Container Magic

Brighten up your patio, living area or around your pool with some container magic. Here are Stodels tips on how to grow healthy and happy container plants to create a stunning feature in your home.

Potting Procedures

• Water your plant one hour before planting to make it easier to remove from the container.
• Turn the container upside down and gently tap along the side to loosen it, remembering to hold the plant by the stem to support it.
• If the plant has become root bound and the roots knotted, loosen the roots and remove any dead ones. Keep root damage to a minimum.
• Your new container should be clean and sligtly larger than the old one. It is essential that the drainage is good, so place drainage stones (chips) over the hole.
• Add some of the potting mixture to the pot, settle the plant to the correct height and add the rest of the soil. Gently firm down the soil, don’t compact it and don’t fill the soil right to the top.
• Water your pot to ensure that are no air bubbles in the soil.

Feeding

• A container holds a limited amount of nutrients, which are washed out (leached) through regular watering.
• Feed your containers at least once a month using a general fertilizer such as Nitrosol/Seagro. Top up the container with potting soil when needed.

Watering

• Did you know that more container plants die of over-watering than from drought?
• It is better to underwater than to over water. Wait until the first inch of soil in the container is dry and then give a thorough watering, which should be roughly once a week, depending on the season. (More in Summer, less in winter).