3 Tips to Reduce Wilt & Extend Flower Life
WARNING: Mother’s Day is this Sunday. If you haven’t picked out the perfect gift for mom yet, try a potted plant. Relatively inexpensive and with a variety of options available, potted plants are a great way to show mom how much you care. Go ahead and pick out the perfect plant, we’ll wait….
Okay, now that you’ve picked out blooms as beautiful as your mom, here are three tips to help make sure they stick around as a long-lasting expression of your love.
- Replant
Nursery plants aren’t meant to stay in their plastics containers for a long period of time. Replanting provides fresh soil and give roots room to grow – besides a nice container will show mom just how much you appreciate her. When replanting, never pull the plant out by it’s stem. Instead, flip the pot over, support the top of the root ball and gently tap the sides to release to plant. If the roots are circling around the outside of the soil, the plant is root-bound. Root-bound plants can become stunted and difficult to water, and ultimately this condition can cause the plant to die. Gently break up bound roots and spread them out before placing the plant in its new home.
- Water
Water is one of the most important factors to sustaining plant life. Too little water will cause frequent wilting. This not only makes the plants look bad, it also weakens plants and creates opportunities for diseases and pest to take over. Too much water can lead to fungus and root rot. Apply Hydretain to your mom’s new plant (and all of yours) to maximize watering efficiency and reduce the need for frequent watering. Due to the limitation in soil volume, potted plants tend to dry out more quickly than their in-ground counter parts. Treating with Hydretain will keep mom from having to constantly water to keep her new plant healthy and beautiful. The application is as simple as adding 2 oz of Hydretain per gallon of water and watering the plants as usual. And, don’t worry, Hydretain won’t store excess moisture or create conditions that lead to fungus and root rot. In fact, Hydretain might even help give over-waterers the comfort that they need to cut back to healthy watering frequencies.]
- Deadhead
If you’ve selected a flowering plant, chances are it has one or two bad blooms. Pinching or cutting off faded, wilted or dried up blooms will encourage the plant to keep producing more flowers. This process, known as deadheading, is a great way ensure that mom receives a plant that looks it’s best and will continue flowering long after Mother’s Day.
From all of us at The Dirt on Dirt, Happy Mother’s Day!
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