Houseplant Hoarder

July is the time to cut faded flowers from flowering annuals & perennials to encourage new growth and blooms. Old blooms and seed heads left on the plants can negatively affect the flower's continuous production. There are a number of advantages to deadheading: it will improve the appearance of a plant by removing the unattractive dead flowers that are mixed with the newly opened blooms. It will encourage annuals to bloom more and for a longer period of time. For those that self-seed, it will prevent unwanted seedlings from popping up all over the garden. The plants that respond best to deadheading are those annuals and perennials that bloom over a relatively long season and some summer-flowering trees. JULY TO DO LIST: -During dry spells, keep the garden watered. Remember: soaking is more beneficial than a daily light sprinkling. -Watering between 6-10am is ideal to avoid evaporation. -Conserve water, relieve plant stress and control weeds by applying a 2'' thick layer of mulch. -Plant all tropicals. Water well and they will thrive in this heat. -Plant heat-loving annuals. -Feed perennials and annuals to keep them blooming. Organic fertilizers like Fox Farms or Dr. Earth are ideal because they are organic and won't burn the plants in this heat. -Water lawn in the early morning so it will have time to dry before night. -Keep birdbaths clean and full, especially this time of the year. -Prune azaleas no later than mid-month. -Keep caladiums well-watered during this hot, dry weather to keep the foliage in good shape through the summer. You may apply fertilizer now to encourage vigorous growth. Break off any flowers that form. -Finish pruning with any shrubs that bloom in the winter or spring. Pruning too late may interfere with flowering. -Keep up with weeding as they can get out of hand very fast this time of year with all our rain.

These astounding shrubs can get any gardener through the summer doldrums. Bottle Brush Bottle brush (Callistemon) has very aptly-named flowers on medium to large shrubs or small specimen trees. It performs well in pots if kept moderately dry in the winter. Plant in full sun, well-drained soil. Many have survived our recent freezes, proving their hardiness. Come August, hummingbirds will flock to them all over your landscape! The added benefit to that is they will remember where those bottlebrushes were, and keep returning year after year! Gardenia Cape jasmine is an evergreen shrub with intensely fragrant ivory flowers. often grown as a landscape shrub or even a potted plant near a doorway or area frequented by guests. Plant in sun or part shade. Abelia Abelias, like the kaleidoscope or twist of lime, are fantastic choices for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Staying fairly small, their leaves turn colors to attract attention and they bloom sweet white flowers! Plant in full sun or part shade. Crape Myrtle Crape Myrtles are super summer-flowering shrubs or container specimen if a dwarf variety. Plant in full sun, and check out our darker leaf varieties for a new specimen interest! Rose America's official Floral Emblem comes in many forms, sizes and flower colors, with some being very disease-resistant as well. Selections can be found to grow in every climate, and many are fragrant to boot! The best selection of roses arrives in early winter. At that time, pick your favorites to enjoy through the seasons into summer! 'Anthony Waterer' Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer' spirea has masses of dark pink to crimson red flower. Plant in full sun or part shade. Vitex Chaste trees flower heavily in the summer and are super attractive to bees. The shrub is very drought-tolerant. Enjoy new arrivals like the Pink Pinnacle or Blue Puffball, or old favorites like the Delta Blues or Shoal Creek. Plant in full sun. Angel Trumpet Brugmansia is a summer-blooming shrub for us in South Louisiana. With blooms truly show-stopping in white/purple or yellow, you’d think these really are the trumpets of the angels. Rose of Sharon/Althea Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) flowers resemble a rose-like hibiscus and are available in sweet shades such as light pink, white, light purple, and even a more