Pansies might be hankering for water, nitrogen

Q. I have three halfbarrels planted with lots of pansies. They just aren’t flowering as much as I’d like. Anything you can think of to perk them back up? — E.P., Albuquerque

A. The first thought I had was moisture. If your barrels are dry, then the pansies are going to suffer. Be a weather watcher, and if it’s going to get really brisk, water beforehand.

My next thought is fertilization. If the soil in the barrels is two or three growing seasons old, the pansies just might be hungry.

Usually, most blooming creatures benefit from an offering of phosphorus in order to grow healthier flowers.

Pansies perform better when offered more nitrogen when growing. I’d suggest a fertilizer that has more nitrogen.

A granular lawn food would work perfectly, as long as it’s just fertilizer. Be very sure that it contains no weed killer or weed preventative. Sprinkle a tablespoon all over the planting and water it in.

Also, make sure the barrels are located in spots where they’ll receive lots of sun. Pansies grown in the shade this time of year will be puny. That’s a pansy secret. Grow in the sun in the cold and then in the shade during the heat.

That’s what I’ll suggest. A scant offering of a fertilizer containing nitrogen as its highest component, keeping the barrels moist and offering them scads of sun. Here’s hoping.

Q. How do I read a fertilizer to know what I’m looking for? — N.L., Albuquerque

A. That’s easy once you learn it and with an accompanying sing-song, “up, down, and all around,” you’ll never forget.

All fertilizers list three components, they are N-P-K.

The first number will always be the nitrogen (N) contained in the mix. The middle number will always be the phosphorus (P) and the last number will be the amount of potassium (K).

That set of numbers is written in stone and stays constant.

Now the sing-song I mentioned, notice it’s broken into thirds?

The “up” applies to the nitrogen and equates to green growth.

“Down” equates to the phosphorus used by plants to promote healthy below ground growth, the roots. (Phosphorus is also used to feed healthy blooms but that’s not part of this lesson).

Lastly the “and all around” pertains to the potassium.

It’s the potassium the keeps the other two chemicals fluid and use-able by the plants. Without the potassium the other chemicals could get locked up in the soil, keeping the plants from being able to draw them up.

Looking to fertilize a lawn? Look for a fertilizer that has a high first number. Nitrogen feeds healthy green growth.

Looking to fertilize a vegetable or flower garden? Well, you want healthy roots, so aim for a fertilizer that contains a higher middle number, the phosphorus.

The “all around” is sort of a given and usually is in any fertilizer.

Just remember the sing-song, “up, down, and all around” and you’ll be sure to choose the perfect fertilizer for whatever plant life you are aiming to feed.

Next week I’ll talk about seed starting to get you all in the mood to Keep Diggin’ In.

Meanwhile, keep up the good fight and continue to mask up, stay distanced, don’t rove about in packs, wash your hands and aim to keep New Mexico safer.