The Quickest Way to Bud Plants

Plant annual and perennial flowers and shrubs in mid-spring for the best starts and quickest growth. Plants establish best in warm 60-degree Fahrenheit weather. Choose blooming annuals for immediate color and long-lived perennials for a more lasting effect.

Choose the right sites for your flowers to encourage the quickest, healthiest budding. Find bright, sunny spots for sun-loving flowers like marigolds, mums, roses and azaleas, and find shady spots for shade-tolerant primroses, impatiens and hydrangeas. The plants won't establish or bud without adequate lighting.

Amend the soil to give the flowers what they need for quick growth. Dig into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil and add 4 to 5 inches of organic compost or garden loam for loose, rich soil. Mix 5-10-10 fertilizer into the soil for more nutrition. Plants cannot produce their buds or flowers without adequate resources.

Plant nursery annuals, perennials and shrubs with swelling buds for quicker blooming. Examine the plants when you purchase them for buds and existing flowers. This also gives you a good idea of plant health; unthrifty plants cannot produce flowers and are not good purchases.

Water each plant with 2 inches of water every week and lay 1 inch of mulch on top of the soil to maintain moisture and warmth. Weed the plot regularly for plant health and encourage quick reblooming with deadheading.