vibrant purple. Plant in full sun or part shade. Yucca Yuccas flower in the spring and summer with edible flowers. These strappy-foliage plants look great in rock gardens or areas with succulents or agave. Plant in full sun. Pineapple Guava Pineapple guava has incredibly exotic flowers that are perfectly edible. Plant in sun. Magnolia 'Little Gem' Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ is a compact shrub with super glossy evergreen leaves and highly-fragrant, small white flowers that appear from spring to fall—the longest blooming magnolia! Plant in full sun to part shade. Hydrangeas With their cotton candy-colored blooms and ability to take the shade, hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful summer-flowering shrubs. Flowers of hydrangea macrophylla can be pink, blue or in-between depending on the acidity of the soil—a lower pH yields deeper blue flowers; higher pH in alkaline soils results in pink flowers. We have the right products to do the trick on your soil if you want to play the color changing game! Oakleaf Hydrangea Oakleaf hydrangea is a woodland native whose flower bracts remain well into winter. Plant in part sun to shade. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Brunfelsia pauciflora is an old "passalong plant" whose flowers fade from purple to white, giving its common name. It flowers best in full sun, but thrives in hot summers if kept in light shade. Oleander Oleander is a multiple-stemmed shrub for which dwarf forms are available, some with variegated leaves. It thrives on neglect and drought. Note: All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous if ingested. Plant in full sun. Please note- All Seasons may or may not have these plants in stock available to purchase at the time you come to purchase these. If you're ever looking for something specific, please call the garden center at 337.264.1418 or send an email question via this link prior to your shopping visit!

Why not create a backyard living environment that makes you want to take a “staycation” this summer, and all year? Outdoor living has never been more popular! Grill outside while cheering on your favorite teams; sip wine while visiting with friends on a chilly evening near the outdoor fireplace; smile while watching the kids jump from a natural rock waterfall that spills into the pool; or perhaps sit quietly after a long day reading a new book. Outdoor living inspires a connection back to nature. The goal is to step out of the four walls brimming with artificial sunlight. See, feel, hear, and experience Mother Nature! Homeowners are yearning for an improved outdoor environment. Outdoor living spaces are like outside “living rooms” complete with the luxuries from inside your home. Cypress pavilions create a backdrop ideal for Southern entertaining and memory-making. With a travertine stone patio, the living space can be extended, a courtyard can be conceptualized, or it can play the role as a more natural setting for a pool. Having a pool brings the essence of summer into a backyard year-round. By incorporating a hot tub, fountain, waterfall, slide, tanning ledge and night lighting, your favorite getaway spot becomes more than “just a pool.” Relax an afternoon away while listening to the trickle of water from a pond and/or stream in your backyard. The possibly of what your outdoor “room” will be are endless! We can’t forget adding plants to a space to really enhance the laissez-faire attitude! Success is achieved when the right plant is in the right environment. Another key component is to note the neighboring plants adjacent to where the new plant will join. This is relevant because a variation in texture is an important element of landscape design. It’s not how a plant looks, but how it looks in relationship to everything else around it. It’s essential to have a distinction in size, texture and blooming sequence. Not only will it make a landscape look beautiful immediately, but it will look incredible down the road. Backyard landscaping and outdoor living enhances the senses and soothes stress daily. What are you waiting to? Live life outside! Contact our Landscaping Services to schedule your Free Consultation for an outdoor living masterpiece!

