Expert: C.L. Fornari - 3/21/2004

Question
Would like to know when YOU suggest my putting in
annuals in my area (atlanta) zone 7B hardiness?
My theory is to plant when I see the item on sale and have the time to get what I buy into the
ground that day. Of course,I don't plant impatience this week just because they are for sale----so I do use good judgement
that way. I plant the hardier annuals (like woody
things--ie lantana)before tender things.
Also----the landscape company was late in putting down mulch (pinestraw and mini bark nuggets) for me.  Will all my perenials poke through it?
I bought coleus from a mail-order company last summer.  I have one slip existing in water and two other plants barely holding on in pots.  Will they grow and florish wentever I do put them in the ground?  or are these possibly plants that
were not meant to be "slipped" and carried over?
like genetically engineered so I have to buy new ones each year.  They did fine when I rooted in water during the summer and propogated them that way.  Thanks for whatever help you can be.  I know this must be a very busy time of year for you with questions.

Answer
Kathy,
Every area has a general "last frost date" - the day that you usually DON"T get frost at night anymore.  In your area, it's around the 10th of April, so you should feel fine about planting anything after that date.  As you say, the tougher plants can go in before that date, plus you can watch the long-range forecast at the end of March and get an idea about this particular season.

I sometimes buy the more tender things when I see them and then leave the flats out in the day but pull them into the garage if temperatures are going to drop below 45 at night.  This gets the plants accustomed to the outdoors and if there is a frost, I haven't invested my money for nothing.

If your mulch is only 2 inches thick, your perennils should poke through, but if it's thicker you should pull it away from the crown of the plants and just leave it inbetween clumps.  Most plants (annuals, shrubs, trees too) don't want thick mulch next to their stems because it keeps things too damp and possibly airless.

Coleus - even the new hybrids - root very easily and you can keep them from year to year.  The main problem with over-wintering such annuals is that they are prone to whitefly.  I assume yours are potted up now - if still in water, plant them in pots and give a mild fertilizer.  Start to acclimate them to the outdoors in the second week of April   - to get them to bush out, pinch the growing tips  (Top most growth of tiny leaves on all branches ) at least once starting soon.

I hope this helps!
C.L.