Ok, first of all I'm very new to this but I already know I LOVE to dig in the dirt and work with plants/flowers. So I was having family come from out of town for Easter weekend and I wanted to liven up my backyard pool area so I opted for containers. I walked thru Home Depot and Lowes picking out every flower I liked marked for full sun, bought a bunch of huge pots, bags of potting mix and went home and started planting. They looked gorgeous at first but then I realized I mixed annuals and perennials together, some needed moist soil some didn't, etc. So now that I've had some time to research and discover my mistakes I'm trying to figure out what to transplant and what is ok as is.
Should I pull them all out and put them in pots by themselves? I read annuals need water soluble fertilizer often but perennials are better with time released fertilizer. Any advice on how I can help all these annuals and perennials to last throughout the summer?
What works well together and what doesn't? Which should I pull out and put in pots by themselves?
Pot 1: mandavilla, lavender, cuban gold, Joseph's coat, blue plumbago, torenia and sallyfun blue salvia
Pot 2: calla lily, Cuban gold, Joseph's coat, celosia, Cordyline dracaena and petunia
Pot 3: vinca, New Guinea impatiens, calla lily, lavender and angelonia
Pot 4: petunia, yellow mission bells, Cordyline dracaena, heather and day lily
Pot 5: torenia, kalanchoe, day lily, vinca, Cordyline dracaena and yellow mission bells
Pot 6: petunia, blue plumbago, torenia, angelonia and New Guinea impatiens
- ID jit
- Green Thumb
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Haven't got a clue as to a solution to your dilemma.
Admire the attitude though! (If you are not willing to fail BIG and learn from it, why bother getting up it the morning.)
I think the key to your current situation is in the phrase "do better with". Being an ignorant idjit, I would half feed the water soluble and half slow release stuff, so they all get some of what they "do better with", and then water them enough to avoid wilting some and drowning others. After that wait and see how the pots respond and expect to do some transplanting and some plant replacement. They are pretty pots, let them evolve and work on a more educated plan for next year. (Then, again, you really have to botch things pretty badly to have a plant fatal mishap with following the instructions with miraclegro.)
[Fair Warning: I was careful when I chose my screen name.]
Admire the attitude though! (If you are not willing to fail BIG and learn from it, why bother getting up it the morning.)
I think the key to your current situation is in the phrase "do better with". Being an ignorant idjit, I would half feed the water soluble and half slow release stuff, so they all get some of what they "do better with", and then water them enough to avoid wilting some and drowning others. After that wait and see how the pots respond and expect to do some transplanting and some plant replacement. They are pretty pots, let them evolve and work on a more educated plan for next year. (Then, again, you really have to botch things pretty badly to have a plant fatal mishap with following the instructions with miraclegro.)
[Fair Warning: I was careful when I chose my screen name.]
- rainbowgardener
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Yes I didnt think it through, the plants I bought were babies so I just put them all together not thinking they would grow, duh!rainbowgardener wrote:I haven't had time to try to sort through this and figure out different needs. And some are Florida things that I don't recognize. Cuban gold? Cuban gold what?
But to start with, you have filled your pots VERY full. That makes them pretty right now, but leaves no room for anything to grow.
I'm definitely learning as I go maybe not the best strategy but what can I do now.
The plant said Cuban gold I believe it's official name is Gold Duranta.
Thanks for your comments if you have any wisdom to share I would greatly appreciate it
- rainbowgardener
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So you did grab a very mixed bag of stuff. Many of them are tender perennials, meaning if you are at least in zone 9 (10 for some of them) they will survive the winter outdoors. Things in pots need more winter protection than things in the ground.
Here's how I sort them out:
Dry, sandy, well draining soil and plenty of sun, don't fertilize much, if at all: lavender, vinca, cuban gold, joseph's coat, plumbago, salvia, celosia, vinca.
Keep moist, but not soggy, sun, but maybe protection from hottest afternoon sun: mandevilla, torenia, angelonia
Filtered light or morning only sun, keep moist: calla lily, dracaena, impatiens, kalanchoe
Special notes: heather is an evergreen shrub. In its proper surroundings it gets very big, too big for your containers. However its proper surroundings are no farther south than zone 7. It does not handle hot weather. There's a reason it is associated with Scotland.
