Using Osmocote in an established container garden or flower garden is easy. Just sprinkle the product on top of the soil, work it into the soil carefully so as not to damage any roots and water. The amount to use is on the package label but sometimes I use a bit less and sometimes a big more around my plants and still have great results. Remember that plants in pots or planters need plant food more than plants in the ground as their roots are trapped and cannot seek out nutrients. Fertilizing is always worth the investment for things growing in a container. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti