How to Prepare Outdoor Container Plants

Outdoor container plants bring flowers and summer color to patios, entryways and balconies. They also bring fresh vegetables to the table if the containers are planted with tomatoes, peppers or countless other fruiting plants. Preparing the plants and containers before setting them outside ensures the plants will thrive throughout the season and continue to grow healthy and robust. Container plant care differs in many ways from that of plants that are sown in the garden bed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Containers
• Peat moss
• Vermiculite
• Dolomite limestone
• Triple super phosphate
• Water
• Fertilizer
• Plants
• Straw mulch

1. Fill containers with a light, well-draining soil mixture. Use a quality commercial soil or mix your own by combining 1-part peat moss, 1-part vermiculite, 1/2-oz. dolomite limestone and 1/4-oz. triple super phosphate for every gallon in the pot.

2. Keep the soil moist at all times, as outdoor container plants dry out faster than garden beds. Thoroughly moisten the soil before planting and use pots with drainage holes to avoid water sitting in the bottom. Water plants daily when needed to maintain moisture.

3. Fertilize the soil after preparing it for the container, then regularly after the plant is in it. Use either a time-release fertilizer as recommended on the package or use a one-fourth-strength liquid fertilizer every other time you water.

4. Remove dead plant material from the plants and containers in fall. Cut hardy perennials down to one-third to one-half of their prior height after the first frost in your area. Discard any of the removed stems, leaves and flowers so they don't breed disease in the container.

5. Move containers to a protected area in preparation for winter. Move them away from areas of heavy winter winds where they will also be protected from heavy snowfall, such as under an awning or roof overhang. Bring containers of tender perennials inside.

6. Apply a 2-inch layer of straw mulch on top of the soil and around the plant to preserve moisture in winter, when the soil may otherwise dry out or freeze solid. Keep the soil moist but allow the surface to dry out slightly between waterings if the plants are dormant and not actively growing.

Tips & Warnings

• Sterilize used containers before using with new plants. Wash in a solution of 1-part bleach to 10-parts water.
• Place heavy containers on wheeled carts so they are easy to move around.
• Be aware that clay pots dry out faster than plastic pots, but plastic pots may hold water and cause the soil to be soggy. Always check the soil before watering.

References

• University of Missouri Extension