Joseph's coat is an amaranth, I.e. an annual WEED. Do NOT let it go to seed or you will regret it forever after and so will your neighbors.
I didn't include daylily, because it is incredibly tough and hardy and will do well whatever you do to it.
Hope this helps. Everyone tells me I have a green thumb. I think that means that over the years I have learned about what conditions plants need. Every plant has its own ideal conditions for sun exposure, soil, water, acidity, fertility, etc. If you give them that they will thrive. Then each has a range of conditions around the ideal that it will tolerate. In those conditions, it will at least survive. Outside the range, they just die.
If you don't mind re-doing your pots, if you group them like this, they will do much better. Get some cactus mix and mix it half and half with your potting mix for the "dry, sandy" ones. Buy a few extra pots and uncrowd them!
Here's how I sort them out:
Dry, sandy, well draining soil and plenty of sun, don't fertilize much, if at all: lavender, vinca, cuban gold, joseph's coat, plumbago, salvia, celosia, vinca.
Keep moist, but not soggy, sun, but maybe protection from hottest afternoon sun: mandevilla, torenia, angelonia
Filtered light or morning only sun, keep moist: calla lily, dracaena, impatiens, kalanchoe
Special notes: heather is an evergreen shrub. In its proper surroundings it gets very big, too big for your containers. However its proper surroundings are no farther south than zone 7. It does not handle hot weather. There's a reason it is associated with Scotland.
Joseph's coat is an amaranth, I.e. an annual WEED. Do NOT let it go to seed or you will regret it forever after and so will your neighbors.
I didn't include daylily, because it is incredibly tough and hardy and will do well whatever you do to it.
Hope this helps. Everyone tells me I have a green thumb. I think that means that over the years I have learned about what conditions plants need. Every plant has its own ideal conditions for sun exposure, soil, water, acidity, fertility, etc. If you give them that they will thrive. Then each has a range of conditions around the ideal that it will tolerate. In those conditions, it will at least survive. Outside the range, they just die.
If you don't mind re-doing your pots, if you group them like this, they will do much better. Get some cactus mix and mix it half and half with your potting mix for the "dry, sandy" ones. Buy a few extra pots and uncrowd them!
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Ha. I'm not very good at this and was hoping someone else would answer.
But I agree that watering and sunlight needs are a couple of essential grouping criteria. Do you know what they all need? Can you make a new list accordingly? We might enjoy brainstorming the grouping together once the information is available/on hand. I'm afraid I would have to look up a lot of them and have not had the time/energy to tackle such a task -- my own babies are calling me....
Personally I think it's OK to group perennials and annuals in large enough containers that would be suitable for the perennial as long-term residence -- the annuals will fill the empty spaces while the perennials take their time to grow... but the container should be designated "lavender pot" for example, and might be embellished with ephemeral taller growing and lower/draping elements. For example, I could see something like portulaca in there (I don't even know if that's in your collection). As another example, in my garden I could put marjoram in it with the lavender because the marjoram won't overwinter outside.
But I agree that watering and sunlight needs are a couple of essential grouping criteria. Do you know what they all need? Can you make a new list accordingly? We might enjoy brainstorming the grouping together once the information is available/on hand. I'm afraid I would have to look up a lot of them and have not had the time/energy to tackle such a task -- my own babies are calling me....
Personally I think it's OK to group perennials and annuals in large enough containers that would be suitable for the perennial as long-term residence -- the annuals will fill the empty spaces while the perennials take their time to grow... but the container should be designated "lavender pot" for example, and might be embellished with ephemeral taller growing and lower/draping elements. For example, I could see something like portulaca in there (I don't even know if that's in your collection). As another example, in my garden I could put marjoram in it with the lavender because the marjoram won't overwinter outside.
- applestar
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Oh oh! Isn't Mandevilla a vine? So you would need to put a trellis in the pot or position the pot next to one. It would also eventually need a very big and deep pot, so it's better to pair that with low growing short fibrous-rooted plants. If big enough, I suppose impatiens or petunias might fit the bill.
