Reasons why plants do not bloom

• Wrong location with the wrong plant: tropicals are a challenge in the north.
• ph value of the soil changes.
• Fertilizing (over or under).
• Looking for the bloom at the wrong time of the year
• Maturity of the plant.
• The plant has an insignificant bloom to begin with and you missed it.
• First year it does not bloom (biannual).
• Has already boomed when purchased (like perennials).
• Buds have dropped off due to early warm season and then cold spring.
• Trauma.
• Acidity of the soil is incorrect for the plant material.
• Wrong kind of fertilizer.

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FERTILIZERS

10-10-10 is a nice all around spring fertilizer. Use 2-3 weeks before planting.

16-4-8 is a slow release fertilizer for southern lawns.

Organic fertilizers are safer. Chemical fertilizers may, in time, build up salts.

Milogranite is a wonderful fertilizer that does not burn.

Try and fertilize before a rain.

More damage is done by over fertilizing than under fertilizing. Less is more.

Do not fertilize during the fall or the winter.

Ironite is made up of natural minerals. It is a natural fertilizer and supplement. It will not burn.

Epsom salt can be used to "green-up" and fertilize a plant. It is magnesium sulfate.

Annuals don't particularly like manure, even old manure. It has too much nitrogen. Use only if composted for a long time.

Compost is not a fertilizer.

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PLANT TIPS

In keeping your hydrangeas blue use aluminum sulfate. To keep them pink, use lime.

The thinner the leaf, the more water it needs to sustain life. The thicker the leaf, the less it needs.

It's not always green over the septic tank. It's a poor place to plant and you should never do so. Roots will disrupt the ability of the tank.

For color, annuals will bloom all summer. Perennials are either early bloomers, mid-season bloomers, or late fall bloomers. Look for long blooming perennials.

Pick flowers early in the morning for best results for fresh arrangements or preserving.

Pick flowers for pressing after they have dried from morning dew.

Always look for white roots in the bottom of a planted container. This indicates that the plant has been raised properly and is healthy.

Pay attention to what grows in your zone. Stretching the zone only works in created microclimates.

Companion planting is a good idea for vegetable growing. It may diminish the insects (i.e. tomaotestes love carrots, marigolds deter all sorts of insects., mums keep the mosquitoes away.) Plants with high scents make a great addition to fighting insects.

All vegetable gardens need a minimum of 6 hrs of sunlight.

Divide and conquer all perennial beds by the end of three years. Some may need it sooner- some later.

Always keep in mind the maturity size of your plant material when selecting for a site.

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Fish Water
(from a reader)

I stumbled on your website while I was looking for advice on forgetmeknots and found it very nice.

I just wanted to pass this along to someone.

A few years ago I had an excessive amount of fish tank water due to poor filtration and had to put it in jugs to throw it away. One day I decided to utilize the water and started to water my plants with it. I swear, they stood up at attention.

They grew and matured so much that I had to repot them all. Now, my tank is super clean and I can't do that anymore. I know they sell fish emulsion but this was easy.

Just thought you could pass this on to people that have tanks and change out the water.

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Seeds That Are Easy To Sow Directly In The Soil