Getting the Correct Soil for Container Gardening

To a great extent, the success of the container garden depends on proper soil. You can have good results with soil taken directly from the garden, but even better if you take time to prepare a proper mixture. This control of soil is where growing plants in containers has an advantage over gardening in the open ground.

Soil mixtures can also be purchased at nurseries and garden centers with special kinds available for acid-loving plants (azaleas, camellias, and gardenias) for ferns and begonias, and for cacti and other succulents. If you live in a city where garden soil is not easily obtainable or if you grow only a few plants, it is practical to buy a prepared mixture.

SOIL MIXTURES

All Purpose
2 parts good garden loam
1  part sand
l  part peat moss or leaf mould or other humus
1 teaspoon bone meal for each 5-inch pot of mixture
(5-inch pot full to each bushel)

For Acid-Lovers (Azaleas, Camellias, Gardenias, Heathers, etc.)
2  parts good garden loam
2           parts sand
2           parts acid peat
1  part leaf mould
1/3  part old manure or 1/2 part dehydrated manure

For Fine-Root Plants  (Begonias, Ferns, African Violets, Gloxinias, Christmas and Orchid Cacti, etc.)
2 parts good garden loam
2          parts sand
2          parts leaf mold or peat moss
½         part old manure or l/2 part dehydrated manure

For Bulbs (Hyacinths, Daffodils, Tulips)
2         parts good garden loam
1         part sand
1         part leaf mold or peat moss
5 inch pot of bone meal for each bushel

SOIL MIXTURES AND PLANTING

For Cacti and Succulents
2        parts good garden loam
2        parts sand
½ part leaf mold or peat moss
5 inch pot of bone meal for each bushel
5 inch pot of finely ground limestone for each bushel

For Orchids and Bromeliads
6 parts Osmunda fiber
I           part of ½-inch charcoal

The container should be filled with l/3 drainage material. If Osmunda fiber is not available, use equal parts peat moss, sand and granulated charcoal.

PLANTING
When you are ready to mix ingredients, be sure the soil is damp and workable. To determine this, take a handful, squeeze it and allow it to drop. If water comes out, it is too wet; if it breaks apart, it is too dry. But if the lump of soil retains its shape or cracks just a little when it is dropped, it is in good condition to work.
Be certain containers are clean when you start. Soak used or new clay pots overnight so they will not draw moisture from soil after planting. Clean dirty clay pots with a stiff brush and hot, soapy water.

Though redwood, cedar, and cypress containers may be left natural, they may also be stained or painted. First clean the surfaces then apply one or two coats of stain or paint. Let dry completely before planting. Concrete, metal, plastic, fibreglass, and similar materials all need cleaning.

Suit Plants to Containers
Consider the shape of each container, its color, and texture in relation to the color of flowers and foliage and the present as well as ultimate size of each plant. Don't choose material that is too small, and if you want a group of plants for a large container, select one tall specimen for the center to give height and scale.

In low pots or bulb pans and in tubs, use low-growing plants fancy leaved caladiums, petunias, verbenas, Iantanas, ageratum and wax begonias. Hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils are also appropriate. In tall containers, plant specimens of geraniums, heliotropes, coleus, balsam, dwarf dahlias, fuchsias, and marguerites. Reserve large tubs and boxes for trees and shrubs.
Keep in mind the form of plants, particularly the evergreens which stand out boldly in winter. Rounded types, as clipped yews or globe arborvitae, look well in angular containers. Hollies or yews, sheared into squares or pyramids, look better in circular tubs. This contrast of the curving with the straight always gives interest.

The first step in potting is to place sufficient drainage material in the bottom of each container so that water can pass through freely. An inch or two of flower pot pieces (rounded sides up), or chips of brick or flagstone, pebbles, gravel, small stones, or cinders can be used. The larger the container, the larger the pieces should be. Some gardeners spread a piece of coarse burlap and a layer of sand over large drainage pieces. A layer of Vermiculite or sphagnum moss over the drainage material is also fine to keep soil from clogging holes.

Above the drainage, spread a layer of soil, the amount depending on the size of the container and the root ball of the plant. Place the plant in position so that the surface of the soil will be an inch (more for big plants) below the rim of the container. This space is needed to hold water.

Fill soil in around the roots, firming gently with your fingers or a piece of wood so as to eliminate air pockets. Add more soil and firm, but do not make the soil too tight
for fine feeding roots must be able to penetrate it with ease.
Finally, water plants well, let them drain. If water passes through the pot very rapidly, press soil again to firm it. If the soil holds water too long, loosen it a little.
Place container plants in a sheltered spot out of sun and wind for the first week or so while they make new root growth and adjust to new conditions.

When your permanent trees, shrubs or perennials grow too large for their containers, shift them to bigger ones. Water the night before so the soil will be moist for transplanting. Dry soil tends to break apart, except on root-bound specimens. To remove most plants, invert the pot over your left hand and tap the pot rim sharply on a step or table or slip a knife around the inside edges. Turn larger plants on the side, knock the pot to loosen the plant and remove