Tips for Planting Containers & PotsContainers are a wonderful addition to any garden. Whether they are placed on your patio or deck, at your front door or out in the garden in a planting bed, they add interest by introducing another texture, color and planting level. Here are some tips on putting together wonderful combinations of the containers and the plants that will go in them.  SELECTING YOUR CONTAINERS: SIZE: For the best impact and a better result for plant growth, don’t use any containers that are less than 18” in diameter and height. It would be a great investment to go up to 24” or larger. The larger the pot, the more soil space the plant has to grow in. Smaller pots dry out quickly and don’t provide as much protection from the cold air. AESTHETICS: Speaking of large sized pots, remember that using too many smaller containers, not only means more watering but it also creates a more cluttered look to any area. It is better to mix larger and medium size containers and place a few small ones as, perhaps table decorations. If you are grouping smaller pots, use the same color throughout so there is a cohesive theme. Using pot feet or a trivet under the container helps with drainage and also to lessen the staining of the surface, whether decking or concrete.  TYPE: Higher quality containers in ceramic or terra cotta are produced using kilns that fire at higher temperatures. The hotter and longer the process, the more the silica in the clay becomes like glass. This makes the pot much less porous for water absorption, (than the less expensive pots). When it rains or you water the plants, the water is absorbed, to some degree, into the walls of the pots. The more it is absorbed by the porous clay, the more likely the water will freeze and then crack in the winter. That is why the sides of the pot will pop off and the container starts to crumble. With the higher quality pots, much less water gets absorbed. COLOR: The sky is truly the limit! Don’t feel you can’t mix and match the larger containers. If you are trying to blend pots near your house, find complimentary colors and patterns and don’t try to match the house color. The color and texture of the plant material can also determine which pot color is best, and vice versa! SOIL: It is good practice to replace the soil in your containers when you replant. If you had any problems or concerns about fungus, disease or insects in your prior planting, rinse the empty pot with a little bleach water before refilling with new soil. Container planting is different than planting in the ground. The soil in the pot is the only source of water and food the plants will get. The more soil in the pot, the better it is for your plants. If you have a really large pot, you can fill the bottom ½ with light weight items like packing peanuts, BUT don’t put the soil directly on top of the peanuts!! Cut a length of weed fabric and put it in the pot on top of the peanuts and drape the excess outside the rim of the pot. Add the soil and tuck the edges of the weed fabric inside the lip of the pot and plant your plants. This way, you won’t lose soil to settling down through the peanuts and you won’t have a mess of peanuts, soil and roots mixed together next time you replant. Using soil that has moisture retaining properties helps a lot with watering schedules. Having slow-release fertilizer in the soil also makes a big difference in the growth and health of the plants you use. If using basic potting soil, you can add Al’s Preferred All Purpose Slow Release Fertilizer with Micro-Nutrients. Even with a slow release fertilizer in the soil, especially with annuals, a liquid-feed fertilizer every two weeks will give you wonderful results!! CHOOSING YOUR PLANTS: Again, container planting is much different than planting in the ground. Rather than spacing your plants out at any kind of regular interval, you can literally plant rootball to rootball in a container. This gives you the lush, full look that we all love about containers. So put in as many plants as you think your container can handle and then add 5 more 4” potted ones! Creating themed containers is a fun project. You plant things with the same water requirements, flower & foliage color, or even things that can be used together in cooking! Drought tolerant: Sedums, saxifrage, euphorbias are great together Salsa garden: Cilantro, Tomatoes, Peppers, Garlic, Onions Italian garden: Basil, Garlic, Cilantro, Parsley, Sage, Tomatoes All American: Plant your potatoes in a large container and plant chives on top! Mixing the height of items in the container creates great interest! If you are grouping pots, create height variations with the pots and the plants in each of them. Small trees and shrubs work wonderfully in pots. Japanese Maples, Chaste Tree, Fothergilla, Boxwoods, Sky Pencil Holly are just some that will add height and leave room to under plant them. It is fun to invest in tender Tropical Plants to add a “wow” factor for the summer months. You should get a good 5 months (May-September) display from them! Red Bananas and Angels Trumpet are especially impressive! Move some of your house plants outside for the summer! They will thank you for giving them some much loved fresh air and real sunshine for a few months. Then you can move them back indoors. The other layers of plants would include the middle “filler” area of the pot, planted with such things as Heliotrope, Impatiens, Geraniums, Fuschias, Brachycome or Coleus. Finish off with trailing plants around the edges, like Bacopa, Lobelia, Sweet Potatoe Vines, Bidens, or Calibrachoa. WATERING: Where you place the containers determines the watering schedule for the most part. If they are placed in a shady spot, they may only need watering 1-2 times per week, more in the heat of summer. Sunny locations require more attention. A good drip system is always a great idea for pots. Installing one is pretty simple and including a timer screwed onto your hose bibb will water at regular intervals for you. So have fun with this and enjoy your summer, once it gets here! |
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