The colors red, white, and blue are always on our minds during summer, as the anniversary of our nation’s independence approaches. What better way to celebrate your pride than by planting a red, white, and blue garden? Blue is one of the most elusive colors in nature, but we still have plenty of options for you, in both shady or sunny areas. Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) Blue Daze is a gorgeous tender perennial that typically considered an annual in Louisiana, though they will often persist year to year if the winter is mild. This mat-forming groundcover will become loaded with true-blue flowers that open in the morning and close at night, like its cousin, the much more aggressive Morning Glory. Always well-mannered, there is now a dwarf version called ‘Blue my Mind’ that is even more compact. Vinca, Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) Vinca is the workhorse of the summer garden, thriving on heat and neglect. Technically a tender perennial, vinca is considered an annual, as it dislikes both heavy frost and cool, damp soil. Plant some red and white vinca behind Blue Daze, and your patriotic garden will give nonstop blooms well through summer into late fall. Pentas (Pentas lanceolata) Pentas are a great annual or tender perennial for the middle or back of beds. Requiring very little maintenance, Pentas are attractive both to the human eye and to all types of hummingbirds and butterflies. Available in red or white as well as shades of pink and purple, you can’t go wrong with putting a few Pentas in your flowerbeds! Firecracker Cuphea, Bat-Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea) This trailing perennial gets more loaded with red tubular blooms the hotter it gets. A hummingbird magnet, Firecracker Cuphea is related to Cigar Plants and Mexican Heather, and is every bit as tough. They will make a sprawling, groundcover-type perennial in the ground, but this plant also looks great in hanging baskets or in pots. Endless Summer Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) The best-blooming shrubs for summer color in the shade, Hydrangea offers large flowers in blue, white, and pink, and Endless Summer varieties are particularly happy to rebloom throughout summer into fall. Blue Hydrangeas can be turned pink and vice versa by changing the acidity of the soil, but white hydrangeas are distinct varieties and must be purchased as such. Blushing Bride is the white Hydrangea in the Endless Summer line. Plumbago, Cape Leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) Plumbago is one of the most vigorous and free-blooming perennials you can put in your garden, coming back reliably year after year and typically blooming from April to first frost. Plumabgo is one of the true-blue flowers that do very well in our climate, and they also come in white! Plumbago is a large, bushy perennial, so it can serve as a foundation plant in landscape designs, much the same way shrubs are used in the back of beds to unify a color scheme. Salvia (Salvia spp.) Salvia are actually a large genus of closely related plants that have common characteristics, including large, tubular, colorful blooms that flower over a very prolonged season. Red perennial salvias include Autumn Sage and Pineapple Sage, where as blue blooms can be obtained by planting Black and Blue or Victoria Blue Salvia. These plants are perennial, meaning they come back year after year, and they are a favorite of hummingbirds whenever they are in bloom! Wax Leaf Begonia (Begonia semperflorens) Begonias are old-fashioned favorites for shady areas (although there are types that take sun, as well), and they come in red and white, as well as shades of pink. They are drought-tolerant, bug resistant, and free-blooming without the use of special fertilizers, although they don’t like areas that stay especially wet. Begonias are essential for those trying to brighten dull, shady areas of the yard, especially if soil is poor and nutrients are scarce, such as around the roots of trees in the landscape. Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.) Mandevilla is a tropical flowering vine that can endure light frost, and blooms nonstop from summer into fall. Large, trumpet-shaped blooms in red, white, or pink can easily cover a trellis, fence, or mailbox. Be creative and find different things for Mandevilla to climb on. A living wall can be obtained by planting a Mandevilla on the edge of a patio and attaching string, wire, or netting from the eave, allowing Mandevilla so scramble up and make a solid curtain of blooms. When winter comes and sun on the patio is more appreciated, the Mandevilla will die back naturally and re-sprout the following spring if its root is protected from frost. Knockout and Drift Roses (Rosa hybrida) These ever-blooming landscape shrub roses defy the conventional thinking that roses must be high-maintenance. They can thrive on neglect and are much less prone to disease than classic florists’ roses, although they do their best when given on occasional trim and a dose of fertilizer. They come in a wide variety of colors for any taste, but the classic red for both are probably the most hardy and free-flowering. Knockouts become very large and impressive with maturity, and Drifts are miniature roses that fit well in the front of flowerbeds as a groundcover. Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri) Torenia, also known as the adorable wishbone flower, is a newer tool in the arsenal of the shade gardener that offers especially vibrant colors in shady areas. Blooming in a wide variety of colors, we of course want to focus on the blue and white varieties for shady areas (a purply maroon is also available). The Kauai Torenia is the newest bedding plant for shade to join the family of LSU Super Plants, recognized by LSU Agricultural Research Station to be especially free-flowering and pest-resistant. Caladiums (Caladium x hortolanum) Caladiums rely on their bold, beautiful leaves to create a show in shady areas, so blooming – a physiological event sometimes difficult to perpetuate in bedding plants – is not required for them to look their best. They are always shining bright! Coming in a wide variety of red, white, and mottled tones, there are even caladiums that take sun. Some of our favorites are the newer hybrid forms, ‘Florida Moonlight’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’. Their leaves seem delicate and silky, but, like silk, are very tough and durable. Please note- All Seasons may or may not have these plants in stock available to purchase at the time you come to purchase these. If you're ever looking for something specific, please call the garden center at 337.264.1418 or send an email question via this link prior to your shopping visit!

