How to Grow Turtle Flower (Chelone)

Turtle flower is a perennial with pink or purple snapdragon-like flowers atop 3-foot stems.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bypass Pruners
• Compost Makers
• Fertilizers
• Garden Spades
• Garden Trowels
• Mulch
• Plants

Choosing Turtle Flower

1. Look for plants at nurseries in spring and summer.

2. Buy turtle flower in 4-inch to 1-gallon containers.

3. Choose healthy-looking plants with signs of new growth in leaf and flower bud.

Planting Turtle Flower

1. Plant turtle flower in full sun to partial shade in moist - even boggy - soil.

2. Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.

3. Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in their containers.

4. Set the plants 9 to 12 inches apart.

5. Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organic compost.

6. Water well until soil is completely moist.

Caring for Turtle Flower

1. Remove old foliage in spring using bypass pruners to cut off the old stems.

2. Apply a light application of organic fertilizer on top of the soil in early spring (follow package directions).

3. Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organic compost in spring.

4. Water well (until soil is completely moist) weekly in summers with no rainfall.