What are the advantages of using perennials instead of annuals? What are the disadvantages? What ...

Advantages of using perennials instead of annuals are that these plants live from year to
year and do not require replanting. It is also possible to divide established perennials,
obtaining more plants from the first initial investment. Disadvantages of perennials
include their initial cost and care requirements.

Caring for annuals, once planted, is simple and involves supplying regular water,
fertilizing as needed, and controlling insects and diseases. It is necessary to prune or
pinch annuals to shorten the stem and result in a thicker, more attractive plant.

It is important to use mulch on annual beds for several reasons. First, mulch creates the
aesthetics that enhance the annuals planted. It is also a source of organic matter to the
plants, helps to control weeds, conserves moisture, and promotes even ground
temperatures for improved plant growth. Common mulches used in the industry today include hardwood bark, pine bark, cocoa bean hulls, buckwheat hulls, pine needles, wellrotted
sawdust, and leaf mold.

Answers for the four uses of annuals in the landscape should include four of the
following:
 To provide a mass of color around a house foundation, in flower beds, or in front of
evergreens
 To fill spaces between shrub plantings or other perennials and give color when these
plants are not blooming
 To provide color in bulb beds after the bulbs have bloomed
 To supply cut flowers
 To plant along fences or walks
 To cover bare spots between or in front of larger shrubs
 To create seasonal color
 To create special emphasis of landscape features
 To direct traffic patterns in a garden

The seven steps necessary to maintain a healthy annual planting:1.
water the soil if dry
2. pull weeds
3. apply herbicide, and mulch
4. prune faded flowers
5. control insects and diseases
6. fertilize with a time-release fertilizer (14-14-14)
7. cut flowers as desired, and prune or pinch for better growth