You don’t have to have a garden to enjoy plants. This is something that we all have to be very clear about, because if we like green, the color of the flowers, and / or we want to grow our own food, we will only need a space where we can put some pots. But, once we have them, What care do we have to provide to our outdoor plants in pots?
How often do you have to pay or water them? Do you have to protect them from the cold? Below we are going to answer these and other questions so that you can have a balcony, terrace or patio full of life and color.
But what is an outdoor plant?
Before continuing, and although we all know what outdoor plants are, it is important to say that they will not be the same in the Caribbean as in Madrid for example. Plants are highly dependent on the weather to surviveand that is why they can only grow properly without protection if they are able to adapt well to the conditions in the area.
For this reason, in Mallorca an outdoor plant can be the olive tree, or if we prefer exotic plants, we could have a very interesting collection of succulents. But if we had abroad Lithops for example in Teruel, surely it would not survive the winter. Although I know that sometimes I sound very repetitive, knowing the climate in your area and the rusticity of the species you want to grow is essential so that you can have that patio, terrace or balcony that you want.
Tips for caring for outdoor plants in pots
Well, you already have your plants. What to do with them? Enjoy them a lot, of course. But for that to be possible, you must provide them with a series of care. So here are a few tips:
Choose the right place for each of them
There are plants that need sun, and others shade. To make it easier for you to know where to put each one, first you have to remember if they were exposed to the sun in the nursery, or if, on the contrary, they were being grown under a shading mesh or similar. If you have doubts, don’t worry. Here is a list of the most common:
- Sun plants: in general they are all cacti and succulents, except for a few (Haworthia, Gasteria, Sempervivum, and Schlumbergera, among others); the vast majority of trees, shrubs and palm trees; aromatic and garden plants; many bulbous such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc.
- Shade plants: ferns, hostas, hydrangeas, Japanese maples (except for some cultivars and only if the climate is temperate and humid), begonias, heucheras. Also climbing plants such as potos, ivy, or aquebia.
In case you continue to doubt, and if you do not want to take risks, put them in an area where there is a lot of light, but where the sun’s rays do not reach directly.
It’s Spring? They may need a transplant
Plants sold in nurseries are often rooted, often so well that if you turn the pot over, you can see some roots sticking out of the drainage holes. However, it is common that, as soon as we buy them, we leave them in those containers for a long time, sometimes years. And this is a problem, because assuming that at the time of acquiring them they have already run out of space to continue growing, if we delay the time of transplantation we could lose themespecially if it is a large plant, such as a tree, a columnar cactus or a palm tree.
Then, if it is spring, check that your plant has rooted well. You can do this by looking to see if it has roots sticking out of the pot, or by grabbing it by the stem and gently pulling upward. In the latter case, the root ball should come out whole, without falling apart; if not, leave it in that container for a while longer.
When planting it in a bigger pot, You should choose one that measures about 5-10 centimeters more in diameter and depth than the one you already hadand fill it with a substrate that meets your nutritional needs (in this article you have more information about it). In addition, the container must have holes in the base, unless it is an aquatic plant.
Regarding the material, clay pots allow the roots to ‘grip’ better, something that helps them develop well; But if you have carnivores, you should use plastic ones, since being made with a smooth material, with a poor chemical composition, there is no risk that their roots suffer damage (remember that these plants are not prepared to absorb all the nutrients that need through their roots, that is why they have evolved to be able to attract and trap insects that they will later digest).
Control the risks
A plant in a pot is a dependent living being. You have to be aware of whether it lacks water, or if, on the contrary, you must suspend the irrigation temporarily. Depending on the climate and location, the size and material of the container, and the substrate you have put in it, as well as, of course, the water needs of the plant in question, the frequency of irrigation will be higher or lower. Let’s see some examples:
- Aromatic plant, for example peppermint, in a plastic pot in the sun: as it resists drought quite well and is very afraid of waterlogging, we will water it an average of 2-3 times a week during the summer. The rest of the year, as temperatures are generally lower and it can rain, we will space out the waterings.
