How to Cultivate Flowers

Whether you are growing a few ornamental plants as focal points in your yard or raising an entire bed of flowers, proper soil cultivation is the key to raising healthy plants that produce abundant flowers. Although lighting and watering are important to the health of your plants, without adequate soil, they will not thrive. How you prepare and maintain that soil throughout the year determines your success as a gardener.

Things You'll Need

• Tiller or spade
• Garden claw
• Hoe
• Compost
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Till the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches. The kind of plants you wish to grow determine the soil depth. Small varieties with shallow root systems require 6 inches of loose soil, whereas larger, robust plants benefit from deeper soil.

2. Amend the soil with generous amounts of compost or rotted manure and work it in well with the existing soil. This increases drainage, provides aeration for young roots and supplies plants with valuable nutrients.

3. Plant to the recommended depth and allow adequate spacing between plants. Avoid the temptation to overcrowd plants. What looks like a lot of space now, will quickly fill in as the plants mature.

4. Keep the soil around plants loose by using a hoe or small garden claw to work the soil. Use care not to dig too close to the roots. Working the soil regularly provides ample room for roots to grow, creates an ideal environment for young roots and keeps weeds at bay.

5. Work fertilizer into the soil with a garden claw or trowel, according to the needs of your plant. Generally, fertilizer should be worked into the soil at planting time and again when the flowers reach a height of 4 to 6 inches.

Tips & Warnings

• Loosen the soil around flowers grown in containers with a garden trowel to promote growth.