How To Grow Outdoor Plants in Pots
(1)
The main concept to understand is that plants in pots are like prisoners. They are forced to rely upon their owners for almost all their care. You have two main jobs with potted plants:
You must provide all the food
You must provide most of the (annual) water
(2)
The soil in each pot associated with each plant is a big variable. Heavy thick soil will hold water better than a fine nursery mix, but can easily choke plant roots in heavy rain periods
A loose peat based nursery mix is excellent for almost all plants, but the plant owner must be more attentive to dry conditions. Small pots, for example, can require water every day when it's hot and dry outdoors
Wind and sun vary the need for water greatly as well. Potted plants on a canal dock or along the Intracoastal Waterway here in Fort Lauderdale need to be "tough plants" to survive periods of ongoing heavy winds
The point is, the amount of water you provide varies with outdoor conditions day by day
Therefore, you must think about outdoor conditions every day and vary the water you provide for your potted plants depending on the daily amount of rain, wind, and heat
If that advice sounds like too much of a fuss for you, you have three alternatives:
Use only very tough plants like cactus for all your pots
Settle for ordinary plants in pots that always look like they're suffering (because they are)
Throw plants away, get new ones, often
We have found that including your plants in your daily routine makes care very simple. Just add a pass by your plants every morning or every evening as part of your daily routine. There are many benefits:
It is a wholesome activity to go see your plants
By seeing your plants daily, you will know exactly how they should look when they are happy, and take quick action if attention is needed
It only takes a few minutes
You'll very much more enjoy owning quality healthy plants rather than constantly being in a stew about the poor condition of your plants when you don't provide them proper routine care
When you have guests over to your home, they will notice and admire your plants - you will get well deserved compliments
(3)
Food
Fertilizer
Where do people get the notion that potted plants can live and grow well with no food / fertilizer?
You will marvel at and be delighted with the results you get using fertilizer on your potted outdoor plants
The only liquid fertilizer I ever use is on African violets. They seem to demand that special food, but you're not likely to have violets outdoors anyhow
Liquid fertilizers build up salts rapidly and over time damage or possibly kill your plants
Soil that comes with fertilizer in it is not good either
Every potted plant we own gets only time released pellet fertilizer
We use Osmocote or NUTRICOTE. In the package are tiny timed release round pellets that feed 3-6 months per application. In hot climates, divide the feeding time on the package in half, e.g. if it says 3 months, feed every 1.5 months. This fertilizer is water and heat activated so every time we water, each plants gets food too. Use apellet food that has plenty of minor elements (e.g. iron, zinc, magnesium, boron, etc) in the mix.
Buy NUTRICOTE under the DYNAMITE brand name. The fertilizer does not burn. You can not over feed. It's expensive, so buy the largest package you can find because larger packs cost less per pound
Be generous. Use 1, 2, or 3 tablespoons full (or more) on each plant, depending on each pot's size. It would be OK to completely cover the soil surface with a layer of this fertilizer
(4)
Every plant you buy has come from a professional nursery where the plant has been grown under perfect or near perfect conditions and care. There is a 99% chance that its new location in your outdoor pot is less than the optimal conditions at the nursery. Therefore, almost every plant will detect the decline in conditions and at first show signs of unhappiness
This is normal, so do not panic. It would be best if you knew if your new plant was a low, medium or high light plant so you could start it off in a well suited location outdoors
Do not feed right away. Get your water routine settled first. Once your new plant is perky and happy, make him even more happy with pellet fertilizer
Feeding is for the warmer/hotter months. Most plants slow down growth or even stop growth during cooler and cold (Florida style cold) months. Do not attempt to force feed during those months, e.g. we do not feed any plant about mid-December to early March
(5)
If you become a successful potted plant grower, from time to time your plants will outgrow their pots
If you want to continue to own the plant and watch it get even bigger and better, you'll have to re-pot
Go out and buy quality pots (e.g. Italian terra cotta with drainage hole(s) in the bottom) and quality nursery soil. DO NOT EVER buy what is labeled as "potting soil" because the contents are junk
You must buy something labeled "nursery mix" or "pro mix" and the bag must weigh very little for its size. Never buy the cheap stuff because it's no good. Expect to pay about $8-$12 for two cubic feet of quality soil
The soil you want to buy should contain
some or all of these parts:
Canadian peat moss
Pine bark chips
Charcoal chips
Composted manure
Dehydrated composted manure
Mushroom compost
Perlite
Vermiculite
The soil you buy should NOT contain:
Top soil
Fertilizer
Anything that came from a sewer plant
Insecticide
Fungicide
Be sure to have a layer of rocks or other hard material at the bottom of each pot to insure easy drainage. A clogged pot holding water will kill a plant very quickly
SUMMARY
Water based on daily changing outdoor conditions
Feed your plants quality timed release fertilizer or organic fertilizers of your choice
Go see your plants every day as part of your daily routine
Buy good pots and good soil
Tell your admiring guests "oh, it was nothing"
