How to Plant Pots for Decks

Container gardening brings the outdoors closer in to naturalize patios and decks.

Spring is the time to turn our attention to beautifying our exterior surroundings. Container planting is an easy way to add interest to the deck or patio, and bring the greenery in closer to the living spaces. You can plant containers and plants of all sizes. Even some big trees will thrive in potted habitats. The secret is drainage, good planting medium and the right selection of plants.

Things You'll Need

• Pot feet
• Pot dolly
• Pots
• Drill
• Drill bit
• Potting Mix
• Peat Moss
• Compost
• Sand
• Plants
• Time release granular fertilizer
• Staking or trellis

Instructions

1. Place any pots on pot feet or a pot dolly to raise them up and give them air circulation. This will also prevent them from causing decking to mold or rot due to excess moisture or drainage. Pot dollies have casters or rollers to help when moving the pots in case of extreme weather or when the plant gets too large.

2. Check the pot for drainage holes. If there are not any you will have to use a 1/2-inch drill and bit to make at least one hole. Use a masonry bit on a clay or ceramic pot and a wood drill on whiskey kegs and cedar planters.

3. Create a potting mix that will allow excess water to drain so it will not keep the roots of plants wet but will conserve moisture so the medium is evenly damp. The ideal recipe for most plants is two parts of potting soil, one part peat moss, two parts compost and one part of sand.

4. Fill the pot with just a few inches of soil, or enough to raise the plant to the container's edge and cover the roots with the soil mix. Remove the plant from its nursery pot and pull out the roots to spread them. Put the plant in the container and fill around with the soil mix.

5. Mix some time release, granular fertilizer into the top 2 inches of soil and then water until the excess liquid leaches through the drainage holes. Use the amount recommended by the product's manufacturer for the container size that you have planted.

6. Stake or place on a trellis any plants that vine or become leggy, and need support. This is easiest to accomplish if you do it while the plant is small. That way you can thread in trouble areas as the plant grows. Potted plants dry out quickly especially in summer and will need extra watering. Press a finger all the way into the webbing or check the drainage hole to see if the soil feels cool. If it does not, it is time to water.

References

• This Old House; How to Plant in Pots; Jeanne Huber;
• Cultivating Life; Deck Planters; Sean Conway