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How to
plant up pots
How to plant up pots
This guide shows you how to plant and care for plants
in pots and containers. This is a simple task that needs
no special horticultural skill. It should take no more
than an hour to plant several pots.
Top tips
If you go on holiday, particularly in the hot summer months, make sure you arrange for
a friend to water your containers, otherwise your plants will dry out and die.
Pot feet are not only decorative but practical for making your containers sit off the
ground. They help drainage so that plants don’t become waterlogged, and aid air
circulation around the plant to help with root growth.
Tools for the job
Garden fork
Trowel
Watering can
Materials for the job
Containers / pots
Gravel or rubble
Pieces of broken pot
Slow-release fertiliser granules
Specialised compost
1. Choose your plants
The first step towards creating an attractive container is to carefully choose your plants.
Purchasing healthy plants is essential. Plants with several stems are best, since they will
produce prolific growth.
There are lots of plants that can be grown in containers, including small trees, bedding
plants, bulbs, climbers, evergreen shrubs and even fruit and vegetables.
For the best results, think about which plants and colours go together rather than just
planting randomly. Also, consider a range of heights for the most effective display. You
will need some taller plants in the centre or back of the pot and gradually shorter plants
towards the edges or front. When buying your plants, read the label to check they are
suitable for containers; what light conditions they need and what size they will grow to.
2. Choose your pots and containers
Your choice of container will depend upon the space you have available, your budget
and your personal taste. Always make sure there are one or more holes in the bottom of
your container to allow water to flow out freely. Poor drainage can cause the roots to rot,
killing your plants.
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.
3. Prepare the compost
Do not use soil from the garden for your containers as it won’t have the nutrients necessary
for strong plant growth. It may also contain weed seeds, harmful insects and fungal diseases.
Use a specially formulated compost for containers and hanging baskets. You can also
use more specialised composts including:
• John Innes no. 1: for pricking out or
potting-up young seedlings or rooted cuttings
• John Innes no. 2: for general potting of most house
plants and vegetables into medium size pots or
containers
• John Innes no. 3: for final potting of mature vegetables,
plants and shrubs into indoor or outdoor/patio
containers
• Ericaceous compost for lime-hating plants e.g. acers,
azaleas, camellias, summer flowering heathers etc.
Prepare the potting compost by mixing a handful of slowrelease fertiliser granules and some water-retaining gel
with your chosen compost (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 Prepare your compost by
adding a handful of slowrelease fertiliser granules
and water-retaining gel.
4. Prepare the container
A new pot or container shouldn’t need any preparation unless you need to add drainage
holes in the base. If so, you can make the holes with a drill turning at slow speed. If your
containers have been used before then they must be thoroughly cleaned with a stiff
brush and water before use. Soak clay or terracotta pots overnight before planting them
up. If you are using a large container then place it where you want it to stay before filling
it with heavy compost.
Place some pieces of
broken pot (‘crocks’) in
the bottom of your pot,
covering the drainage
holes. For large pots and
containers, also add a
layer of gravel or rubble
to aid drainage (Fig. 2).
Finally, add your compost
mixture and firm it down
until the container is
almost full. The compost
should be moist, but not
wet, so you may need to
add some water before
putting it in the container.
Optional soil
layer for large
pots to avoid
using too much
compost
Layer of
rubble or
gravel for
larger pots to
help drainage
Stand pot on
blocks or
short legs to
aid drainage
Crocks to cover
the drainage
holes
Fig. 2 Filling your large container or pot.
5. Plant the pot or container
Take your largest plant and dig a hole in the centre of
the compost large enough for the entire root ball (Fig. 3).
Firm in the plant by replacing some of the compost
around the plant and pressing down with your fingers.
Continue planting around the pot until it is full.
Generally, you can set plants far closer together in a
pot than in the open garden. Sprinkle another tablespoon
of slow-release fertiliser granules over the compost.
Finally, immediately water the container thoroughly,
even if it’s raining.
Fig. 3 Start with the largest
plant in the centre and
fill up the container with
more plants around it.
6. Pot on as plants grow
Plants need potting on into a larger container when they have outgrown their current
pot. Signs that a plant is ready for potting on include:
• the roots are coming through the drainage holes – the compost dries out very quickly.
• slow growth despite good growing conditions.
When potting on, choose a pot that is 5cm to 7.5cm larger in diameter each time.
Take the new pot, cover the drainage holes with new crocks and add a layer of
potting compost.
Water the plant and take it out of its old pot, removing the crocks. If it is stuck, give it a
tap or run a knife around the inside of the pot (Fig. 4).
Place the plant in the
centre of the pot and
gradually add damp
compost, pressing down
until it is almost full. Leave
about 2.5cm at the top
of the pot for watering
(Fig. 5).
Water the plant
thoroughly straight away
and keep the pot in the
shade for about a week in
hot weather.
Fig. 4 Carefully remove the
plant from its pot. If it is
stuck give it a gentle tap
or run a knife around the
inside of the pot.
Fig. 5 Re-pot the plant in the
centre of a container
about 5cm to 7.5cm wider
than the previous one.
7. Care for your plants
WATER
Watering depends on the time of year and the weather.
In spring and when the weather is mild, you may only need to water your pots and
containers about once a week.
As summer progresses, and the temperature rises, plants grow more quickly and need
more water. This means watering daily for large pots.
Hanging baskets and smaller pots may need watering twice a day, in the morning
and evening when it is cooler.
Water your plants until the water comes out of the drainage holes.
That way you know the soil is getting moisture all the way down.
Water the soil, not the leaves and flowers. Wetting the foliage can lead to fungal
diseases and sometimes scorched spots on leaves.
Don’t let pots sit in water; this can cause root rot and death. If you are using saucers,
empty them after you water and after it rains.
FEED
Plants growing in pots need feeding more often than those in the ground. When you
water them you flush the nutrients out of the soil.
When planting up your pots and containers, mix slow-release fertiliser granules with
the compost, but still give them more feed as the growing season progresses.
For strong and healthy pot plants, feed them a liquid fertiliser every week or two,
following the manufacturer’s instructions.
CUT BACK AND DEADHEAD
Plants with very small flowers and stems, where it’s impossible to remove individual
flower heads, should be cut back to about two thirds of their size. They will soon
grow back with a new crop of flowers.
Some plants, such as impatiens, dwarf petunias and diascia, continue to flower
without deadheading. However, if they get leggy and stop flowering in late summer,
cut back them back by about one-third of their size to rejuvenate them.
Top tip: To keep your pot plants in flower you have to deadhead them regularly.
This fools the plant into producing more flowers.
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excludes liability in relation to the statements in this leaflet.
BUKI P17009
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