Planting in the Container

I like to open a fresh bag of potting mix and moisten the soil-less mix with a few cups of water. That helps prevent the dry fibers from floating up. I suggest using an inexpensive dust mask to prevent particles from getting into your respiratory system.

Place the moistened mix in the container about an inch or two from the rim. Next, water the plants that are going into the container. After I get them out of their pots or cell-packs, gently tease the bottom of the roots to loosen them. Be sure to place the plants at the same depth at which they were growing in their cell packs. Start fertilizing the plants with a water-soluble fertilizer ever two weeks or so, especially when they start to flower. Even though the potting mix may contain granulated fertilizer for roots and stems, don’t fear over-feeding the plants. Water-solubles work partially by feeding through direct contact with the leaves (called foliar feeding). Frequent watering of outdoor containers — especially in July and August when it’s hot — may result in some loss of nutrients as they drain out the bottom of the pots.

Recycling Potting Mix

I’m often asked in classes if it’s OK to reuse potting mix that was used in containers the previous year.  Unless the plants were diseased, my usual reply is “yes.” There’s no need to throw out soil-less potting mixes. After the first fall frost, I empty each container onto a large screen placed over a wheelbarrow.  Next, I brush off as much potting mix from the plant roots as possible. The roots go into the compost pile and the potting mix is returned to the containers or I may use it to top-dress my garden beds in fall. There’s always less potting mix than what I started with so there’s always a need to buy a few more bags each spring.

                                                                                                                           Photo: by Nina Koziol

DIY Potting Mix

Here’s my favorite recipe for making your own potting mix. This recipe makes enough to fill two 14-inch wide pots or five 12-inch hanging baskets.

Ingredients:

1 bucket (2-½ gallons) peat moss

1 bucket (2-½ gallons) vermiculite and/or perlite

2 cups coarse sand

1 half bucket (1-¼ gallons) screened compost or composted cow manure

Granular slow-release fertilizer

½ cup lime (to counter the acid of peat and keep the pH level near neutral)

Mix thoroughly.