Now that June is here and it is warm and sunny you can begin the grooming and pinching of certain annuals as they take off with quick growth. One of the most wonderful plants that gets even more beautiful is the Supertunia. Supertunias are one of our favorite plants for beautiful color and a wonderful growth habit. Supertunias have the capability to create branches on their stems and they really become full when you pinch them back a bit. Just cut off the longest stems a few inches to just beyond where leaves come off of a stem. You won’t even notice the cut and the plants will push more growth up on the top of the plant and it will become fuller. A fuller plant will produce more blooms! Your Supertunias should be beautiful all through Summer and well into Fall when you groom them. The other key to success with Supertunias is consistent feeding. They produce a lot of flowers and need good food to do that. We have our own Pahl’s water soluble plant food. We offer a good 20-20-20 fertilizer and then also a bloom booster which is 10-52-10. The first number stands for nitrogen which stimulates growth and greens things up. The second number is phosphorous and promotes blooming. The third number is potassium and that helps the structure of the plant grow well with strong stems and an even growth pattern. Supertunias are big eaters and love bloom booster fertilizers. They want food every two weeks. Feeding your plants on a regular basis will keep them happy and in top flower producing form.
One other plant that benefits from being pinched back is coleus. Coleus can be the easiest plant you will ever grow with just a little grooming. Again follow the stem back and pinch off just above a leaf node. A new crown will form and your plant will become fuller. The blooms on coleus are not very attractive when compared to the beautiful color of the leaves. We recommend pinching off the blooms and enjoying the foliage. Blooming will always take some energy out of a plant and when the plant is beautiful without flowers we think that is a good option. We are also pleased to offer many sun coleus options. Actually, there are many more sun coleus available than those that prefer shade. Stop in our annual greenhouse and let us introduce you to the variety of sun coleus. We may just show you a new favorite!
Now that June is in full swing you may be winding down a little on planting. You can relax and enjoy the beautiful plants you have used in your outdoor decorating. We work hard to grow the best plants around and hope you enjoy them all summer long.
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