Potting Media - Watering - Fertilizing  - Plant Selection - Over-Wintering - Home


Obviously, the key to success with any plant is proper care to assure that it gets the building blocks needed for photosynthesis. The needs of a plant growing in a container are really no different from those in the ground. However, we may need to approach the situation a bit differently for container plants. In order to help our container plants to maintain their vigor and flowering ability, we need to consider the following topics:

Potting Media - Don't use regular garden soil in your containers. It is too heavy, drains poorly and may contain insects, weeds and disease organisms.

Watering - The key to success with container plants is providing an adequate supply of water...not too much and not too little.

Fertilizing - Container plants are in a closed environment so you need to provide adequate nutrients i.e. fertilizer for proper growth and flower production.

Plant Selection - Most people tend to think of annuals when they decide to have some plants in containers. In reality, you can grow any  type of plant in containers including trees, shrubs, annuals, herbaceous perennials, vines and tropical plants too.

Over-Wintering - If you choose to grow perennial plants in your containers and want to keep  them from year to year, you may have to take a few extra steps to assure that the plant and container survive the winter.

Note: We have provided some general information and observations on this topic aimed at the home gardener. Before you take any serious action in your landscape, check with your state's land grant university's Cooperative Extension Service for the most current, appropriate, localized recommendations.

 
Copyright© 2000 -