How To Keep Lantana Blooming Big All Summer Long!

There is nothing quite like growing Lantana in containers, hanging baskets and flowerbeds for a gorgeous pop of color – especially when you can keep it blooming big and strong all summer long!

Lantana require very little maintenance for proper blooming. Even better, is rarely bothered by pests. Just two more striking reasons this plant is a perfect choice to beautify your landscape in the summer months. With that in mind, here is an in-depth look at Lantana, including how to keep it flowering all season long!

Planting and Watering – Growing Lantana To Keep It Blooming Big

As an annual plant, Lantana requires minimal care while planting. There are 5 main factors you have to cater to when planting Lantana for success – whether directly in flowerbeds, or in pots, containers and baskets:

• soil drainage
• lighting
• watering
• fertilizing
• deadheading

Drainage

When grown annually, it is imperative to avoid wet or soggy soil. This invites problems such as plant disease and rotting of the roots. When planting in containers, this can be avoided simply by using a good quality potting soil that is loose and friable.

However, when planting directly into bed spaces, amend the soil prior to planting with plenty of compost. Not only will the compost provide nutrients for the plant, it will also help to loosen the soil and improve drainage.

If you happen to have exceptionally heavy or clay like soil, you can also amend with a bit of sand and perlite. The sand will help to drain the water away quickly while perlite will help to keep the soil from clogging together.

Lighting

One of the most pivotal keys to keep your Lantana blooming is giving it enough light. To provide maximum blooming potential, be sure you locate your plants in an area that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.

You need not worry about the heat factor as Lantana can handle the sun’s hot rays. In fact, it can handle heat far better than cold. Cold, damp conditions can lead to low blooming and disease issues for the plant. When growing in containers, bring plants indoors if low temps (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) are in the forecast.

Watering

With Lantana, over watering is more of an issue that under watering. Do not water the plant every day as it may lead to excessive moisture in the soil. Water only to ensure that the root ball along with surrounding area is moist. Be sure to allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Lantana growing in containers and baskets will require more watering than those directly growing in beds. But with that said, be careful of providing too much. It is better to soak the plant through every few days when watering than providing just a little water every day.

Fertilizing Lantana:

It is a bit surprising to know that fertilizing is not a major player in keeping your Lantana blooming. In fact, in many cases, it is too much fertilizer that can keep Lantana from blooming more. When the soil is too rich, plants tend to focus their energy on foliage growth in place of producing blooms.

For plants growing in flowerbeds, apply a light all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer to plants in the early spring, and again in late summer. This is more than enough to provide the necessary nutrients for proper blooming.

For plants growing in containers, a light fertilization once a month works well. For potted plants, a light dose (half-strength of recommended mixture) of an all-purpose liquid fertilizer is more than enough.

Deadheading:

Finally, one of the most important secrets to keep your Lantana blooms blooming is deadheading your plant regularly. It is an uncomplicated task that works wonders for keeping new blooms coming on again and again.

Source: thisismygarden.com