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 Containers
Containers have their own special watering requirements.
Watering containers is easier and water loss is reduced if you group pots together on your terrace (it looks more effective as well) rather than dotting them about. A shade house for container plants which really hate the heat and sun will make life easier and allow to you to really enjoy these plants. The type of pots you use is important (more on this below).
Use drought resistant and sun-loving plants in containers. Plants such as pelargoniums and tough bougainvillea love the sun and will cope with drier conditions; lush and lovely ferns will not.
Containers are exposed to sun, drying winds and the dry air. The soil in a container dries out faster than your garden. | |
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Containers - Choose Drought Resistant Plants
Silver Leaved Lavenders are Ideal Dry Garden and Container Plants | |
A layer of 'grit' or sharp, fine gravel on the top of the container will act as mulch and slow evaporation from the soil surface. Special crystals can be added to the soil to hold water, releasing it slowly. These work best if you soak them in water before you add them to you potting mix.
Using a plastic pot inside your decorative terracotta or outer pot helps to reduce temperatures in the container soil, and plastic holds water better than terracotta. You can seal the terracotta or clay pots, reducing water loss, but the two-layer method is effective and also means you can easily swap the container plant once their high season is over.
Don't Overwater
If you overdo it, over watering can kill you plants. Try not to go to bed and leave the sprinkler running. Cold wet soil or sodden saturated ground means that plants can drown, with little essential oxygen available in the soil. Flood irrigation is one thing, but flooding the garden is another!
If you can't water because a supply shortage or you garden in a normally dry climate then see our feature on 'Dry Garden Plants' and consider the wonderful display you could have without the watering worry. |
There are many different water requirements, and solutions for most of them. The hardiest to cope with is climates change or there is a freak season, totally different from the norm. That is when good planting, good watering and the use of techniques such as mulching come into play. Understanding individual plants' water needs, and how watering affects both plants and the soil is essential to using water wisely.
 Get the hose out by all means, but water well and water wisely when you do.
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Don't Overwater... |
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