STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

How to pot plants

Tweet this

Enhance your garden with some chic containers and a display of colourful or architectural plants. Here's how...

How to pot plants

You will need:

Container
Broken plant pot pieces
Compost
Plants

Time to complete job: Less than 1 hour
Approximate budget: £20

Container planting complements all types of gardens, from outside balconies on upper storey flats to the patios of large gardens.

Tips: Summer bedding plants should be planted when the risk of frost is over in your locality. If possible plant earlier and keep in a greenhouse for a few weeks, leaving outside during warm periods and back inside the greenhouse at night.

Permanent plantings can be done at almost any time of the year - but better in the spring when plants will become quickly established.

Step 1: Preparation

If reusing a container ensure that all traces of soil are cleaned from the inside to prevent carry-over of pests and diseases. Terracotta pots often develop green and white marks on the outside - clean off using mild detergent and a scourer.

If you want to be able to move your containers around the garden, go for lightweight materials such as resin, fibreglass or plastic. These have the added advantage of being frost proof in winter. They are also nonporous, so they don't absorb the moisture that your plants need in hot summer conditions.

Tip: As they are highly porous, soak clay or terracotta pots overnight before planting them up.
Step 2: Fill the container

Ensure your container has sufficient drainage holes. To prevent these becoming blocked by compost, place curved pieces of broken plant pot or similar over the holes.

Use a specially formulated 'compost for containers and hanging baskets' - don't use soil from the garden as it wont have the nutrients necessary for strong plant growth. It may also contain weed seeds, harmful insects and fungal diseases.

Add the compost - if the container is very large and you are planting bedding then you can reduce the amount needed by adding large lumps of polystyrene packing material at the bottom. Do not do this with smaller containers or where the planting is dense.

Firm the compost lightly. Loam-based composts can be firmed more after planting, but take care not to over-compress loam-free composts.

Tip: Ensure there is a gap of 2.5cm (1in) at the top as a watering space when the container is finished.
Step 3: Plant up

Select good quality plants - start with good-looking well-rounded specimens and thoroughly soak by immersing in a bucket of water.

Arrange plants on top of the container to compose the best design.

Remove from pots. Ideally, the plant's roots should just be reaching the outside of the pot. This means they are not pot bound and are growing vigorously. If there is a dense rootball, tease larger roots apart to encourage them to grow into new compost.

Plant from the centre of the container outwards. Start by making a hole big enough for the rootball of the central plant. Lower the plant in, firming the compost to remove any large air gaps. Add the rest of the plants in similar fashion around the edges.

Level the surface of the compost and water thoroughly until water emerges from the base. Add a mulch of decorative gravel.

Tip: Use a similar size pot to make a hole and firm the compost around so you can drop in the plant when removed from its pot. All the plants should end up at the same depth as they were in their original containers.

Comments

Add comment

Advertisement

GALLERIES

Galleries

Real homes

ABOUT THE HOME CHANNEL

Home is a UK TV channel, available on Sky 246 and Virgin 265, featuring the best interior design, home decorating, DIY and gardening programmes. Our website, lovehome.co.uk, has articles, videos and photo galleries to inspire and help you in your home improvement projects, from kitchens to bathrooms, bedrooms to landscaping.

Our team of experts, including Ty Pennington, Paul Martin, Nick Knowles and Craig Phillips, are on hand to offer practical advice and inspiration in Home's TV shows - from DIY SOS, Homes Under The Hammer and Ground Force to Escape To The Country and Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Find advice or simply draw inspiration by browsing our galleries. Home, there's no place like it!