So you think watering is a no-brainer? Water for too long, and you engrave an open invitation for fungus. Water too little, and roots become shallow. Water in the evening, and insects come out to feast. Water from too high, and half the moisture is lost to evaporation. Yet, with a little knowledge, we can all become better consumers, better gardeners and better stewards of our environment. If you planted trees, shrubs, perennials, or annuals this spring it is now time to think about how to help them beat the heat. Does that mean to get out the hose and start watering? Perhaps. However, before unraveling the hose to water plants, there are a few details to consider: Plants that are growing in small containers will need watering every 2-4 days. Trees and shrubs in larger containers will need watering every 7-10 days. Annuals and perennials have smaller root systems than trees and shrubs. These will need watering every 3 to 4 days. Water thoroughly and deeply. Set the hose at the base of the plant and run water at a slow trickle – 5 to 10 minutes for small trees and shrubs and 10 to 20 minutes for larger. Less frequent watering is needed with rain– more frequent watering is needed with no rain and warm temperatures. Before watering, make a point to check the soil around plants for moisture content. If the soil around the base of a plant looks or feels damp, watering can be suspended until the soil moisture has diminished. If the soil looks or feels dry, it is likely time to water. Supplemental watering of new plants is only needed until the onset of cooler weather this fall. Here are 10 dos and don’ts when it comes to the most efficient ways to water: 1. DO Water early in the morning when sunlight is weakest, the ground is coolest and foliage will have hours to dry before nightfall. DON’T Water in the evening when soil is warm and wet foliage can attract insects, fungus and disease. 2. DO Water deeply and at fewer intervals so that you reach roots, the part of the plant that needs the nutrients, sugars and hormones contained in water. DON’T Water lightly and often, which promotes shallow root growth. (One of the worst watering crimes you can commit is to dash outside after work every evening and sprinkle the lawn for 10 minutes.) 3. DO Direct water at the base of a plant and avoid wetting foliage, which invites fungus. DON’T Water from overhead. Depending on the size of the plant, the water may never actually hit the ground because the foliage may overshadow the plant’s base. 4. DO Give lawns an inch of water per week during dry spells, which with a sprinkler takes about 90 minutes to deliver to one area. If you don’t have a water gauge, set out an empty tuna fish can. When it’s full, you’re done! DON’T Water a lawn more or less than what’s needed because the amount affects root growth—the foundation of a healthy, beautiful lawn. 5. DO Use irrigation systems with fixtures close to the ground. DON’T Use sprinklers that spray vast amounts of water into the air, most of which evaporate before it ever hits the ground. Avoid watering on windy days as well. 6. DO Give trees and shrubs—especially newly-planted ones—direct watering every 7 to 10 days. DON’T Rely on sprinklers and irrigation systems to reach the bases of trees and shrubs. 7. DO Use soaker hoses to water vegetable gardens. Again, hit the ground, not the plant. DON’T Use overhead sprinklers in vegetable gardens. More water is lost to evaporation than is absorbed by the soil. 8. DO Use a watering wand to water annuals and perennials, both in ground and containers. DON’T Use a hose and nozzle which casts a wide spray that wets the foliage and not always the ground. 9. DO Water container gardens regularly, typically once a day during hot, dry spells. Stick your finger in the soil. If it feels dry all the way to your second knuckle, it’s time to water. DON’T Think that container gardens need watering only when everything else does. Pots hold heat, so the confined soil dries out faster than garden soil does.  10. DO Mulch beds and containers with several inches of composted material, which cools soil, retains moisture and helps deter weeds. DON’T Water un-mulched soil. The force of the water can spatter plants with moist soil and cause runoff.

