How to care for potted hedgeplants
Not everyone has the space to plant hedgeplants in the ground. Maybe your garden is a bit on the small side, or you don’t have one at all. But don’t let that stop you from planting some hedgeplants, because they also work in pots or planters on your balcony or terrace. Here are some tips on caring for hedgeplants in a pot.
Soil structure
Planting in pots requires a different approach than out in the garden. In the ground, soil and plants naturally work together to sustain each other. Small bugs, fungi, and bacteria all live in the earth, making sure there’s enough air and providing the right structure. Soil life is often self-sufficient when it comes to water. It can extract moisture from the ground and take care of drainage if there’s too much water.
In pots, not so much. It takes a human touch to make sure there’s the right structure in the soil, so your hedgeplants can grow and bloom nicely.
Water balance
When you plant a hedgeplant in a pot, the most important thing to do is to make sure that there’s a hole in the bottom of the pot. This allows excess water that the plant cannot absorb to drain away and prevents your plant from drowning. But also ensure there is some space between the hole and the ground, otherwise the water won’t be able to drain by itself.
To help maintain the water balance in the pot, you can put some water-retaining granules at the bottom of the pot. These granules provide air in the pot and can suck up excess water.
Don’t forget to give your plants plenty of water during the hot summer days! Potted plants don’t have access to groundwater, so it’s up to you to make sure they don’t dry out.
Potting soil and food
Potted plants need special potting soil. It’s crucial that you use good-quality potting soil. Make sure that the soil can absorb moisture well and at the same time can remain airy.
In most cases, just having high-quality potting soil isn’t enough. After all, this kind of compost only contains three to six months of food. So, change the soil regularly or add plant feed, typically twice a year – in spring and summer.
The right pot
One final tip we’d like to give you is: make sure your plants have enough room to grow. If you want your hedgeplants to grow nice and tall, use deep pots. If you want your plants to grow higher than 40 cm, we always recommend having at least 30 cm of soil for the plants to take root properly. The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant can grow.
If you’d rather keep your hedgeplants more compact, a smaller pot is fine. The plant will live just fine in a small pot, but it simply won’t grow as tall.