I have a pot. It’s “this” big. What can I plant in it outside that won’t die? This is the number one question I get nearly every day at the nursery. Rather a vague question!
What size is the pot? Get a pot that is as least 2” wider than the width of the pot the plant comes in, and at least 2 inches deeper. If your plant came in a 4” diameter pot, then choose a new pot that is 8 or 10” in diameter. If you have three 4” pots, then choose a pot that is around 14”. Don’t put an itty-bitty plant into a huge pot. The moist soil will become stagnant and could rot the plant.
What is the pot made out of? More importantly. Is it glazed or unglazed? Unglazed pots such as terra cotta, dry out in a few hours in our dry climate. The water evaporates from all sides. I would only use a terra cotta pot outdoors during winter or during the monsoon. Stick with glazed pots for best water retention.
Does it have a good drainage hole? Pots without a drain hole will fill with water and drown plant roots.
What soil are you using? Do not use straight soil from the ground in a pot! It will become like cement. Choose a bagged potting soil or at least mix compost and sand plus perlite into your native soil to create a better texture that won’t become compacted.
Is the pot in a protected place? Does it have protection from deer and javelina? Javelina have no mercy for a plant in a pot. They know how to knock heavy objects over!
What do you want to plant? What is the look you’re going for or intention? Think about what colors you are looking to add to your space. Use different colors and textures to play off each other. Plant something tall as a “thriller,” something mid-height to fill in space with color or texture as a “filler,” and something that might hang over the edge as the “spiller.” If you follow the thriller, filler, spiller method, your pot will look more professionally done.
Is the pot in full sun or full to part shade? Pots in the sun dry out exponentially faster than those in a shadier location. Is your pot in all day sun? Maybe this is where you would use cacti or succulents that take full, hot sun and little water. You will still need to water a cactus in a pot more often than those in the ground. Choose plants that can handle the light conditions where the pot is located. Full sun plants need at least six hours of full sun per day. Most plants that say full sun on the tags can be happy with morning sun and afternoon shade. In fact, this is probably ideal during the summer.
Are you willing to water the pot every day or as needed? Pots can dry out quickly depending on where they are located and exposure to the elements. Have a little drip irrigation hose fed into your large pots if that is something available to you. Or just be diligent every day, checking and watering as needed. Again, potted plants dry out more quickly than those in the ground. If you’re not sure if the pot needs watering, then do the finger test. Dig a finger down in and feel if it’s moist or not.
Are you leaving it alone for the summer while you go home until fall? Maybe you should wait until you are around to care for it. Maybe you should opt for seasonal annuals while you are here to care for it.
Can you mix perennials and annuals in the same pot? Yes, by all means, mix it up. Just be sure to use plants that have similar water and sun requirements. You wouldn’t want to mix cacti and pansies for example. Plant an evergreen perennial in the center and change out annual flowers around it with each season to have a pot that is always interesting. You can also mix vegetables and flowers and herbs in a pot.
Don’t forget to fertilize container plants! They can’t extract nutrients like they would from the soil.
April 29 marked one year in business at our nursery location! Thanks to everyone who supported me and Patagonia Plants through this crazy growing operation. Happy Planting!