Growing hibiscus is an easy way to add a tropical flair to your garden. When you know how to care for hibiscus plants, you will be rewarded with many years of lovely flowers! Here are some tips on how to care for these tropical flowers: Growing Hibiscus in Containers: Many people who are growing a hibiscus plant choose to do so in a container. This allows them to move the hibiscus plant to ideal locations, depending on the time of year. Provide the plants with at least six hours of sunlight, especially if you want to see those lovely blooms. Although warm, humid conditions are ideal for tropical hibiscus, you may want to provide a little afternoon shade when it’s overly hot. Again, containers make this easy to do. Hibiscus plants prefer a cozy fit when growing in a container. This means that they should be slightly root bound in the pot and when you do decide to repot, give the hibiscus only a little bit more room. Always make sure that your growing hibiscus plant has excellent drainage. Hibiscus and Temperature: When you care for a hibiscus, you should remember that hibiscus plants flower best in temperatures between 60-90 F and cannot tolerate temps below 32 degrees F. In the summer, your hibiscus plant can go outside, but once the weather gets cold and we have another freeze, bring it inside protected. Watering Hibiscus: When hibiscus are in their blooming stage, they require large amounts of water. Your hibiscus will need daily watering in warm weather. But once the weather cools, your hibiscus needs far less water, and too much water can kill it. In the winter, water your hibiscus only when the soil is dry to the touch. Fertilizing Hibiscus: A growing hibiscus plant needs lots of nutrients in order to bloom well. In the summer, use a high potassium fertilizer. You can either use a diluted liquid fertilizer one a week, a slow release fertilizer once a month or you can add a high potassium compost to the soil. In the winter, you don’t need to fertilize at all. These are the basics for how to care for hibiscus plants in your garden. They are an easy maintenance, high impact flower that will make a garden in any part of the world look like a tropical paradise. We carry a special Hibiscus fertilizer called HibisGain, that has been developed by South Florida Hibiscus breeders who show their plants in national and international competitions. Always make sure your fertilizer says that it is for hibiscus and tropicals, not an all-purpose fertilizer. FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting soil is excellent for hibiscus, houseplants, and other tropicals. Fafard Ultra Potting Mix is another soil mix formulated especially for hibiscus and other tropical plants.

Cacti are easy to grow as long as you play by their rules. Cacti make great houseplants. They’re easy to grow because they’re tough desert dwellers that need little help from you to be healthy. No contemporary, eclectic or midcentury mod decor right now is complete without a potted cactus playing the role of living sculpture, so they’ve become the must-have houseplant. To keep a cactus happy and healthy, you must give it the right conditions, the ones it would get in its native desert. Here’s how to make a cactus thrive indoors: Light A cactus needs a ton of sun. Most varieties need at least eight hours of direct sun a day. Place them by a southern window or beneath a skylight for maximum sun time. Move them outside in the spring and summer so they can bask in 10 to 12 hours of real, unadulterated sun. Temperature In the spring and summer, when they’re in their active growth period, cacti like hot temperatures ranging from 70 degrees to 95+ degrees. In the winter, when they’re dormant, they like cooler temperatures, down to 55 degrees. Some cold-hardy cacti can withstand freezing weather. Water Cacti need more water in the spring and summer when they’re doing most of their growing and blooming. Water them whenever the soil is bone dry. In the winter, when they’re dormant, don’t water them unless they begin to shrivel. They’re asleep, so leave them alone. You may only need to water them two or three times for the entire season. How you water them is as important as how much you water them. There’s not much rain in their native deserts, but when it