Fertilizers for Potted Plants

Those of you who have a garden with some or plenty of potted plants might have noticed that after a while, the plants don’t seem to pick up at all. This article walks you through the steps you need to take get your potted plants back on track.

Why does the Growth of a Potted Plant Stagnate?

Irrespective of its size, a pot essentially contains a limited amount of nutrients because the quantum of soil that is available to it is limited. A smallish plant in a large pot will grow well for a while and then it too will stagnate. In any case, you can’t keep on increasing the size of the pot. So how do you encourage the plant to continue growing despite the limitations? The one answer is fertilizer.

Using Fertilizers for your Potted Plants

At the mention of fertilizer, most people think of or visualize the packaged stuff you can buy at the local gardening outlet. But that’s not the kind I’m thinking of – I’m thinking of stuff you can make in your home from wet garbage commonly found in the kitchen> I’m referring to stuff that you would ordinarily either dump into the bin or shove down the sink. I’m referring to stuff like used tea leaves or discarded lettuce leaves, apple peels, vegetable peels, and green pea pod shells, stuff like that. Just finely chop these up in blender and mix with new soil. For every mug full of soil, use quarter of the freshly chopped greens and fruit discards. Mix well. Your homemade fertilizer is now ready and can not only be used for potted plants; it can also be used for plants planted directly into the ground.

Application of homemade fertilizer

If you need to fertilize the potted plants, here’s how you can do it:

1. Loosen up the soil taking care that you loosen up only the top portion of the pot.

2. Next, empty out half the soil from the pot.

3. Next lightly loosen the soil that is touching the inner wall of the pot.

4. Hold the plant firmly and pull it out gently taking care not to shake the roots.

5. Now fill two thirds of the pot with the freshly created fertilizer.

6. Make a small well in the middle and reinsert the plant into the pot (along with a lot of the previous soil still sticking to the root).

7. Gently shake the pot a bit so the soil settles down.

8. Add half a mug of water immediately and after a few hours you can water as usual.

9. If you are curious, mark the height and circumference of the plant.

The chopped vegetables, peels and stuff that you have mixed into the soil will slowly decompose and enrich the soil. Depending on the size of the chopped vegetables, it might take anything from seven to ten days for the vegetables to decompose and be absorbed into the soil.

Assuming you have used fresh soil when making the fertilizer, the plant in any case, will once again start to grow. When the nutrients from the fertilizer hit the soil, the plant will receive a tremendous boost and grow even more rapidly. The more green stuff you put in your fertilizer, the better. Have Fun.

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Taking Care of your Potted Plants

For the avid gardener, the limitations of space are never an issue. Even if you are an apartment dweller, it is not too difficult to indulge in your hobby- use containers for plants, herbs or summer blossoms. Whether its pots, barrels, baskets or tubs, anything that will hold soil can be used to grow your garden right on your window sill or balcony. While the basics of gardening remain the same for container gardening, a little specialized knowledge goes a long way in keeping your potted plants lush and healthy. Here are a few tips on how to care for your potted plants and outdoor plant planters.

Preparing the container

Like we mentioned earlier, any container should do, provided it is able to hold soil and has a proper drainage. The most crucial issue in container gardening is the drainage. Ideally, the pot should have at least a couple of drainage holes. Before adding the potting soil to the pot, add an inch of gravel at the bottom. This helps better drainage. The next step is to add a little soil with a layer of compost. The pot may be topped off with a thin layer of soil. Ensure that you leave a little free space on the top so that the soil does not run off when you water the plant.

Watering your potted plants

How much water a plant needs depends on various factors including plant species, the size of the pot, the growth cycle, the foliage content, light, temperature and the humidity in the atmosphere. A good way to know if your potted plant needs watering is to poke a finger to get a feel of the soil. Is the soil dry? Then, it definitely needs watering. If your finger comes out wet with soggy soil, you might be over-watering your potted plant.

Fertilizer for potted plants

The soil for potted plants is limited and depletes very quickly in terms of nutrients. So you need to feed or fertilize the soil often. Most people tend to purchase inorganic fertilizers available at the local nursery. However, your potted plants will do well with some organic fertilizer or compost. You can prepare your own organic fertilizers with the help of vegetable waste from the kitchen. Contents of tea bags, coffee dregs, vegetable and fruit peels, discarded leafy greens and stems provide a wealth of nutrients when they decompose. Simply chop fine, mix with the potting soil and watch your plants thrive.

Re-potting your plants

In a pot, there is only so much space for the plant to grow. Sooner or later, the roots of the plant become packed in the confined space of the pot arresting the growth. When this happens, you will need to repot the plant. The most obvious sign for repotting is when the roots start to show up on the surface or move out through the drainage holes. If the plant gives off-shoots, they need to be separated and planted elsewhere so that there is no crowding in the pot.

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