Summer Potting Tips

Whether you have a vast garden, with borders full of plants, or a small courtyard with minimal plants, pots are always a great addition to your garden. Pots are easy to move, easy to dig out and swap over, and just a beautiful garden feature. Here we have some great summer potting tips to help you get the most out of your pots this year.

Don’t Overdo It

When it comes to pots, one mistake that many people make is is to overfill them. This is in two ways. Firstly, physically overfilling the container. This is when you have too many plants in one small container, remember, roots will need space to grow and be able to draw in nutrients, without too much of a fight.
Secondly, overdoing it with colours. Sometimes less is more. Try to stick to one type of foliage with a standout flower for the best impact.
When we put too much into our pots they can start to look tired before long due to battle for food and air. Keep it simple, keep it nice.

Pot To The Location

Consider the location of your pot before you fill it full of plants. Many of us fill our pots to give us nice and vibrant colours, only to stick them in a shaded area where they will start to look sad.
Before you fill your pots, position them around the garden where you are thinking they will live, and see how much sunlight and shade they get. This will help you to fill it with the most appropriate plants for the location.

Remember To Water

Many pots are positioned in well-sheltered areas. They may not have anything directly above them, but fences and houses can act as shelters from the majority of the summer rain. So remember to water pots in dry spells. However, avoid overwatering as many pots are prone to collecting water and this can drown your plants. Likewise to this, before potting, ensure that there is adequate drainage. Ensure the pot has a drainage hole in the base, and fill the base with gravel to allow water to drain through.

Feed Your Pots

When your plants are in borders, they have access to an abundance of nutrients, some even supplied by the plants around them. However, in a pot, this is greatly reduced, particularly depending on the soil or compost used to fill the pot. So where possible, remember to feed your pots. Pay attention to the contents of the pots as some will have different requirements. If you are unsure of the right feed for a particular plant, visit your local garden centre who will be happy to advise you of the right combination.

For more information on summer potting, or you would like assistance from the garden maintenance team here at Abingdons Complete Garden Services, please get in touch today and we will be happy to assist you. Check back regularly to our blogs for more ideas and information for your garden.