Caring for Your Container Arrangement

4 Container Arrangement Care Tips to Live By:

Container gardening can be incredibly rewarding, as it showcases your creativity and your signature style. Flower-filled containers are a beautiful way to accent a porch, patio or walkway.

Creating a container garden can be relatively simple – and as time passes, easy to maintain. Here are some tips to ensure your arrangement keeps looking its loveliest.

Watering:

It’s no surprise that watering is the crucial element to keep your plants thriving. Assess your plants’ moisture needs, factor in the climate (Warm? Cold?), and set up a consistent watering schedule. Do not let the soil dry out. Before you water, simply stick your finger into the soil. If it feels wet, you may want to delay watering. If the soil feels dry, water away!  (To prevent overwatering, make sure you’ve selected a container with a drain hole at the bottom.)

When watering a container arrangement, it’s important to water each plant individually. By doing so, you’re ensuring each plant will get the water it needs. To start the watering process, gently move each plant’s foliage aside, and position the watering can’s spout directly above soil that holds the plant you’re watering. Watering the top of the plants will not evenly distribute the water. Water slowly, ensuring the water won’t roll off the top, and that the soil can evenly absorb the liquid. Repeat this step for each plant in the container.

Pruning:

Pruning your arrangement stimulates new growth and causes the plants to look fuller. Pruning also makes an unkempt arrangement look fresh again. Make sure to prune branches at the plant’s base. This method makes your plants look better, and it is more beneficial for them.

Fertilizing:

Choosing when to fertilize can be tricky. The right time depends on how nutrient-rich your soil is. If you use our PlantVine Organic Outdoor Potting Mix, you should start the fertilization process one month after planting. If you’re using a liquid fertilizer,( like a fish emulsion/seaweed blend), apply monthly to ensure your arrangement gets the nutrition it needs.

If you’ve used a different type of potting soil, check to see if the soil already has fertilizer in it. Overfertilizing can damage plants and cause chemical run-off.

Replacing:

Sad but true: sometimes a plant dies. Please don’t get discouraged if one of the plants in your arrangement doesn’t make it. This happens all the time to gardeners at every skill level. If one of the plants in your container dies, simply remove it and replace it with another. Arrangements are meant to be refreshed from time to time.