Planting Time Considerations
You may
start the seeds that are included with this butterfly garden ahead of
time. However it is not necessary to start the seeds early to have
success with the butterfly saddlebag garden.
If you are
planting the butterfly saddlebag garden late in winter or early in
spring, you may want to start the seeds early and then transplant the
started plants to the planting bag.
If you are planting the butterfly saddlebag garden in mid to late
spring or early summer you can directly sow the seeds into the soil in
the hummingbird vertical garden.
Planting instructions for early planting and staring the seeds indoors
Start your Seeds
About 6-8 weeks before the last anticipated frost in your area start
you seeds in small pots or open flats with good drainage. Keep seedlings
moist and warm, but not wet, at all times. Use a liquid plant
fertilizer after sprouts are about 1" tall, diluted to half strength.
Fill bag with soil
When your stater plants are 1-2" tall and have formed a good root
system, lay the bag flat with the holes side up. Completely fill the bag
with a moist soil mix.
Insert the plants
Gently remove the plants from the starter pots or flats, enough to
fill the round openings in the bag. Take special care to keep intact the
entire root system for each plant. Remove enough soil in the round
circles for the roots then insert the plants into the holes. Tamp around
the plants and add extra soil into the holes until the plants are
firmly in place. Water well through the openings in the bag. Note: Keep
growing additional plants for use in the next step.
Hang your garden
Keep the bag lying flat for about 10 days to allow the plants to
become established. When you hang the bag, slowly lift and tilt upright
and place two additional plants into the opening at the top of the bag.
If needed, add additional soil to the top of the bag to keep the top two
plants firmly in place. Hang your garden anywhere that gets plenty of
sun each day. Continue to water plant frequently and fertilize as
needed.
Planting Instructions for planting seeds directly into the vertical garden
Lay planting bag on its side. Remove the pre-cut holes from the bag.
Fill the vertical bag with a lightweight potting mix. Add seed mixture
to the soil where the cut out holes are. Add water to the planting holes
on the bag, careful to not overfill the bag too quickly. Leave the bag on a flat surface in a sunny location until
sprouts appear. Once sprouts appear and the plants to be firmly rooted,
you may hang the vertical garden. Sprouts should appear and be sturdy
enough to hang 2-4 weeks after planting.