How to Replace Cool Season Bedding Plants in Landscapes

Inspect the cool-season bedding plants for any signs of disease or pest infestation. Signs may include spots on leaves, blackened stems or mold.

Pull the cool-season annuals out of the garden with your hands. Throw healthy plants into a compost pile. Dispose of any diseased plants in the garbage. Throwing diseased plants into a compost pile may lead to spreading the disease through your compost.

Turn over the top 6 to 12 inches of garden soil with a garden rake or rototiller.

Add a 4-inch layer of compost to the garden. Use a garden rake to mix the compost into the garden soil. Do this even if you added compost when you planted the cool-season bedding plants. The compost contains nutrients that the plants use as food. Many of the nutrients from the first addition may not be available for the new plants.

Plant the warm-season annuals in the garden. Examples of warm-season annuals are zinnias, marigolds and celosia. These annuals will stay in the garden throughout the warm summer months.

Mix 2 tbsp. of a 5-10-5 fertilizer into 1 gallon of water. Scoop out 1 cup of fertilizer and pour near the base of each of the newly planted warm-season annuals.