Care tips for ornamental plants

Ornamental leeks
Sun hat
Rhododendron
Butterfly on flower

Planning a new ornamental garden always starts with an idea. It should be beautiful, it should always be in bloom, it should not grow so quickly, etc.

Planning and portfolio management

This is where the tasks begin. First of all, it should be clear what “type” of garden you want to create or where the focus should be. For example, a perennial garden, bog garden (heather garden), rose garden, rock garden or a garden with different approaches. The most appealing option for many people is certainly a mixture of all of them, but this requires a lot of space and different floors have to be taken into account or created.

The classic and therefore a real exception with regard to the soil are the bog plants. The best-known species here are, for example, all rhododendrons and azaleas.

These prefer a slightly acidic pH value between 4.5 – 5.5 up to 6.0 (this depends on the variety and species).

However, it is important to create a generous peat bed for the fine hair roots of the rhododendrons and azaleas. This group of plants grows and develops best in a fine structure. Hack potting soil Peaty soil is a good choice here. Peat should be used with caution. To reduce the amount of peat soil, it is possible to mix it with the peat-free hack soil. Recommendation: 2 parts peat soil and 1 part peat-free soil.

The soil in your garden is suitable for most other plant groups. Suitable pH value ranges are between 5.5 and 6.8.

There are always exceptions. If in doubt, ask your trusted nursery.
When planning the plant species, the most important point, apart from the choice of location (roses, for example, prefer sunny locations), is probably the flowering cycle. This type of planning is very important for perennial gardens, for example. To admire flowers all year round, you have to deal with the various flowering times.
Quality potting soil 70 L
Plant soil

Many plant groups can also be combined. Roses, many perennials and clematis, for example, harmonize wonderfully. Not forgetting the huge selection of flower bulbs. These can make a good contribution to a colorful garden design. Flowering times are in early spring and fall. A planting plan can be very helpful for new plants. But existing gardens can also be wonderfully complemented with various plants.

Bee on flower

One special group should also be mentioned – native woody plants. They make a valuable contribution to the preservation of biodiversity. For example, broom (Cytisus scoparia), our native insects love this plant, or hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), also a particularly valuable and native woody plant. Bees and other insects as well as birds love this shrub. The dog rose (Rosa canina) and many other native plants make a very valuable contribution to the preservation of our fauna and can/should be allowed to find their place in every garden. You can find a long list of these on the internet, ask your gardener/gardener.

Last but not least are the seed mixtures such as “bee feed”. This group can also be wonderfully integrated into the garden.

Soil preparation and planting

Soil preparation is important if you want to plant your garden in a new development area. Deep loosening may be necessary, as the existing soil can be very heavily compacted by machine traffic. This is a major problem for plants and for the establishment of new lawns. Plants require well-drained, oxygenated soil. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. When planting, dig a planting hole that is about twice as large as the diameter of the pot or the root ball of the plant. Container plants grown in pots should be carefully loosened at the roots. Slight trimming can also be useful.

Floor preparation

The reason for this is that the plant was very cramped in the pot and some of the roots were already growing in circles. By loosening the bale, this is exactly what is “solved” and the plant now roots in all directions again. Use our peat-free hack potting soil to support growth and our peaty hack potting soil for bog beds. The first fertilization is only carried out after approx. 6-8 weeks. Only then is the plant fully grown. If, for example, so-called “bare root” plants, i.e. plants without a root ball or pot, are planted in the fall, they are pruned. The upper parts of the plant and the roots are shortened. Before you start, ask your trusted gardener.

Organic horn shavings

The planting hole is prepared as described above. Horn shavings can be added to the planting hole to support the growth phase. This works very slowly and does not cause root burns. Our hack cattle manure or hack soil activator is also ideal for this. These products are intended to support growth and should not be confused with full fertilization. Not forgetting hack primary rock flour – a valuable source of trace elements. Perfect for roses and general preparation for planting.

Very sandy soils have a rather weak water retention capacity. Hack Bentonite can help here. Finely ground clay minerals significantly improve the water retention capacity. Do not be frugal on this point. Depending on the nature of the soil or very sandy soils, 300-500g/m² may be sufficient. Otherwise the desired effect will not be achieved.

Suitable products from our range:

Organic granulated cattle manure
Organic soil activator
Organic primary rock flour

Maintain and preserve

Most shrubs, roses, perennials and rhododendrons are fertilized twice a year. Depending on the weather, the first fertilization should take place in March/April and the second and last in August. The Hack organic garden fertilizer and the Hack Gardafit universal fertilizer are suitable for this. Our Kalimagnesia hack is a good choice for winter hardiness. We also offer a wide range of fertilizers for different crops, such as Hack rose fertilizer, Hack rhododendron fertilizer, Hack cherry laurel fertilizer or Hack Mediterranean fertilizer – all fertilizers for different crops are enriched with valuable humic acids. These have a positive effect on nutrient uptake and promote soil life.

Suitable products from our range:

Organic rose fertilizer
Organic rhododendron fertilizer
Organic cherry laurel and conifer fertilizer
Organic Mediterranean plant fertilizer
Universal garden fertilizer Gardafit
Organic garden fertilizer
Organic granulated kalimagnesia