FAQs: Proven Winners Plants
Why Proven Winners?
It All Starts with a Better Plant
Selecting and Purchasing Proven Winners Plants
- Where can I buy Proven Winners in my local area?
- I asked for Supertunias and was directed to something called Purple Wave
- Which Proven Winners plants do you recommend for hot climates?
- How can I tell if a plant is an Annual or Perennial?
General Care
- What's the best type of potting soil mix to use with my Proven Winners?
- How can I keep my garden weed-free?
- What's the best type of fertilizer to use with my Proven Winners?
- How often should I fertilize my Proven Winners?
- Can I dry my Proven Winners for use in dried flower arrangements?
- Can I save my Proven Winners plants by bringing them indoors?
Selecting and Purchasing Proven Winners Plants
Where can I buy Proven Winners in my local area?
We do our best to maintain a comprehensive listing of retailers carrying the Proven Winners label. Visit our Find a Retailer page first. If your part of the country is not listed under Find a Proven Winners Retailer section of this site, please do the following:
- Keep checking in with us, the site is continuously being updated.
- Go to your local garden center and ask for Proven Winners. If they would like information on carrying Proven Winners, please refer them to this site and we will be happy to follow up with them.
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When I visited my local garden center, I asked for Supertunias and was directed to something called Purple Wave. They told me it was basically the same thing. Is this true?
Purple Wave is not a Proven Winner, and definitely is not the same as a Supertunia.™ Purple Wave is propagated from seed, whereas Supertunias are propagated from cuttings. Supertunias and Surfinias® are more vigorous and will perform better and longer throughout the summer, flowering continuously and profusely. All Proven Winners varieties are guaranteed to be bred from disease-free, virus-indexed tissue culture stock, which enhances plant performance tremendously. Supertunias and Surfinias also come in a wide array of colors.
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Which Proven Winners plants do you recommend for hot climates?
- CAMPFIRE® Flame Bidens
- TOUCAN® Coral Canna x generalis
- LUSCIOUS® Berry Blend Lantana
- SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Hot Pink Petunia
- SUPERTUNIA® Lovie Dovie Petunia
- INTENSIA® Red Hot Phlox drummondii
- ROCKIN’® PLAYIN’ THE BLUES® Salvia
- SUPERBENA® Stormburst Verbena
- Señorita Blanca® Cleome
- Mystic Illusion Dahlia
- Beth's Blue® Isotoma
- Mojave® Yellow Portulaca umbraticola
- LEMON CORAL® Sedum mexicanum
- Meteor Shower® Verbena bonariensis
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How can I tell if a plant is an Annual or Perennial?
Annuals and Perennials vary depending on where you live. If you want a perennial, shrub, or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate year-round conditions in your area, such as the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount of rainfall. If you are Zone 5 any plant that is Zone 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 would be a perennial in your area, anything zone 6, 7 8, 9 or 10 would be an annual. Certain areas of your yard could be hot spots and might be able to tolerate one zone higher.
Find your zone
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General Care
What's the best type of potting soil mix to use with my Proven Winners?
Any ready-to-use potting soil mix will suffice, as long as it is coarse enough to provide good drainage. For best results, we recommend Proven Winners-branded potting soil, which is specially formulated for superior results with all flowering plants. Available at your local independent garden center.
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How can I keep my garden weed-free?
Weeds are an unsightly nuisance, but did you know that they also compete with your plants for nutrients, water and light? There are sprays, powders and potions on the market today guaranteed to zap unwanted weeds, but the best way to get rid of these uninvited guests is good old-fashioned elbow grease.
Try to pull up weeds when you first notice them. Younger weeds will come up easier because they haven't established a strong root system. Also, if you get them when they're young, they won't have the chance to go to seed and invade your entire garden. Water the ground before pulling weeds--it makes your job a lot easier. Also, try to pull out the entire weed, including its root. Mulching between your plants will help keep weeds from sprouting by blocking the dormant seeds from the sun.
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What's the best type of fertilizer to use with my Proven Winners?
We recommend a fertilizer that has high amounts of nitrogen and low amounts of phosphate, such as Proven Winners-branded Water Soluable Fertilizer and Controlled Release Fertilizer (available at some independent garden centers on through our online store ). If you look at the fertilizer bag, it should have a ratio of three figures, which is called the N:P:K ratio. The first figure should be the highest, because it's the amount of Nitrogen in the in the mixture. We recommend a ratio of about 24:12:17, or anything close to that. Periodic feeding with iron will also help to prolong plant life and enhance performance.
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How often should I fertilize my Proven Winners?
We recommend fertilizing every third watering with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Look for one with an N:P:K ratio of about 24:12:17 and (if possible) a fairly high amount of iron.
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How often should I water my Proven Winners?
Most Proven Winners varieties like to be kept moist but not consistently wet. They don't like the soil to be too soggy, but they do need a lot of water when they get big (especially during hot summer days...you will have to water them daily). Be sure that when you do water your Proven Winners, you are saturating the soil, rather than simply moistening the top few inches. The plants have deep roots and may wilt if only the top soil is moist.
Collection Container plants may require more frequent watering, as well.
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Can I dry my Proven Winners for use in dried flower arrangements?
Most Proven Winners are not suitable for this purpose, but Golden Beauty® does well as a dried flower because it is a straw flower. To dry Golden Beauty, simply cut the flowers, bundle them and hang them upside down in a dry place until the flowers and stems are dry.
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I live in a climate that gets colder than 28 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Can I save my Proven Winners plants by bringing them indoors?
Unfortunately, most Proven Winners varieties do not perform well in winter indoors. They all require high light levels and prefer bright sunshine. If you're feeling adventurous, try this: cut your Proven Winners plants back in the fall and keep them in a cool (40 - 45 degrees Fahrenheit) and bright place. In the spring, about six weeks before you expect to move your plants outside, raise the temperature to 65 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind there is no guarantee that this will work. All of the conditions must be perfect in order for the plant to survive. We recommend this only for the very experienced gardener.
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