1 – Come and visit Massams to choose your bedding plants and grab everything else you need.
2 – While they’re still in their original tray or container, water the bedding plants well to give them time to absorb the water while you prepare the bed or border.
3 – Use a garden fork or spade to prepare the site. By turning over the soil it will aerate it and help to break up any compacted lumps, which will provide a better structure for roots to grow into and also allow for better drainage. Remove weeds and take out any large stones as you go.
4 – Help keep your plants healthy by enriching the soil with nutrients. Do this by mixing in a generous load of multi-purpose compost and a soil improver or manure. If you fork the compost deeply the roots of your new bedding plants will grow down into it in search of nutrients & moisture.
5 – Dig a hole a little bigger than the plant’s pot/container using a trowel. Plant the bedding at the same depth as it is in the pot or tray, and make sure the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Add or remove soil from the bottom of the planting hole as necessary to achieve the right depth.
6 – Carefully remove the plant from its tray or pot by pushing it from the bottom up. Handle the plant by its root ball or leaves and lower it into the prepared plot.
7 – Using your hands, gently fill any gaps around the plant with more compost or soil. This will ensure the plant is well supported while the roots remain below the soil surface.
8 – Using a watering can, Give the plant a good drink. only WATER the soil around the plant, not the leaves. Water your plants regularly – this could be twice a day in the heat of summer. Even after heavy rain always check the soil around the plant as it could still need watering due to the protective umbrella effect of the plant’s foliage.