Erik's Gardening Tips

summer watering tips!

One of the best things you can do if you find that some container plants dry very fast is to repot them into a larger container. By doing this you will accomplish several things. You will reinvigorate your plant since it now has more soil to grow in and you will help to reduce its watering interval period. That fresh soil will act as a natural fertilizer to the plant and you will see new growth which will likely bloom more if a flowering plant, and fresh foliage will soon come if it is grown for foliar effects. A side benefit is that plant will become larger and you will have a bigger display and your watering will not have to be so frequent until the roots fill in and grow in that new soil.
Be sure to tease the roots open (or just cut those circling roots from the old root ball) when you plant into the larger size container and fresh soil. You should also make sure that the plant root ball is well watered before you begin this replanting as it is difficult to rehydrate a root ball when you plant it in a larger container and root pruning and a well watered root ball is not performed before you replant.
Now for the after care of the new transplant, all you have to do is to make sure the plant does not wilt. Do not over water, just give enough to make sure the old root ball seems moist to the touch and let it dry slightly between waterings. The plant should then be fine and grow to fill the new size container without any problems. You can fertilize slightly if you wish after about a month or two after the transplanting operation, and your plant will provide you with a grand flush of growth and ensuing flower display depending on what kind of plant you have.
If the plant seems to wilt a lot after transplanting, you can place it in a shady spot for about a week until new roots grow then bring it back into more light.