How to Water and Refresh Your Potted Plants Over the Summer
Keep container gardens looking lush by cooling them down when temperatures rise and by giving them a seasonal spruce-up
As we move into the full swing of summer, temperatures climb and container gardens often need a little extra care to stay looking fresh. Watering is key for container garden care, and when and how you water make a difference.
For potted displays that have been going since spring, now’s a good time to do a bit of editing. Pull out annuals that are past their prime and replace them with foliage plants or perennials to give containers an instant boost.
These 10 tips will help keep your container gardens looking lush, full and healthy throughout the hottest period of the year.
For potted displays that have been going since spring, now’s a good time to do a bit of editing. Pull out annuals that are past their prime and replace them with foliage plants or perennials to give containers an instant boost.
These 10 tips will help keep your container gardens looking lush, full and healthy throughout the hottest period of the year.
2. Use Plant Trays
The saucers that go under potted plants do more than just protect your deck from water stains. They also act as a backup water reservoir for thirsty plants. Water pooled in the saucer can be soaked up by plants in need of a drink.
You can fill planter saucers with water to give plants a moisture buffer. Just make sure the plants aren’t sitting in water for extended periods of time.
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The saucers that go under potted plants do more than just protect your deck from water stains. They also act as a backup water reservoir for thirsty plants. Water pooled in the saucer can be soaked up by plants in need of a drink.
You can fill planter saucers with water to give plants a moisture buffer. Just make sure the plants aren’t sitting in water for extended periods of time.
Shop for planter saucers on Houzz
3. Add Drip Irrigation
Hooking up potted plants or window boxes to a drip irrigation system set on a timer is the easiest way to make sure your plants don’t dry out. Use the smallest drip tubing for containers (one-eighth of an inch) and make sure each container has two to five emitters, depending on container size. Hook up the line to a smart timer on the hose bib, and you’re all set for the season.
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Hooking up potted plants or window boxes to a drip irrigation system set on a timer is the easiest way to make sure your plants don’t dry out. Use the smallest drip tubing for containers (one-eighth of an inch) and make sure each container has two to five emitters, depending on container size. Hook up the line to a smart timer on the hose bib, and you’re all set for the season.
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4. Move Pots to Catch Irrigation Spray
If you’re leaving for the weekend, move potted plants to spots where they’ll be watered when the sprinklers go off. If there isn’t a natural spot on the patio for this, you can even place container gardens in the actual bed to make sure they get sprayed.
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If you’re leaving for the weekend, move potted plants to spots where they’ll be watered when the sprinklers go off. If there isn’t a natural spot on the patio for this, you can even place container gardens in the actual bed to make sure they get sprayed.
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5. Fertilize Lightly but Frequently
Plants in a container go through soil nutrients in standard potting mix fairly quickly in the course of a season. To give plants a midseason nutrient boost, fertilize with a higher phosphorous (the P in the NPK you see on a fertilizer bottle) fertilizer for more flowers, or choose one with higher nitrogen (the N in NPK) for lush foliage.
Fertilizing tip: Try fertilizing potted plants (both indoors and outdoors) lightly but frequently. Drop a few tablespoons of your water-soluble fertilizer of choice into a watering can about every other week to perk up summer containers.
How to Feed Your Plants for a Healthier Garden
Plants in a container go through soil nutrients in standard potting mix fairly quickly in the course of a season. To give plants a midseason nutrient boost, fertilize with a higher phosphorous (the P in the NPK you see on a fertilizer bottle) fertilizer for more flowers, or choose one with higher nitrogen (the N in NPK) for lush foliage.
Fertilizing tip: Try fertilizing potted plants (both indoors and outdoors) lightly but frequently. Drop a few tablespoons of your water-soluble fertilizer of choice into a watering can about every other week to perk up summer containers.
How to Feed Your Plants for a Healthier Garden
6. Edit Container Combinations
By midsummer, some annuals and perennials are really hitting their stride, while others are looking a bit tired. Take a look at your mixed containers with an eye for editing and pull out any annuals that aren’t looking great. Fill in with summer herbs that will quickly grow into the gap. Or choose long-blooming perennials like coneflower (Echinacea spp.) or black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) that are just starting now and will carry the container into fall.
