When you buy a flower for your garden, the anticipation of waiting for it to grow is killer. Many gardeners have dealt with this, but how long you wait for flowers depends on several factors.
It varies based on the type of flower and the time of year you plant it. So, how long does it take flowers to grow?
On average, flowers will take 100 days (at most) to complete their growth cycle. Some flowers, like marigolds, grow within 65 days.
With most flowers, you will see sprouting occur within five days to two weeks.
In the rest of this article, we will delve into different factors that impact flower growth time. Will will also mention some great beginner flowers for quick growth.
How To Set Up Your Flower Seeds for Growth Success
Growing flowers isn’t an easy process. For those who are new to the process, you may make a few mistakes. Those mistakes are learning opportunities.
If you are looking for tips to ensure your flower seeds do well, here are some suggestions:
Be Aware of Your Flower’s Average Days to Bloom
If you buy some seed packets and expect your flowers to bloom within the first 50 days, you might be right. But how do you know that?
Your first step is to perform research on the flowers you want to grow. This research will tell you two things:
- How long it takes these flowers to grow
- When is the best time to develop them
Generally speaking, the best time to grow your plants is during the late fall to early spring. Growing them outside of this period (summer) will require more effort.
Planting during the best period will reduce growth times.
Knowing the average time of growth also allows you to understand how much time you have for the average plant. If you have limited time, you will want to limit yourself to the quickest plants:
- Petunias
- Nasturtiums
- Cornflowers
- Nigellas
In some cases, many of these flowers will grow within 50 days.
Be Aware of Frost When Growing Flowers
Depending on where you live, the danger of frost can be a real problem. This danger won’t affect your days to bloom. Instead, it will outright kill any seeds you plant.
Being aware of frost allows you to limit your flower’s outdoor time to after the frost has passed. Until that time, you can start your seeds indoors, starting inside of a potted plant.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows you to track expected frost times using a hardiness zone map.
For example, if you live in DC, your hardiness zones vary from 5b to 8a. Flowers that grow well in this zone include the following:
- Lilies
- Poppy
- Salvia
- Lavender
- Hollyhock
This map is the ultimate tool in determining what plants work in your area.
Use Fertilizer to Ensure Continued Plant Growth
The main reason plants do not grow at the speed you want them to is a lack of nutrients. Fertilizer is the best way for you to address any nutrient gap.
When selecting the right fertilizer, make sure you have a slow-release option. By choosing a slow-release option, you ensure that you aren’t oversaturating the flowers.
We recommend all in One Rose and Flower Care Granules Fertilizer to feed your flowers.
You can also check a local retailer’s garden section. Just be sure to pick their brain for experience before you take their advice.
Position Your Plants, So They Get Plenty of Sun
There’s no “average plant” that we can base this on. Instead, there are four standard forms of sunlight a plant needs:
- Full sun – Six (or more) hours of sunlight per day
- Part sun – Between three and six
- Full shade – Less than three hours of sun
- Part shade – Between three and six hours of sun (with protection from the more intense sun)
Most flowering plants are full sun, meaning they will require planting where ample sunlight is shining.
You can pick this by examining how often sunlight travels along specific routes of your home.
Once you’ve found a place that you generally believe gets about eight hours of sunlight, plant your flowers there.
Not all flowers are created equal, so double-check the packaging to be 100% certain of what sun they require.
Aerate Your Roots to Encourage Plant Growth
Aeration is the process of poking holes in the ground to allow your plants to breathe. Doing so allows your roots to receive much-needed oxygen, a struggle to achieve if you are underground.
Poke a smaller hole using a sharp stick nearby the flower. If you feel yourself break a root, plants are resilient and know how to grow them back.
If you are worried that you might forget to do this at some point, consider purchasing a grow bag. Grow bags allow plants to have an easy source of aeration without having to poke holes in the ground to encourage growth.
We recommend the EIIORPO Plant Bags for this use.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s the first time sprouting or the first time for bulbs, growing flowers’ waiting time can feel incredibly long.
While there are some ways to expedite the time required to plant g growth, the days to bloom are typically standard and challenging to change.
Using the tips above, you will encourage your plants to bloom large and faster than others. If you seek some additional assistance on what flowers need to grow, we’ve got you covered.