...see I'm really terrible at this...
...see I'm really terrible at this...
- rainbowgardener
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- rainbowgardener
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I forgot to say, you do have an excellent eye for this! Didn't have the horticultural knowledge to make it practical, but clearly understand the design principles of making beautiful containers, with a clear sense about mixing forms, textures, colors.
Unfortunately as is, these containers aren't likely to stay beautiful very long. But with a little more gardening experience, you will be making stunning plantscapes!
If you do decide to redo your pots, hope you will show us the results! I think with some thought and care, they can still be beautiful while being more practical. The Cuban gold and lavender would make a nice combination (one of each in a large pot) with a little bit this effect;
Actually I think the purple in that picture is a perennial salvia, something like the MayKnight salvia. You didn't say what kind of salvia you have...
You understand that all the perennial stuff will keep getting bigger. I have a couple lavenders in pots and this is their second year. At this point, they are already mostly filling the pots, with just a couple little marigolds tucked in around the edges for contrast. Next year I will need to do something different, maybe find a spot to put them in the ground....
Unfortunately as is, these containers aren't likely to stay beautiful very long. But with a little more gardening experience, you will be making stunning plantscapes!
If you do decide to redo your pots, hope you will show us the results! I think with some thought and care, they can still be beautiful while being more practical. The Cuban gold and lavender would make a nice combination (one of each in a large pot) with a little bit this effect;
Actually I think the purple in that picture is a perennial salvia, something like the MayKnight salvia. You didn't say what kind of salvia you have...
You understand that all the perennial stuff will keep getting bigger. I have a couple lavenders in pots and this is their second year. At this point, they are already mostly filling the pots, with just a couple little marigolds tucked in around the edges for contrast. Next year I will need to do something different, maybe find a spot to put them in the ground....
- rainbowgardener
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are you still with us ktray? Was any of this helpful?
I know it's probably bad news to think about re-doing all the work you did putting those really pretty containers together. The other option is just to let them alone and see what happens and you will have better experience for doing it next year.
I know it's probably bad news to think about re-doing all the work you did putting those really pretty containers together. The other option is just to let them alone and see what happens and you will have better experience for doing it next year.
Wow I am impressed, thank you so so much for all the information, it is very helpful, you have no idea how much I appreciate this!!!rainbowgardener wrote:So you did grab a very mixed bag of stuff. Many of them are tender perennials, meaning if you are at least in zone 9 (10 for some of them) they will survive the winter outdoors. Things in pots need more winter protection than things in the ground.
Here's how I sort them out:
Dry, sandy, well draining soil and plenty of sun, don't fertilize much, if at all: lavender, vinca, cuban gold, joseph's coat, plumbago, salvia, celosia, vinca.
Keep moist, but not soggy, sun, but maybe protection from hottest afternoon sun: mandevilla, torenia, angelonia
Filtered light or morning only sun, keep moist: calla lily, dracaena, impatiens, kalanchoe
Special notes: heather is an evergreen shrub. In its proper surroundings it gets very big, too big for your containers. However its proper surroundings are no farther south than zone 7. It does not handle hot weather. There's a reason it is associated with Scotland.
Joseph's coat is an amaranth, I.e. an annual WEED. Do NOT let it go to seed or you will regret it forever after and so will your neighbors.
I didn't include daylily, because it is incredibly tough and hardy and will do well whatever you do to it.
Hope this helps. Everyone tells me I have a green thumb. I think that means that over the years I have learned about what conditions plants need. Every plant has its own ideal conditions for sun exposure, soil, water, acidity, fertility, etc. If you give them that they will thrive. Then each has a range of conditions around the ideal that it will tolerate. In those conditions, it will at least survive. Outside the range, they just die.
If you don't mind re-doing your pots, if you group them like this, they will do much better. Get some cactus mix and mix it half and half with your potting mix for the "dry, sandy" ones. Buy a few extra pots and uncrowd them!
- rainbowgardener
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