How to Choose the Right Plant Container
By midsummer, some annuals and perennials are really hitting their stride, while others are looking a bit tired. Take a look at your mixed containers with an eye for editing and pull out any annuals that aren’t looking great. Fill in with summer herbs that will quickly grow into the gap. Or choose long-blooming perennials like coneflower (Echinacea spp.) or black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) that are just starting now and will carry the container into fall.
How to Choose the Right Plant Container
7. Deadhead Flowers Often
Cut off the blooms of annuals and perennials that are past their prime to keep containers looking fresh and to encourage plants to keep producing flowers. Remove large flowers like dahlias or zinnias one by one.
For plants that are covered in a bunch of small blooms, use the “ponytail” approach. Grab the majority of flowers in one hand to make a “ponytail” and use the other hand to shear off the blooms. This works perfectly for plants like flowering thyme or ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis.
Cut off the blooms of annuals and perennials that are past their prime to keep containers looking fresh and to encourage plants to keep producing flowers. Remove large flowers like dahlias or zinnias one by one.
For plants that are covered in a bunch of small blooms, use the “ponytail” approach. Grab the majority of flowers in one hand to make a “ponytail” and use the other hand to shear off the blooms. This works perfectly for plants like flowering thyme or ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis.
8. Use Low-Water Plants as a Living Mulch
Mulch — like bark chips, straw or nut shells — helps keep the soil cool and prevents water loss through evaporation. One trick for potted trees or shrubs is to use ground cover plants as a living mulch.
Choose plants that are low-water so that they don’t compete with the tree for too much moisture. The succulents planted below this orange tree, for example, help prevent the soil from losing water and look far more decorative than bare dirt.
Mulch — like bark chips, straw or nut shells — helps keep the soil cool and prevents water loss through evaporation. One trick for potted trees or shrubs is to use ground cover plants as a living mulch.
Choose plants that are low-water so that they don’t compete with the tree for too much moisture. The succulents planted below this orange tree, for example, help prevent the soil from losing water and look far more decorative than bare dirt.
9. Move Potted Plants to Partial Shade
If plants in a potted container are looking wilted, they may need shelter from direct sun during the hottest part of the day. Move the container — it’s particularly easy if your pot is on a stand with wheels — into a lightly shaded area during heat waves, so they don’t dry out as quickly.
If plants in a potted container are looking wilted, they may need shelter from direct sun during the hottest part of the day. Move the container — it’s particularly easy if your pot is on a stand with wheels — into a lightly shaded area during heat waves, so they don’t dry out as quickly.
If a heat wave is predicted and your container garden is too big to move, consider shading the container with a patio umbrella or covering it in shade cloth or burlap.
10. Pick Container-Grown Produce Often
Ripe fruit and vegetables left on the bush or vine send a signal to the plant to stop producing new fruit and veggies and to focus instead on ripening seeds. If you’re hoping for a steady harvest of eggplants, tomatoes, beans or strawberries, keep picking them.
Container-grown edibles also benefit from consistent watering to form evenly juicy fruits. Keep to a hand-watering schedule or hook your pots up to drip irrigation.
How to Grow Vegetables in Containers
Ripe fruit and vegetables left on the bush or vine send a signal to the plant to stop producing new fruit and veggies and to focus instead on ripening seeds. If you’re hoping for a steady harvest of eggplants, tomatoes, beans or strawberries, keep picking them.
Container-grown edibles also benefit from consistent watering to form evenly juicy fruits. Keep to a hand-watering schedule or hook your pots up to drip irrigation.
How to Grow Vegetables in Containers
Tell us: Do you have any tips for keeping container gardens looking good all season? Share them with us in the Comments.
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Potted plants dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so it’s important to keep a consistent watering schedule. How often to water potted plants depends on a number of factors: your climate, the size of the pot, the type of plants and whether the pot is in sun or shade.
As a general rule of thumb, water when the top few inches of soil feel dry — typically about twice a week in summer. The best time to water plants is in the coolest time of day — early in the morning or in the evening — to prevent water loss through evaporation.
Heat wave tip: What if you’ve come home to a completely shriveled plant? Don’t worry — we’ve all been there, and it can happen in a blink of an eye during a heat wave. Soak the soil with water and keep your fingers crossed. Many wilt-prone summer annuals, like lobelia and calibrachoa, will spring right back after a deep soak.
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