Bedding plants continue to be a popular part of spring and summer gardening. By now, most annuals and perennials are well established, but still require continuous care as they continue to grow. Here are a few maintenance chores needed for extended season long growth.

• Check soil moisture often. Bedding plants can dry out in extremely hot weather, especially in sunny locations. It’s important to keep the soil moist but try to avoid over-watering. Consider adding an automatic watering system to supply a continuous water supply.

• Fertilize both annuals and perennials on a regular basis. Some liquid fertilizer companies recommend about every 10 days. Constant irrigation during hot summer days leaches out nutrients much quicker than normal. Follow directions on the label closely and consider supplying a liquid fertilizer high in phosphorus (the middle number) to maintain a constant floral display.

• Prune the plants. Annuals in containers will overflow or get tall and often dominate a planter. Continuous pruning and deadheading will keep flowing plant growth more upright and compact. Pruning also stimulates growth and increases flower production.

• Remove bad or diseased plants or their dead leaves. Some plants do well at the early stages of growth, but just don’t look as good when they mature in the summer. These may wilt, refuse to flower, become leggy or just look bad. Take them out as soon as they start to decline and replace them as soon as possible for color maximum effect.

• Don’t wait until frost has killed your summer planting to replace plants for fall bloom. Be prepared to plant fall blooming annuals and perennials early for maximum floral effect throughout the year.

Darrell Blackwelder is the retired horticulture agent and director with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. Contact him at deblackw@ncsu.edu.