Avoiding Normal Issues With Annuals

Annuals are one of the most diverse, most gorgeous and most colorful flowers in the marketplace. The sheer assortment of annuals, the numerous colors, shapes and textures they come in, has made them a favorite amongst gardeners for many years.

With so many distinctive annuals on the market, their potential to resist common plant ailments and insect infestations can vary a lot. While some varieties of annuals are essentially impervious to disease and insects, others need much more care to remain problem free. When choosing varieties of annuals, it is always best to choose disease and insect resistant varieties when ever you can. Doing so will help you to use less pesticides, and they will generally be less trouble in the long run as well.

It is also a good idea to pick annuals that are best suited for your climate. Some types of annuals are very drought resistant, while others require lots of moisture to look their best. Knowing the needs of each variety, and tailoring the plants you buy to local conditions, is the easiest way to grow a successful garden. The staff members at your local nursery or garden center will help you pick the hardiest varieties of annuals for your garden.

It's also essential to look for signs of disease or insect infestation every time you work in the garden. For instance, when you are pulling weeds, look at the plants. Are the stems undamaged, or are they showing signs of cracks or other injury? Is the foliage leafy, green and free of holes and spots? Catching difficulties early is the easiest way to cure them.

When watering annuals, it is best to avoid overhead watering if you can. That is because splashing a lot of water on the foliage of plants can encourage a number of disorders. Most plant disorders love moisture, and standing water on plants is a good way for existing disorders to propagate throughout the garden, or for a new infection to take hold.

A combination of drip irrigation and soaker hoses is commonly the best choice for watering the garden. These techniques allow for greater control over the quantity of water each plant receives, and they typically allow for deeper, more thorough, watering as well. Regardless of which technique you use, however, it is generally best to water each morning, since this allows the plants to dry before the hottest part for the day.

When working with annuals in the garden, you should be on the lookout for signs of insect problems. The most common insects that trouble annuals include spider mites, aphids, caterpillars and white flies. Any likely infestation must be attacked at the first sign of trouble. The best way to handle any outbreak, be it insects or disease, is to control it early before it has the chance to spread.

There are a number of products on the market to treat problems with insects and disease. Of course, no treatment strategy can be effective until the thing is identified, so if you are unsure what is causing the problem be sure to consult with a more experienced gardener. In addition, you should always follow the package instructions of any insect or disease control product you use, to dispose of unused products properly, and to wear protection gear like gloves and masks when applying the product.