- 1). Check the plants for dead leaves, and remove these by hand or with a pair of garden shears. Do this each time you water.
- 2). Collect debris, such as dead leaves or other items, from around the plants. Keeping the area free of rotting organic debris reduces the chance of fungal diseases and may also discourage plant pests since they will have fewer places to hide.
- 3). Keep bedding plants adequately watered. Precise watering needs will vary depending on soil conditions, weather conditions and the types of plants; however, all bedding plants will suffer without adequate water and may turn brown or wilt. In some cases, these will mean you must water by hand more than once a day, or use an automatic sprinkler system or soaker hose.
- 4). Pinch off spent blooms from flowering bedding plants. This is called dead-heading and often helps plants produce more flowers and for a longer time during the growing season.
- 5). Fertilize plants at least once with a fertilizer suitable for the type of plant; for example, use a fertilizer for blooming plants if you are growing flowers. Follow directions exactly so that you do not over-fertilize plants and always, if using a spray application, avoid getting the fertilizer on the foliage.
- 6). Check bedding plants often -- at least weekly -- for plant pests. Plant pests can quickly make you summer bedding plants look bedraggled. Use a pesticide to control pests if there are many of them; otherwise, just squash insects if there are only a few.
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