Planting and caring for Herbaceous plants and flowers

Most garden centers have herbaceous plants available at affordable prices. Herbaceous plants can also be bought on street markets and from specialist herbaceous plant nurseries. The best place to buy herbaceous plants is from reputable garden centers because these guarantee healthy plants. It is also possible to order the plants carefully before purchasing them: herbaceous plants that are healthy have the following characteristics

  • Healthy green foliage which is spot free and not crippled

  • Plenty of shoots

  • A very dense rootstock with light-coloured young root tips

Do not buy young plants that have flowered already. You can also purchase your herbaceous plants from other herbaceous plants growers who can help you make decisions regarding how best to grow your plants.

Preparing the soil

Bedding plants grow well in loose, humus rich soils. Weeds should be removed from the soil. Garden soils need only superficial loosening with humus. The soil should be prepared in autumn to be ready for spring planting. Dense compacted soils need special care. Soil must be rich in humus if the herbaceous plant is going to grow. Humus contains nutrients and promotes organisms to break down the soil creating a looser soil structure.

Humus can be increased by distributing a 5-10cm layer of bark compost, ripe garden compost or autumn leaves between the herbaceous plants.

Planting herbaceous plants

Rake the soil a day before planting to make it smooth. Mineral rich compound fertilizer can be added into the soil. The plants should be left to stand in their pots, in a water-filled bath for two or three hours to allow them to absorb sufficient water.

  • Use a wooden plant as a walkway and to protect the soil

  • Distribute the prepared plant over the bed according to your planting plan

  • Ensure that there is room in the hole for the rootstock to fit in properly and the hole for the rootstock to fit in properly and the plant should end up sitting np deeper than it was in the pot

  • Hold the rootstock in the hole so that their roots hang down loosely

  • Fill the hole with soil

  • Press the rootstock down gently with both handsIrrigate the soil with soft water

Pests and diseases

Healthy herbaceous plants are less prone to disease and pest infestations. You should look after your herbaceous plants, placing them in positions that support the proper growth of the plant. Do not use special nitrogen fertilizers because high nitrogen content promotes the growth tissue as well as fungal diseases.

The five most common diseases are grey mould, septoria leaf spot disease, powdery mildew, downy mildew and rust. Most of the fungal diseases can be controlled by employing fungicides. Herbaceous plants common pests include eelworms, cuckoo spit, aphids, slugs, snails and voles.

Voles can be a big problem as they attack and eat the roots of the herbaceous plant and can go unnoticed until it's too late. Wild garlic discourages voles. The other pests mentioned above can be controlled through biological means. Slugs and snails can be controlled by making use of beer traps