Potted Plants

Now who wouldn’t love waking up amidst the greens before one begins the daily routine of rushing to work! Well, not everybody is lucky enough to be working in a city that has a beautiful canopy of green all over. This is the reason why I know many green thumbs who spend hours meticulously preening their beautiful gardens! The effort is definitely worth it when you see the beautiful flowers in bloom! However, some people have restriction as far as space is concerned and they have to think and plan differently to have some greenery in their house. Potted plants are an ideal option for those who live in compact apartments and wish to be in touch with nature. Potted plants kept indoors require special care from your side as they completely rely on you for their daily needs. If you have a liking for potted plants within your house and seek for ways to care for your potted plants, then here are some tips and methods that will help you to grow beautiful plants in pots within your home.

Potted Plants: How to select the correct pot
When you are out buying pots, do not get floored by the design. Always ensure you check to see if there are holes at the bottom of the pot, which will help the water to flow out freely. Plants always need a sufficient drainage system to be able to grow properly. Besides, you don’t always need fancy pots to grow plants. Almost any container can suffice as a pot as per your convenience and budget. For those living on rent and needing to shift frequently, they can use lightweight containers to grow plants. In such cases even plastic containers would work well.

Potted Plants: The importance of soil
There is major difference between plants that are grown in the ground and those grown in potted plants. The soil and the conditions for the plant grown in natural surrounding differ from those grown indoors. Potted plants may tend to dry out more frequently than those grown outdoors. The soil should allow proper drainage of water because an excess of water can cause the roots to get damaged with all the moisture. Always go in for good quality soil, as this is the base for growing healthy plants. Sometimes one can even add polymer granules to the soil. These granules are very effective, they tend to absorb moisture from the soil and release it back when needed!

For potted plants, avoid using soil from any garden. This is bound to introduce more problems for you due to the presence of weeds and insects. A safer option would be to go to a reputed outlet, which can give you the right kind of soil required.

Potted Plants: Maintaining and cleaning them
Indoor potted plants also tend to collect a lot of dust and grime. This gives it a very dull look to the entire plant. You must always remember that the plant should have clean leaves so that there is a healthy look for the whole plant. Use a soft damp cloth to wipe the leaves is the leaves are of a smooth finish. You can even get a small spray bottle to sprinkle some water all over the plant.

Potted Plants: Requirement of light
Providing the right kind of environment is required for potted plants. These plants need a good source of natural light for their growth. The amount of light to be given to the plant also depends upon the kind of plant. There are specific indoor plants that require less amount of light and there are certain plants that require more sunlight. Always keep potted plants at such a spot, which gives it a moderate amount of light. If your apartment does not have any such source then artificial light is a better option to grow potted plants.

Potted Plants: Method of planting it in the pot
If you have purchased a plant from a nursery, you would need to ensure it is watered in the original container an hour before you transfer it into your pot. Hold all the roots carefully while transferring it into the other pot. Gently disperse some of the roots if they are too tangled into each other. Place the plant on top of the soil mix in the new pot and keep filling in small amounts of soil in this. Pat gently. The stem needs to be above the surface of the soil while planting it. Do not ever fill the pot completely with soil; leave at least an inch at the top. Once the plant is firmly set into the pot, water the container. This process will help you to settle the roots into the soil.

I am hoping these tips would help you to cultivate beautiful and healthy looking plants and also helps you to get really close to nature.

• If growing plants is your hobby, read all about raised bed gardening
• If you are planning to have an indoor garden, check out some factors associated with indoor gardening