Enjoying our container plants does not finish once the plant is ensconced in its pot.
Healthy plants start from the correct choice of container, the right position for the plant and the right care. A well-planted and beautifully displayed selection of containers and plants is a thing of beauty and admiration.
As gardeners, we all have a selection of pots and containers from previous artistic efforts. Reusing these saves money, but only if they are clean and prepared correctly for the new plants. It is possible for disease to be transferred between plants in this manner.
Start by cleaning the containers thoroughly. Scrub the old pots in hot water and detergent. You can also use a ten percent ammonia solution to clean the used pots. Wear rubber gloves when doing this chore to protect your hands.
It is essential that the containers have adequate drainage to stop the roots of the plants rotting. Ways of improving drainage are adding stones or pebbles to the bottom of the container. The number of stones is dependent on the size of the pot. A few for a small pot increasing for the size of the containers .Hardware stores also sell container feet to stand the pots on to allow for air flow underneath the plot.
Even standing the pots on small pieces of wood or similar lifts the container of the ground and allows for airflow.
It is best not to leave planted containers standing in trays of water that may become stagnant, encouraging use by mosquitos for their larvae, let alone rotten roots!
A small layer of mulch or wood chips will help conserve moisture.
Container plants require fertilizing and I find liquid or water-soluble fertilizers ideal for this purpose. I feed my plants every two or three weeks during the growing season. You may wish to do this more frequently. We do things differently so be guided by the plant’s response to your care. Ease off the fertilizer in mid to late summer for plants that remain in the pots.
Constant attention of the plants such as trimming or removing dead or diseased growth as required will help maintain good-looking container plants.
Watering is an important ritual and our life of a container plant. I pick pots up as I pass by to check on how heavy they are. The weight being indicative of how much moisture there is in the container and soil. I prefer to water in the morning directly into the soil .The leaves should they become wet, dry before the cool of the evening. This is also true of garden plants in general. Everyone has their own opinion of this, some people preferring to water in the evening, allowing the water to soak through the soil.