Potting a Shrub
I’ve recently acquired some new additions to my container garden for my porch! One of which was a Boxwood shrub. I went with the Wintergreen Boxwood since it is more tolerant of shade than others, and my porch is only in sun in the morning and evening. If you are wanting to add a few potted shrubs to your walkway or patio, then here are some instructions to make it easy for you!
Before you start, thoroughly water your new shrub and let it drain. You may want to click on the images to see them larger.
1. First make sure the pot has drainage holes, and if it doesn’t then add a few. Add some large rocks to the bottom to help keep the holes from getting blocked. I used marble chip rocks, but you can also use chunks of styrofoam or broken pieces of terra-cotta pots.
2. Fill the bottom of the pot with a loam based potting mix. This can be hard to find since most garden centers only carry mixtures that have peat in them. If this is the case in your area, go with a garden soil mix and avoid mixtures made specifically for potting. Fill the pot until you can stand the plant in its container with a 1-2 inch gap to the rim of the pot.
3. Place the plant still in its container in the middle of the pot and fill in around it with soil. Lightly pack the soil in around it as you are doing this. My husband saw fit to keep reminding me that I still had the plastic container around the shrub during this step! If your like him, don’t worry, there is a purpose to it! Only fill in soil to the level of the soil in the original container.
4. Carefully lift out the shrub and it’s container, keeping the hole in tact.
5. Remove the shrub from its
original container, be careful not to break any roots or top growth. Tease out some of the bottom roots to help them grow outward.
6. Gently lower the shrub into the hole and lightly pack the soil in around it, adding a little more to make it level if need be. Try to keep it level with where the soil was in its original pot. By making the hole with the plant in its original container, you’ve avoided causing unnecessary damage to the roots and it reduces stress normally caused by repotting the shrub. This is a helpful tip when planting any type of plant in a new pot.
7. Water in the shrub to settle the soil. After you have watered it you may want to add a layer of stones or pepples around the shrub for decoration. This also helps keep out weeds and slows down evaporation of the soil. Pepples come in many different styles and colors. Choose one that offsets the color of the shrub and pot well. Since I had a white pot and a green shrub, I picked a brownish red. Makes the whole thing stand out more.
And now you have a beautiful, “portable” shrub to add to your container garden!
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POSTED IN: How to Grow Stuff
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