If you’ve been gardening in containers as long as I have, you learn that what goes into a pot before the plant matters just as much as the plant itself.
Most gardeners fill a container with potting mix and stop there. I don’t. Depending on where that pot is going to live in my garden, I add one thing first – and it changes everything about how that plant performs.
In this video, I’m sharing three things I put in my containers before I add a single plant. Each one solves a specific problem – heat, access, and weight – and each one costs almost nothing to do.
Here’s what I cover:
– What I put in any pot that sits in a hot spot with reflected heat; this. one simple addition keeps roots cool when everything around them is baking
– What I add to any container in a hard-to-reach spot – so the plant stays moist even when I can’t get to it easily
– The trick I use for shallow-rooted plants that cuts down on potting mix, reduces the weight of the pot, and works just as well.
None of these requires special equipment, special skills, or a big budget. They are the kind of things you wish someone had told you years ago.
Continue the Container Series:
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Chapters:
00:00 – 00:17 Introducing the 3 surprising ingredients
00:17 – 01:52 Bubblewrap hack to keep container roots cool
01:52 – 03:28 Water-storing crystals and the Right way to use them
03:28 – 04:57 The inverted pot trick to reduce weight and use less soil
04:57 – 05:29 Summary of the three tips and their benefits to container gardening
#containergardening, #containergardeningtips, #containergardeningforbeginners
Of these three, the one I use most is the bubble wrap in hot spots. I know it sounds odd – bubble wrap in a garden pot – but reflected heat from walls and paving can stress roots badly, and most gardeners never think about it. If you have a pot against a sunny wall or on a light-colored patio, that’s the one I’d start with. It costs almost nothing and your plant will thank you for it. Kathy
I used a livestock trough that was about 12 18 in deep and 4 ft long and put it in full sun. From experience, I knew the roots would bake if I didn’t insulate it. Yes bubble wrap is nice!
All three new to me! Thank you for sharing 🫶 Happy Gardening 🤗☀️🌻🐝💛
Bubble wrap is a super good tip but I imagine any sort of insulation that creates an air pocket would help. I have for many years used empty milk jugs in the bottom of my bigger pots to take up space.
I use inverted pots, peanuts in the bottom turn moldy