GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CONTAINERS
The optimal amount of sun, fertilizer and water will keep your plants happy
Thousands of hanging baskets, floral containers, herb gardens and veggie pots are now gracing outdoor decks and patios. How they continue to look and how long they survive will depend on the care they are given. It’s disheartening to see beautiful plants go backwards and look unsightly when a few simple steps can make all the difference.
Here are some critical care tips. As in real estate, the key is: location, location, location. Are the plants in your basket sun lovers, or do they need shade? Getting the right sun/shade placement for all your outdoor containers is essential.
Sun plants need to tolerate the 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. heat. If you don’t have geraniums, petunias, verbenas, scaveolas and other heat lovers, perhaps your containers need a more shaded area. New Guinea impatiens, fuchsias, begonias, coleus and browallia, for example, are OK with a bit of morning or late afternoon sun, but they do best when situated out of the intense heat. As a rule, sun plants can take a little shade, but shade plants can burn easily in the full 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. sun.
If you have a brutally hot balcony and no choice of a different location, consider hanging a small curtain of 50 per cent shade cloth to protect your plants. It is relatively inexpensive and, when installed properly, can look quite attractive. Even a small shade tree, like a Japanese maple, can filter the hot sun nicely and create a more comfortable area outdoors for both you and your plants.
Next is watering. How often should baskets and containers be watered? The test for when to water is quite simple: lift the pot and feel its weight. Baskets that feel heavy are wet and do not need water. Baskets that feel light should be watered. This method takes a little getting used to, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. If your pots are too heavy to lift, dig down to see how deep your irrigation has penetrated. Generally speaking, too wet is worse than too dry because wet, heavy soil has no oxygen and can quickly choke and rot the roots of your plants. Let your containers dry out before watering.
When it is time to water, give your plants a good drink, and I don’t mean just a cup full. Water thoroughly and deeply, but make sure your containers have drainage holes so excess water can escape. Use a quality watering can that has a multi-perforated “rose” at the spout end, or use a hose with a water nozzle with tiny holes. Then let your container dry out. Larger containers require less care than tiny eightor 10-inch ones because they don’t dry out so quickly.
Always water in the morning when the temperature is on the rise rather than in the evening when the foliage will stay wet, resulting in disease issues. If you must water at night because your plants are too dry and can’t wait, moisten only the soil and not the foliage and use just enough to hold them over until morning. It is more critical to monitor your plants during hot weather than when the temperature is cooler and the sky cloudy. Either way, the weight test is the only effective indicator of when to water. Inexpensive moisture meters are only rudimentary gauges.
With containers, the more you water, the more nutrients are leached from the soil. Feeding your containerized plants on a regular basis will keep them healthy and growing. When you feed, remember to water first, and then feed, so you don’t burn your plants. If you want to stay organic, especially for vegetable containers, there are several organic fertilizers formulated for containers. Low-analysis fish fertilizers are a great choice, and something like a 5-1-1 fertilizer is fine. When you have lots of foliage, I would switch to a 0-10-10 type of formula to ensure flowering or fruiting. For folks who have busy lives, slow-release fertilizers, such as 14-14-14, are great because they last for months, and every time you water, more nutrients are released. You may also need to supplement if your plants are under stress. I like 20-20-20 with micronutrients for a quick fix for starving plants.
If some plants are growing too vigorously, control them with a light pruning. Regular light pruning is the best way to keep your plants full and lush.
Vining plants, like thunbergia (black-eyed susan), cucumbers, beans and peas need trellises on which to grow and produce flowers or fruit.
Even on the 15th floor of an apartment building, your plants can still be vulnerable to harmful insects, so check daily for invaders. Hand plucking or water washing is best, but organic controls, like Safer’s Soap, Trounce or BTK, can also protect your plants.
I know these recommendations may seem like a chore, but by keeping your containers in top form, they will produce bountiful colour and food, and they will look great all summer.
As in real estate, the key is: location, location, location.
Are the plants in your basket sun lovers, or do they need shade? Getting the right sun/shade placement for all your outdoor containers is essential. Brian Minter