rains, it pours. We’re talking sheets of rain. Imitate those desert monsoons by drenching your cactus in water. Periodic deep soakings are better than frequent light waterings. Just be sure to let the soil dry out completely before you water again. Soil A cactus needs well-drained soil, so don’t plant it in standard potting mix. Standard potting soil holds too much water and can cause a cactus to rot at its base. Buy a soil mix made just for cacti, or mix up your own by adding one part perlite or pumice to one part standard potting mix. We have the right soil or soil amendments for you here. Repotting Cacti grow slowly, so you won’t have to repot often. Unlike other plants that should be repotted annually, a cactus can grow happily for years in the same pot. Remember, many species of cactus will bloom more if they’re in a pot that’s a little too small. Cramped roots stress the plant just enough to make it bloom. Fertilizer Feed plants only during the growing season, spring and summer. Cacti like acidic conditions, so use a specialty fertilizer. We have the right products here, so come talk to us about recommendations!  Common Problems · Overwatering , especially in the winter, is the mistake cactus owners make. Too much water will rot the base or tips of the plant. Remember, don’t water it in the winter unless it starts to shrivel. In the summer and spring, when the plant is growing and needs water, let the soil get bone dry before you water it again. · Pests like mealybugs and mites can infest cactus, especially if you overwater them. We can help with this, too, so visit us whenever you’re in need to assure your cactus a healthy life!

Aloes are succulent plants that are originally from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, and the Indian Ocean region, so they are a great plant to think of in this summertime heat! Like most succulents, these plants like plenty of sun and very low water. They can be grown indoors in very bright light, such as a south or west facing window, or outdoors in full to partial sun. They prefer to be in pots than in the ground, so that heavy rainfalls do not rot the roots. Another benefit to having them in a pot outdoors is the ability to move them indoors during periods of cold weather in winter. Though they are typically root hardy through freezing weather, they can rot in cool, wet conditions, and also, those using its leaves would not want to wait months for plants to resprout and recover. Aloe vera: Medicinal Aloe Aloe vera has been grown as a medicinal plant for literally thousands of years. It has naturalized in many parts of the world outside its native range in the Arabian Peninsula, due to its widespread human use across cultures. It can be found as a food additive for health benefits to the digestive system, in many beauty and skincare products, and of course is used as a remedy for scrapes and burns, especially sunburn. Another very common use for Aloe vera is in medicated tissues, to relieve the chafing of the nose that occurs when one is suffering from a cold and constantly blowing one’s nose. It should be noted that Aloe vera can have some toxicity in both topical applications and when ingested, if taken in very high doses, so care must be used when trying to make homemade remedies. Aloe’s cooling effect on sunburned skin, however, is unmistakable! It has a cooling, minty effect that numbs the skin and provides immediate relief from burning and itching! To use, simply break a lower, mature leaf off the plant, and either peel back the skin or simply squeeze some of the juicy flesh onto afflicted areas of the body. Many prepared products, such as ointments and balms can also be made. Aloe distans: Jeweled Aloe Aloe vera may also be grown as an ornamental plant, but the Jeweled Aloe is a gem in the garden! It is a sprawling, low-growing plant that will make many multiple flowering heads of a brilliant, glowing orange. The leaves are extremely thick, with beautiful serrations that are usually a bright yellow color. It is more compact and less floppy than medicinal aloe, and is cold hardy to the low 20’s. To survive our winters, however, it must be planted somewhere with excellent drainage, such as at the edge of a rock wall, so plant roots do not rot during winter dormancy.

