Flowers Didn't Make It Last Year Due To Not Enough Water? 2 Ways To Make Sure They Survive This Year

Even though it is still winter, spring is only a few months away, and this means planting flowers. If your flowers didn't do well last year due to not getting enough water, you can do a few things to make sure they get enough this coming up spring and summer. Follow the tips below and your flowers will stay healthy and happy all season long.

Provide Water Underground

Flowers need water at their roots, so providing them with water underground is the perfect strategy. You can purchase pots that are buried under the ground. These pots are made of a low fired unglazed porous clay. They are submerged into the ground with the opening at the top of the soil.  Water is poured into the reservoir, and a cap is placed over the opening. Once placed in the ground, the water slowly irrigates through the porous clay to the surrounding plants.

These pots only irrigate plants that are surrounding them, so you may need to purchase more than one. How many plants this is depends on how large the pot is. It will come with instructions advising you how many plants they will irrigate.

This method of watering saves you money on your water bills, and it saves you time from having to water the plants yourself. Your plants will also be much healthier as they will always have enough moisture.

The pots you choose will come with instructions on how to install them, how many you need to install, and how often you need to refill them with water. You can even add a liquid fertilizer to the water to provide your flowers with nutrients all season long. You can purchase these pots at many garden centers, as well as online.

Mulch

Mulch in your flower garden serves many purposes. It keeps weeds away, which are not only unsightly but steal moisture and nutrients from your flowers. Mulch also holds in moisture, which protects your flowers from drying out. If where you live has cold winters, it can help protect your flowers from the freezing temperatures. In the summer, it keeps your flowers' roots cooler.

Three types of mulch you can choose from include:

• Wood chips: Looks attractive and stays put. It also decays slowly. Readily available in bags or by the truckload from garden centers.
• Shredded bark: Commonly used, inexpensive, and breaks down slowly. May take up nitrogen from your soil as it decomposes so you may need to add fertilizer. Determine this by doing a soil test.
• Decaying leaves:  Does a great job at smothering weeds. Maple leaves, which are soft, are not a good choice, as they can mat very easily. Oak leaves are acidic, which means they may lower the pH levels in your garden.

You should apply a couple of inches of mulch in your flower garden. When you are finished, pull the mulch away from the base of each plant, as you do not want to smother them.

Contact a landscape contractor who can help you choose the best way to keep your flowers watered.

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