Discover how you can manage and care for your native plants this summer.
Switching to native plants in your home landscape is an excellent way to establish a more environmentally friendly space that is steeped in beauty. Because native plants are ideally suited for the environment they are being grown in, they have an advantage over many other plant species. Native plants come in a vast variety, you’ll never have to give up color or variety in exchange, and you’ll be helping local pollinators, birds, and more.
Address Weeds
In any garden, weeds will find their way in, but this doesn’t mean you need to bring out the chemicals just yet. When possible, pulling your weeds over treating them is preferable. Not only will you keep your garden and soil healthier, but the unwanted plant can then be used in compost. Additionally, it may be time to reconsider what you think of weeds. Many weeds grow into attractive, edible, and even flowering plants.
Add Mulch
Mulching your garden helps to prevent weed growth, increase soil moisture, and help to keep soil temperatures consistent to protect your plants from both heat and cold. Depending on your location, you may need to adjust your mulch levels. If you lived on a prairie, for instance, your plants would need less mulch than they would here in Maryland.
Fertilize
In general, most native plants will not need much in the way of fertilizer because they evolved to thrive in the soil where planted. That said, if your landscape and soil suffer from poor nutrition or past treatments, using natural fertilizers like compost can be of great benefit. When in doubt, using a soil test can help you pinpoint what you need to get your garden thriving.
Prune
Many types of plants benefit from a good pruning session. Depending on the plant, you may find that cutting it back at the end of the season, or deadheading the flowers as they bloom, will help keep it healthy, happy, and growing longer. Pruning should also be used to remove any areas of a plant that are damaged, diseased, or dying to prevent any problems from spreading and killing the entire plant.
AMERICAN NATIVE PLANTS
Whether you’re looking to build a rain garden or beautify your property, American Native Plants can provide you with the right plants for the job. With an inventory of over 400,000 native trees, native shrubs, and herbaceous plants consider American Native Plants your one-stop shop for wholesale native plant needs.
Our nursery, conveniently located in Middle River, Maryland, is open year-round to accommodate your native plant needs. We are constantly updating and increasing our inventory to meet the demands of our customers.
Peruse our catalog, give us a call, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!