Almost everyone forgets the first stage of caring for potted plants, which is picking the best pot for each crop.
The container (the house) where you put your seeds is as significant as it may appear since selecting one will affect those routine care activities for plants and pots that we are all familiar with, such as watering, transplanting, fertilizing, and sulfating.
Keys to choosing the ideal pot for your balcony or terrace include:
The number of plants we want and the amount of available space
The first step in selecting the ideal pots is to sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and create a simple rule of three by estimating the amount of available space and the kind of plants we want to grow. Even though this advice sounds straightforward, I assure you that hardly anyone remembers it when they go to purchase their bulk plant pots.
The plant species
It takes less area for a fern to develop than, say, a tomato plant or rose bush. A bonsai needs a larger pot than, say, a little cactus; a shrub requires a container that is sufficiently broad and deep to allow it to grow; and a vine requires a very tall and deep pot. In other words, the second essential step in choosing the ideal pots for your little indoor garden is to determine what kind of plant you intend to cultivate.
Indoor/Outdoor
Choosing whether the pots will be used indoors or outside (in a garden, balcony, terrace, etc.) is the third essential step to selecting the proper ones. If you plan to grow flowers and plants indoors, you won't need to spend extra money on resin or PVC pots, but if you don't want to move your plants frequently, you shouldn't choose cheap plastic, metal pots that rust in the rain, or untreated wooden planters that catch fire in the humidity and dry out in the sun.
The soil
It's time to discuss the second essential component of care for potted plants, the potting soil or substrate, after selecting the best indoor or outdoor container.
The substrate is the primary source of nutrition for your crops, along with water; therefore, it is worthwhile to spend a little money to buy loose, nutrient-rich potting soil of high quality.
When it comes to potting soil, virtually all of us make the error of forgetting to refill it with nutrients that deplete due to aging, insect activity, overwatering, etc.
Here are some tips for maintaining great soil in our pots:
- Regularly stir the soil to prevent clumping and to ensure that all of your plants receive moisture. If you aerate your potting soil using a gardening tool, be sure to thoroughly clean the instrument before restoring it.
- Make your own compost from organic waste, such as eggshells, banana peels, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, etc., to feed your plants' soil.
- Fill your pots with nutrition bars. These energy bars are affordable, relatively simple to use, and have benefits that last for two to three months.
Watering
Watering is the third essential component of caring for potted plants. Our homegrown plants require moisture to grow strong, healthy, and attractively, and, most importantly, without the presence of pests like aphids, whiteflies, etc.
Here are some helpful pointers for watering pots:
- Smaller pots often use less irrigation water than bigger pots, but they require more regular watering.
- The amount and frequency of watering your potted plants will need depends on a variety of factors, including the type of plant, whether it is an indoor or outdoor plant, the quality of the soil and water, the temperature, humidity, wind, and other variables. As a general rule, potted plants should be watered two to three times per week during the summer and once per week during the winter.
- There is a very easy method to determine whether or not you need to water your potted plants: simply touch the soil with the tip of your finger; if your finger does not become dirty, then you do need to water your plants.