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Stephen Padley Landscapers
Features - Pots & containers
All container grown plants rely and depend far more from their owner
with regard to soil content, water requirement and, of course food, compared
to ground planted plants.
Soils
The optimum ideal soil mixture should be light, easy draining but will
still retain moisture and nutrition,
The above can be attained by applying the following:
Heavy to clay wet soils– Add coarse sand and peat plus
a balanced fertilizer.
Light to sandy dry soils – Add a good quality loam,
compost/organic matter plus a balanced fertilizer.
Water absorbing pellets/granules can hold a moisture content up to three
times greater in time, than all soils and manufactured composts.
This cheap to purchase additive is essential ingredient to add to your
soil mixture to create low water maintenance for all types of container.
thus avoiding too much watering and washing out the nutrients.
Container choice
As a rule of thumb, tall subjects in tall pots, wide to spreading forms
in dwarf low pots. All containers must have a drainage hole in the
base or the lower part of the sides. Prior to adding the compost,
slate, broken pots or stones should be placed over the hole to assist
in drainage, followed by 50mm of gravel.
Containers can be very attractive and compliment any area and situation,
very versatile in so much as you can move and change them around, similar
to furniture. Add a balance of calm plus introducing a Mediterranean theme.
All containers absorb and hold the heat from the sun rays, whilst at the
same time water moisture evaporates freely from the side and top of the
container,the darker the exterior colour the greater the heat is absorbed
and never use black as they will absorb maximum heat, hence 99% of dwellings
in Spain are painted white to reflect the heat, light pastel shaded ceramics
are most attractive, available in all shapes and size,.these type of pots
are suitable for all situations.
Plain terracotta pots are as the above but evaporate greater from the
sides, creating the plant to droop, wilt and flop, sadly the plant is
undertaking much stress,this can be eradicated by simply painting the
interior of the pot with any exterior paint. You can mix odd surplus
paints together to achieve a dark colour to stimulate the dark surrounds
of the roots. Pain the interior base and up the sides to 50 mm of
the top rim. You will be surprised that the soil moisture content
will rise up and will be absorbed noticeably in the top 50 mm of the unpainted
side of the pot, saucers could also be painted to help retain the water
unless they are glazed.
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Watering
Water should be applied in small amounts and often to the soil and avoiding
the leaves, normally when the top50 mm of soil has nearly dried out,
constantly wet soil will exclude oxygen in the soil.
Never allow the root soil ball to contract due to lack of water and
generating a gap between the compost and the pot. It must be born
in mind that nature and the plant root system will always send and accumulate
their roots in between the rot soil ball and the interior wall of the
pots, searching for oxygen.
The first ten litres of water you apply will just run straight down
the pot side and run out the bottom. If manually feasible stand
the plant in a suitable container full of water, and allow the compost
in the pot to soak up the water, evaporation loss can also be reduced
by covering the top of the soil with a fabric and then adding ornamental
chippings or pebbles.
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Food/ nutrients
Fertiliser being in liquid, pellet or granular form needs to be applied
only at the beginning and through the growing season, pre-manufactured bagged
composts will already have the unnecessary ingredients incorporated, slow
releasing granules are the bet solution as they will normally last the full
season, liquid provide a quicker result from the plant because it readily
absorbent, but could be washed out on heaving watering (hence water little
and often), too much food applied will only produce a abundant of stem and
leaf growth at the expense of the flowers.
The three main main ingredients in a balanced fertiliser(symboled as N.P.K.)
are as follows
N. = Nitrogen is for the production of leaf growth.
P. = Phosphates is for the production of root growth.
K. = Potash is for the production of the flowers.
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