How to Get More Flowers From Your Perennials

Adding perennials to a flower garden is a great way to get blooms year after year. However, if your perennials don't provide many flowers or are sparse and small they won't give you the beautiful, lush garden that you want.

The good news is that there are some very easy things you can do to increase the amount of time the plants bloom, make them bushier and healthier and to cause them to produce more flowers. Here are some tips on how to get more flowers from your perennials.

Add Mulch

The overall health of your plants plays a large part in determining how much they will bloom. Mulching is one step that you can take that will allow your plants to grow better and as a result bloom more. Add a 2-3" layer of mulch around your plants to help keep the soil moist and cool so that the roots of the plant can thrive. With a strong, healthy root system the plants will be larger, healthier and will produce more blooms.

Deadhead Your Perennials

Deadheading is really easy to do and can keep your perennials blooming longer each year and increase the number of flowers. To deadhead, all your do is remove the old, dried flowers once they are done blooming. Simply cut back the flower stalk to the point where the foliage is healthy. If there is no foliage on the flower stalk, cut it back close to the ground. This will encourage your plants to send up more flowers and give you beautiful color in your garden all summer long.

Weed Frequently

Weeds can choke out perennials and keep them from growing to their full potential. The weeds rob the nutrients and water in the soil from your plants. Adding mulch should help keep many weeds down, however chances are there will still be quite a few to pull. Set up a regular weeding schedule and stick with it. If you stay on top of the weeds instead of letting them grow your job of weeding will go more quickly and will be easier.

Feed Them

Make sure your perennials are getting adequate nutrition by providing them with a good organic fertilizer or soil amendment. Try looking for a fertilizer with a lot of phosphorous since this aids with flower production.

Also, in the spring add compost to the soil to give the plants the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

Prune Them

In the fall or in early spring you can prune back most perennials. Pruning them will encourage them to become bushier and will give you healthier looking plants all around. Always check the care recommendations for each plant before pruning to find out how best to prune that particular plant.

Following these simple tips should help you to make the most of your perennials and have a beautiful garden that you can enjoy all summer long year after year.