need to dig around their roots and look for damage. If an animal has been chewing on your plants’ roots, they’ll be unable to get the water and nutrients they need. It’s also possible a fungal infection could be to blame. Bugs like aphids and other insects can cause leaves and flowers to turn brown, so you’ll want to examine plants for those, as well.
Now that you have a better idea of what might be causing your flowers, plants, and shrubs to struggle, you can make adjustments in your gardening methods to ensure they’ll thrive. For more information on how we can improve the look of your yard, contact us or visit us today.
