Pot or Ground?
For everyday gardeners, as spring and summer approach and flowers fill the nurseries, this question is always on our minds – in the ground or in a pot? Let’s look at the two options and some hints to consider.
In the Ground:
A summer plant that blooms all summer and is easy to grow, maintain, and enjoy is the Hydrangea (see photo attached). With its large ever blooming flower there is always color to enjoy. Hydrangeas need good soil that drains well and plenty of good watering and sunshine.
If you have a mind too, you can put metal shavings around the root area and the color of the flower will change. To have outside beauty during the summer brings smiles to our faces and flower arrangements to our tables. The Hydrangea joins many summer blooming plants. View this website to look at 20 additional beauties.
In a Pot:
Potted plants are convenient for many reasons, but one main reason is to keep an eye on a starter plant that you may want to transplant into the ground later. Maybe you will just keep it in a pot for indoor enjoyment. Either way, here are some quick tips on pot sizes verses plant root systems.
Plants bought from the nursery should be in a plant-specific pot. That means that the pot they are in is ideal for the size of the plant- but not for long. As the plant grows it needs to graduate to the next size, not two or three sizes, but the next one. This ensures that both the top part of the plant and the root of the plant grows at the same time.
A pot too big causes the root system to grow while the top is waiting to catch up and the opposite is true for a pot too small. In addition, a pot too small will not serve your plant’s root system well. The plant will become ‘rootbound’ and begin to die. Plants need additional soil to grow as well as water and sunlight.
The rule of thumb; transplant into a pot that is about twice the size of the plant. You might say that is a lot of repotting. It is, but if you keep several pot sizes on hand (and potting soil) you can reuse them over and over and eventually your plant will reach a growth stage where it is growing more up than down.
And be sure your pots have holes in the bottom for the water to drain. Pots for plants can be as beautiful as the plants, but you would be surprised at the number of pots I have picked up to buy and noticed no holes.
Just for Fun:
While you are enjoying those plants in the ground and in the pot, sit back in your chair or swing on your porch and enjoy one of Johanna Basford’s adult flower coloring books. See her video below. You can order her books from Amazon. She is an amazing artist with a unique story and known as the queen of adult coloring books.
Until next time,
The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart,
Dr. Michele
