how do you take care of container plants?

Question

watering schedule
fertilizing schedule
full sun or partial shade
size pots
roses and peppers

Answer 1

Water when the top inch of soil is dry. If you water every day you are bound to kill them.

Depending on the plant you can use a liquid fert like Shultz's or Miracle Grow a few times a month for fast growing plants and maybe once every 2 or 3 months for plants like cactus.

Sun depends on the plant.

Use a pot that seems to "fit" the plant. When it gets too bid repot it in the next size larger pot.

Roses and peppers need as much sun as possible, fert a few times a month. Watering rule still holds.

Answer 2

A lot of this depends on the plants in the pot. Generally speaking potted plants require more care, they need watering everyday, twice a day if you live where it gets really hot. Making sure you have water granules added to the potting mix will definitely help the plant retain much needed water too. Positioning of the plant (not just sun/shade, wind and reflected heat from concrete & other surfaces) will also play a part in watering and general health. You need to talk to the people in a nursery or research you particular plant carefully for the rest of the info. Good luck!

Answer 3

watering schedule - if you use a mulch on top you can water less often. I like green moss best but small bark works well too.
fertilizing schedule - if you use osmocote or multicote you only have to fertilize once a season. Every four months. Really easy.
full sun or partial shade - depends on the kinds of plants in the pot. Try to choose plants that are compatible with each other.
size pots - the bigger the better, less water and more growing room.

Answer 4

Hi

Different house plants need different care. Check out the MU Website:
http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g06510.htm
My favorite way of knowing if they need watered is to just stick my finger in the soil and if it's dry water it.
Also, I use slow release fertilizer on my plants and it lasts a long time.
Most houseplants really don't need much care, a little spray of water a couple of times a week helps them out in the winter.

Answer 5

MASTER GARDENER TO THE RESCUE

everything you need to know about your containor plants are just a phone call or couple clicks away. Contact you local State Univ Extension and ask to speak with a MASTER GARDENER. You'll get all your questions answered by a local expert and in most cases they will have some good info already printed up they can send to you.
Look in state government pages of your phone book or you can get linked to your local MASTER GARDENER sight by....

www.mastergardeners.org

always the best advice the very first time.