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.
