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Can you plant perennial in pots rather than in the ground ? Yes , and there are many benefits to addingperennialsto your container garden . As theUniversity of Georgia Extensionnotes , they can “ offer up permanency to sundry containers that may appeal to those who require the long - term beauty associated with mixed container plantings without the work associated with seasonally changing out works material . ”
Many gardeners do n’t like the fuss of having to replenish containers every spring with plants — annuals — they know are depart to break fall decline . luckily , many perennial , with the right care , are well - suited to containers
Benefits of Growing Perennials in Containers
When consideringannuals vs. perennialsfor your potted garden , keep in mind that you in reality can conflate the 1 - year flora with the longer - lived single if you choose . You will demand to take steps to protect out-of-door plants in pots during the winter , but grow perennials in container will provide you to do the following :
How to Plant Perennials in Pots
Once you have chosen your perennial blossom for potting , planting and caring for them is about the same as like for annuals .
Containers
If you intend to lead your potted perennial out of doors without protection during the winter , and you live in a place that vex frequent freeze , carefully take the types of deal you put perennials in . Mrs. Henry Wood , concrete , metal , or fiberglass container make thebest plantersfor cold condition , since terra - cotta and clayware case are probable to crack under the pressure level of frosty soil extend inside them . Also , opt for heavy pots , at least 18 inches in diameter for three recurrent plants , for example . You want to provide at least 3 inches of space for excess ground beneath the root balls of those industrial plant .
When come up with containerperennial garden ideas , conceive using your “ pots ” to create a unifying theme . For lesson , ex metal containers relieve from a junk heap would work for a rustic garden , classic urn for a more formal one .
Soil
Use abagged potting mixthat is appropriate to what you are planting : a standard mix for most plants , cacti premix for cacti and succulents , or an acidic admixture for Lucy in the sky with diamonds - love plants . Since piddle keeping is almost always a concern in containers , you may want to add one part compost for every three parts of the intermixture to keep your plants hydrous longer . drizzle the potting soil while it still is in the bag before you add it to your container .
AsRutgers Universitywarns , “ grease from the garden is never recommended . It is too slow , compacts well and will not appropriate right drainage and aeration . It may also introduce unwanted elements , such as fungi , grime - turn out insects , and weed seed , to your container . ”
Plants
If you do n’t plan to offer any wintertime shelter for your potted recurrent flowers — or pottedperennial herbsorperennial veg , for that matter — you will need to choose particularly unfearing single . As theMinnesota State Horticultural Societynotes , “ The general rule is that for a perennial to survive in a container outside it should be hardy two zone colder than your zone . ”
When pick perennial for mickle , aim for a mix of thrillers , fillers , and spillers . A thriller is a great , flamboyant flora that occupies the back or halfway of the container . A makeweight is a more rounded case that fill the space in front of or around that thriller , while a spiller cascades over the side of the container . check that all plant life in the container favor the light pic , as full sun plants for mint wo n’t coexist well with shade lovers .
Maintaining a Perennial Container Garden
If you leave your perennials in their original baby’s room pots when placing them in a larger container , you may easily swap out yourspring floweringperennials for those that blossom in summertime , and then you may swap the summer bloomers for crepuscle color at the appropriate times . This scheme does n’t secure the healthiest plant , however , as rootbound plants might be ineffectual to get adequate hydration and nutrients . In worldwide , plants in container dry out rapidly during the high temperature of summer and might necessitate to be watered as ofttimes as twice per twenty-four hours during that fourth dimension .
Similarly , industrial plant in container can apace deplete nutrients , and so consider watering them with a balanced pee soluble plant food — such as a fish and seaweed emulsion — once every week or two . Depending on where you live , you might want to cease fertilizing your repeated plants for pots after the beginning of August since you will desire them to temper off before wintertime .
Keep in nous that whether they ’re in the ground or in containers , many flower perennialsbenefit from deadheading , so take the time to filch off any wither flowers from the plants to keep them flower as long as possible .
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How to Overwinter Potted Perennials
If you live in an country that experiences frequent or prolonged winter freezes , you ’ll desire to take stone’s throw in late autumn to protect any container perennials that are n’t extremely hardy when they are beginning to go back but before the ground freeze .
Put Them in the Ground
One way to protect your container perennials during the wintertime is to give them the tribute in - ground plant have . you may do that by digging pickle as deep as the container . set up each pot in its own hollow , backfilling the soil around it , and adding a slight mulch over the surface of the can ’s filth . The plants now will look as if they were set in the ground and should be as protected as if they were . You ’ll want to bring through the excavate soil so you’re able to backfill the holes in the spring once you remove the pots from them .
Move Them Into a Structure
Another option is to move the containers into an outbuilding or other protective structure such as a shed , garage , or cold frame . Some perennials can fare into the house , some ask a chilly hibernating full point in order of magnitude to expand , and others can even take brief menstruum of freezing weather .
Check your dormant plants about once every 2 weeks to check that that their soil is n’t drying out .
Put Them in a Protected Location
If you ca n’t sink your industrial plant or move them under a ceiling , find a place protected from wind — such as on the east side of your house — to group them . Then place them inside a mini hoop house top with white charge plate or cover them with some type of mulch .
For instance , you may smother the pots with husk bales and then underprice deadened leave inside that enclosure late enough to overcompensate the pots and fill in the spaces between them and the Basle . verify the industrial plant ’ soil is damp when you cover them and check them occasionally throughout the wintertime to make certain that land stays damp but not soggy .
make love your plant and overwinter them accordingly .
Photo: Koh Sze Kiat/E+ via Getty Images
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll avail you arrange up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a raised bed , or an in - ground plot of land out back — and select the right industrial plant for your grunge and area .
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