A plant will flower naturally, unless you put up some accidental obstacles. Here are five factors you should avoid so you can enjoy your beautiful flowers.

Poor Lighting: At least 1/2 day of full sun is needed for consistent flowering so be sure flowering plants are in high, light areas.

Pruning: Heavy pruning encourages vegetative growth and may prevent flower bed set. Pruning some plants after flower buds have set in summer will eliminate next year's flowers. So prune, if necessary, immediately after flowering.

Plant Immaturity: Some plants have a juvenile stage of growth during which they do not flower. This can range from a couple of weeks (with annual plants) to a few years (with woody perennials or lilac selections).

Winter Injury: Flower buds are susceptible to damage from the cold, which oftentimes cause a loss of water that cannot be replaced. Proper watering in the fall before the ground freezes helps reduce this type of damage.

Too Much, Too Little Fertilization: Excessive levels of nitrogen can prevent a plant from flowering. Nitrogen is great for vegetative growth but can hinder flowering. So, don't use your high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer around flowering plants. Also, too little nutrients, like phosphorous, can result in poor flowers.

- 1
  
  Apply fertilizer in spring as new growth starts with a general purpose fertilizer like 10-10-10. Follow up with another application in six weeks to eight weeks, especially for perennial flowers with long lasting foliage or extended flowering periods.
- 2
  
  Remove weeds from the flower beds when they appear. Use a trowel and dig up the entire root ball of the weed to ensure it does not grow back.
- 3
  
  Water established flower beds when the soil is dry two to three inches deep. Water the entire root zone area in early morning. Let the flowers dry out partially before watering again and only apply water as fast as the soil can absorb the moisture. Turn off the water if the soil begins to puddle.
- 4
  
  Spread a fresh layer of mulch around the bed to help conserve moisture and maintain soil temperature, as well as prevent weeds from sprouting up and taking up needed nutrients.
- 5
  
  Deadhead all spent flower blooms as soon as they are noticeable to encourage a second round of blooms. Prune any dead material off of the flower with pruning shears.
- 6
  
  Divide perennial plants in spring, when new growth resumes. Dig up around the flower and lift the entire clump from the ground. Using a garden spade, cut up the clump so that each clump is the size of a gallon or quart sized perennial. Discard the old center and trim off the damaged roots.
- 7
  
  Prune the perennial flowers back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Remove and discard all annual flowers that are dead.


	Flowers
	A plant will flower naturally, unless you put up some accidental obstacles. Here are five factors you should avoid so you can enjoy your beautiful flowers. Poor Lighting: At least 1/2 day of full sun is needed for consistent flowering so be sure flowering plants are in high, light areas. Pruning: Heavy pruning encourages vegetative growth and may prevent flower bed set. Pruning some plants after flower buds have set in summer will eliminate next year's flowers. So prune, if necessary, immediately after flowering. Plant Immaturity: Some plants have a juvenile stage of growth during which they do not flower. This can range from a couple of weeks (with annual plants) to a few years (with woody perennials or lilac selections). Winter Injury: Flower buds are susceptible to damage from the cold, which oftentimes cause a loss of water that cannot be replaced. Proper watering in the fall before the ground freezes helps reduce this type of damage. Too Much, Too Little Fertilization: Excessive levels of nitrogen can prevent a plant from flowering. Nitrogen is great for vegetative growth but can hinder flowering. So, don't use your high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer around flowering plants. Also, too little nutrients, like phosphorous, can result in poor flowers. 1 Apply fertilizer in spring as new growth starts with a general purpose fertilizer like 10-10-10. Follow up with another application in six weeks to eight weeks, especially for perennial flowers with long lasting foliage or extended flowering periods. 2 Remove weeds from the flower beds when they appear. Use a trowel and dig up the entire root ball of the weed to ensure it does not grow back. 3 Water established flower beds when the soil is dry two to three inches deep. Water the entire root zone area in early morning. Let the flowers dry out partially before watering again and only apply water as fast as the soil can absorb the moisture. Turn off the water if the soil begins to puddle. 4 Spread a fresh layer of mulch around the bed to help conserve moisture and maintain soil temperature, as well as prevent weeds from sprouting up and taking up needed nutrients. 5 Deadhead all spent flower blooms as soon as they are noticeable to encourage a second round of blooms. Prune any dead material off of the flower with pruning shears. 6 Divide perennial plants in spring, when new growth resumes. Dig up around the flower and lift the entire clump from the ground. Using a garden spade, cut up the clump so that each clump is the size of a gallon or quart sized perennial. Discard the old center and trim off the damaged roots. 7 Prune the perennial flowers back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Remove and discard all annual flowers that are dead.