When planting flowers and other container grown plants in your yard:
-
- Dig a hole the right size for the plant.
-
- Add compost, fertilizer, or other amendments to the soil around the plant.
-
- Add water to the hole BEFORE planting the plant in it.
-
- Plant the plant in the hole, forming a small basin around it to hold water.
- Water the plant again after planting it.
Watch this video to find out more.
Further Information
- How to Plant Container Grown Trees and Shrubs (article)
- Flower Containers for Beginners (article)
- Tips for Planting in Pots and Containers (video)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Danny Lipford: Well Tricia, this is working out pretty good. I’ll keep bringing the plants, and you keep planting them.
Tricia Craven Worley: Thanks for your help, Danny.
Danny: Now, how can you really go wrong with planting plants like this? I mean they seem very healthy, but you put them in the ground, you’ve got soil. Any problem with that?
Tricia: Well, you can put them straight into the ground, but you know there are ways to give them a little bit of a head start. And one thing that I like to do is after digging the hole the right size, I put in a little amendment; or, in this instance, a little compost just to give a little bit of nutrition.
Danny: I see.
Tricia: And then I put some water, right now.
Danny: Water it before you even plant it.
Tricia: Absolutely. If you take a look at this primrose, you can see its leaves are a little bit wilty.
Danny: It is kind of sad looking, isn’t it.
Tricia: It is. So when I put this in the soil, it’s going to get the water into the roots immediately.
Danny: Okay, well that makes sense.
Tricia: And what happens with a lot of gardeners is you get involved, and you think well, I’ll go back and water it at the end of the day.
Danny: Right. Easy to forget.
Tricia: Easy to forget, and that sometimes at that point it’s a little bit too late. So how I finished it off is I water it right now, right when I put it in this space. And then something else that I always like to do is give it just a little bit of a basin. See what I’m doing here with the trowel?
Danny: Similar to what you would do with planting a full tree.
Tricia: Correct. Just a little bit of an area where when you pour the water there, it’s going to catch it and give it a little bit more time to sit.
I would like to know how far down do. You plant your plant even with the top or do you leve some out of the grand, if so how much?
For a perrenial:
i.e. Calla Lilies
Can I plant in a flower pot and plant the whole thing into garden? If so, make sure there are drainage holes in bottom of pot? The I can bring whole potted plant in for (Wisc) winter.
Thank-you.
I love the video, would like to know how to plant if you had red clay in yard I live in Ala can’t nothing to grow
Hi, Jackie!
Our friends at Better Homes and Gardens really have some great ideas! (Here’s their feature: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/best-plants-to-grow-in-clay/?slide=slide_25097#slide_25097)
We also recommend contacting your local Master Gardeners association. Master gardeners train on a range of topics so they can provide advice, at no charge, for people in their area.
Thanks for your question, and good luck!