Many people are asking whether this or that plant can be planted in the summer. The fact of the matter is that Louisiana has a climate that allows for planting 365 days a year, with a little understanding of how plants work and what they need. Virtually all outdoor landscape plants follow a seasonal succession of growth stages. Tropicals like palms and hibiscus love the heat and grow very well throughout summer; however, any hardy plants that are planted in summer may require a little additional care. Woody plants like trees and shrubs are growing very actively in spring as they are waking up and putting on fresh growth, and there is a second period of root activity in fall when some plants are converting some of their nutrients into starches to be stored in root and stem tissues as the plants prepare to go dormant in winter. In the summertime, roots are still actively supplying plants with water, oxygen, and minerals, of course, but we can give them a little nudge to make roots grow more quickly at the time of planting. Garden center employees will often suggest buying a root stimulator, good at any time of the year, but especially important in summer when plants are tired and stressed from high heat and long days. Is this snake oil, or some kind of voodoo? The fine print on the label says it contains something called indole-3-butyric acid. What exactly is this? Well, butyric acid is a synthetic plant hormone that very closely imitates the function of the natural hormone, auxin, in plant development. Auxin is the hormone that tells the tip of a stem or root to grow, and there is an auxin receptor at every node and tip of every stem and root. For example; when our roses become leggy and we cut them back to make them “full” again, we are removing the auxin receptor at the end of that branch, forcing all the side buds along the stem to receive more of the hormone. This is what creates new side branching, which are the next stems to grow and produce new flowers. Just as we deadhead or cut back bushes and shrubs to make them prettier, we tell people to trim or tease the root system of a plant that has just been taken out of a container before planting. This breaks off the tips of those roots that have begun to encircle the base of the pot it was grown in and will allow new side shoots to form at the edges of the root system so the newly forming roots can grow outward and downward, instead of continuing in a spiral. When plants are first in the ground they don’t have the ability to reach any of the water in the soil that is not directly against the existing roots. Many people make the mistake of seeing that some part of their flowerbed is moist and think their plant is okay, but the new plant already drank all of the water right next to its roots and there will be a little halo of dry soil surrounding that new plant. This is where Root Stimulator comes in. Hardy, woody plants are not going to grow a whole lot when daytime temps are in the mid-90’s and nighttime lows are 78-85 degrees (heat-loving tropicals are an exception to this rule). Plants really like grow when there are warm days and cool nights and soil temperatures are 55-65 degrees. We can force the plant’s roots to think it’s time to grow, however, by applying the butyric acid. Our root stimulator also contains a wetting agent, which actually helps moisture reach root surfaces, helping those baby roots access every last bit of water available in sun-scorched soils. This will encourage rapid development of new feeder roots and help with easy water absorption while the plant is trying to become established. The fertilizer in root stimulator contains relatively high phosphorus which encourages branching development (think of roots as underground branches), and lower amounts of nitrogen which encourages leaf growth. If roots are what give the plant water, then leaves, which are exposed to the sun and wind, are what are losing it, which is why plants will constantly be thirsty for more. Applying a fertilizer with low nitrogen in summer will reduce that plant’s leaf growth, limiting the amount of water it needs to survive. The larger the root system gets with time, the more water the plant can absorb, even if we are not getting much rain. This is why fully established plants should only ever be irrigated if we are in a serious drought. The surface of our soil may dry very quickly, but the roots of healthy plants are reaching far into the ground to access groundwater not available at the surface. Root stimulator is very easy to use – all you need is a watering can. Simply mix 3-1/2 tablespoons (1.75 oz) of root stimulator into a gallon of water, and water your transplants with it once every two weeks until they get established. Small bedding plants can get about a pint (16 oz) of water, whereas larger plants 2-3 feet tall can get about a half gallon. Larger shrubs and trees will like a full gallon of root stimulator solution once every two weeks. It is important to note that Root Stimulator is not rated for edible plants.  Doing this even once is great for the plant, but it can be repeated once every two weeks throughout the growing season. When days get shorter and nights begin to get a bit cooler in fall, root stimulator will no longer be necessary. By the following spring, your plant should have a well-established root system, and will be ready for conventional fertilizer like tree and shrub food or all-purpose fertilizer.