But to get the very best from your plants try these little tips and tricks:
- Firstly, drench the plant(s) as thoroughly as possible. With the smaller ones you can put them in a bucket of water and hold them down until air bubbles stop rising from the compost. Then allow it to drain while you get on with the below.
- To aid good drainage, as well as saving compost – and weight – add a 10-15 cm layer of polystyrene packaging or this more environmentally friendly drainage material.
- With the plant still in its plastic pot, put it into the container to check the depth. The surface of the compost in the pot should end up about 3cm below the top of the container to allow for easy watering in future. When the level is right, place the plant still in its plastic pot in the container and fill in around it with compost to the correct level, mixing in more water-retaining gel crystals. Firm it as you go.
- Take the plant and pot out of the container, squeeze the pot if necessary to loosen it and then holding the plant firmly around its base, slide the pot off the ‘rootball’ (the base of the plant). Then put the plant into the perfect-sized hole you’ve made in the compost and firm it in.
What happens when I want to move my plant out of its pot?
If you buy a plant from Patch with a container and soil, then it should last in that home for at least a couple of years.
But if you’re not planting straight into soil then most plants, like people, will get to a point when they need to move on. Maybe they need more room - are roots coming out of the bottom of the pot? Is the foliage and new stems butting up against the side? - or you fancy a change, and want to switch up containers.
The key thing to remember with any pot change is that a drainage hole at the bottom and drainage material are essential. If you put a plant into a pot that doesn’t have either, when you water it, the water has nowhere to go. This means that the roots can get waterlogged - it’s the plant equivalent of trench foot, and can kill your plants.
Much like if we moved from a one bedroom flat to a six-bedroom castle, we’d be a bit freaked out by all the extra room. Plants are the same, and can suffer from shock if you suddenly put them in a much larger pot. Instead, choose one that’s a few centimetres larger in diameter than the one it’s currently in.
This article was written by our good friend, Alice Vincent (aka @noughticulture). For more practical advice on how to become a plant-pro check out her book How to Grow Stuff. It’s a simple, straightforward and no-fuss guide to gardening for beginners and those who have already learned to love plants.
