containers

[ckay87]

I have to say first - I love this forum! I love talking gardening, but am never afraid to ask questions and admit that I really know very little compared to some. You'll hear from me a lot.

Spring fever set in today so I visited the nursery to plan for some containers. Easy question for an expert: when planting containers (with annuals in PA) - should some room be left for the plants to grow, or is it okay to squish them in. After all, they only have a couple months to grow anyway.

I thought I heard on a gardening show - and this surprised me - that you should really jam as much as you want into a container. I thought a gardening professional would advise to give room for the plant to spread its roots.

Any advice, experiences?

 

[TinkerKat]

Hmmm. i'd like to see the answer to this one too.
And add another question. If you buy the Annuals that come
already grown in a big Fiber Tub, do you just place the tub into
your plant pot? Or do you remove it from the Tub and replant
into the pot?
Thanks!
Kathy

P.S. You guys are like a flowring encyclopedia at my fingertips!

 

[Snowwark]

Hi TinkerKat and ckay87!

I'm certainly not an expert, but I do quite a few containers up in the late spring. With our short summers in Ontario I tend to pack the annuals I plant pretty close together, approx. 3"-4" apart. I do try to keep in mind the mature size of the plants but often one or two will need some trimming to keep them under control. I'm impatient sometimes...I want them to hurry up and grow!!!

I always remove my plants from the containers they come in, that way I can fit even more of them into the pots!

Every year has it's container successes and well, not so great results.....I just wish I could remember to keep better track of what's worked.....maybe this year!

Here's a link with more Container Gardening info.

Let us know how things turn out!

Kim