- A shrub, such as a Japanese maple, in a terracotta pot in shade: This is a plant that, unlike peppermint, does not resist drought at all, but it is not happy to have ‘soggy feet’ either. Therefore, the ideal would be to keep the substrate always moist, and for this it may be necessary to water every two or three days in summer, and 1 or 2 times a week the rest of the year. To save a little water, we advise growing it in clay pot, since this way the substrate will not dry as fast as if said pot were made of plastic.
How do you know if a plant lacks or has excess water?
Symptoms of lack and excess watering are the following:
- Symptoms of lack of irrigation:
- The plant can look sad, with fallen branches and / or leaves.
- The substrate is very dry. In extreme cases, it compacts so much that it does not absorb water.
- The newer leaves turn yellow, and the flowers abort.
- Opportunistic insects, such as mealybugs or aphids, usually appear.
- Symptoms of overwatering:
- The roots rot.
- Fungi such as mildew, phytophthora or powdery mildew may appear.
- Growth stops.
- The lower leaves turn yellow or brown.
- The substrate can become greenish due to the presence of algae.
With this in mind, if your plant is going thirsty it is highly recommended that you put the pot in a basin with water and leave it there for a while (about 20-30 minutes), until the soil is moist again.
Moreover, if what happens is that it has been watered too much, then take it out of the pot and wrap the root ball with absorbent paper. Leave it in the shade, in a dry place, and the next day plant it again in another pot, with new substrate. Treat it with fungicide (copper or sulfur can work if you have it on hand), and don’t water until a few days have passed.
Compost them as they grow
They need it (well, except if they are carnivorous plants, which never have to be fertilized). A potted plant depletes the nutrients in the substrate from the moment it is planted in it. Therefore, so that it can continue to grow, it is necessary to fertilize regularly, throughout the growing and flowering season.
Luckily, today in nurseries it is easy to find specific fertilizers for almost any type of plant. For example, you have for orchids, green plants, acid plants (for sale here!), cactus and succulents (for sale here!), palm trees, rose bushes, fruit trees (for sale here!)… But if you want to pay them with natural products, we recommend that you choose those that are liquid, such as guano, since in this way the substrate can continue to drain the water properly. Of course, follow the instructions for use so that there are no problems.
Prune them only if necessary
Can you have a potted plant for its entire life? Yes, but it depends on the species and the care you give it. That is, have a Cuban palm tree (Roystonea regia) in a container always, taking into account that it exceeds 15 meters in height and that its trunk thickens more than 30 centimeters, it is not viable, because you cannot prune them and pretend that it takes lower branches since it lacks cambium as it is a herb (megaforbia, actually), and not a tree. But, if it is pruned, yes that you can have a fruit tree, let’s put a citrus, in a pot.
Related article:
Can you have fruit trees in pots?
These pruning will be done at the end of winterand always trying to keep them small; that is, avoiding drastic pruning. It is much better to trim the branches a little at a time, than to cut the height in half in just one season. Use proper tools, and disinfect them before and after use.
Do they need frost protection?
If a plant needs protection when temperatures drop below zero degrees, that is, if it is sensitive to frost in your area, then it cannot be considered an outdoor plant. It must be made clear that there is no indoor plant, but when we grow one that is not capable of adapting to the conditions that exist in the place where we live, then we must protect it in an interior space, either inside the house or in a greenhouse.
Now, Even if you grow plants that you know in advance that they resist well the climate in your area, during the first year it may be interesting to protect them a little with a padding, or even with an anti-frost fabric (on sale No products found.). But this is sometimes counterproductive, because we want it to become stronger, and if we protect it we will not give it the opportunity to do so. Even so, if you have exotic plants that you are experimenting with, from my own experience I recommend that you keep it a little sheltered to see how it reacts to winter.
And with this we are done. We hope these tips have been helpful to you.
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