Planting continues all season long with high quality container grown plants from Nature Hills with great success!
As the season changes, so do our care suggestions for the types plants being delivered during the heat of the summer. Water is crucial for the plants survival right at the start.
The key to understanding container grown plants is that they only take water from the soil that we shipped with the plants. The plants are growing full speed now with heat and longer days at the nursery. The roots have now filled the pots and have infiltrated all the soil within that pot.
At the nursery they are getting watered once, maybe twice each day possibly including a cool down watering during the heat of the day. This container grown plants need to be completely saturated and if you take the time to do just that, the success rate is beyond belief.
Here are a few tips for summer and fall:
- Summer container grown plants need to be rehydrated as soon as you can open the box! You need to get your plant caught up on the moisture it requires to sustain the plant, and the best way to do that is to fill a large bucket with enough water so when you put that container plant into the water, it will completely cover the soil and pot completely.
- Now let that pot sit under water until it stops bubbling (which means it has saturated the soil completely), pull the plant out and let any excess drain away.
- Now, plant your new plant by digging a hole no deeper than the pot but twice as wide. Backfill with the soil you excavated from the hole, and one more time fill the hole with water completely saturating the soil of the plant and the soil around it. We see a huge amount of success with this planting method!
- After planting, how do you know if your plant needs water or not? Use the finger test. Stick your finger into the soil up to the 2nd knuckle right at the roots. If it feels moist- skip watering that day. If it feels dry – water thoroughly. As soon as the roots grow out to find their own food and water they become less dependent upon you for water. Rain does not usually generate enough moisture unless it was a soaker. Remember that temperature, wind, and soil type will all affect how quickly a new plant dries out.
- Lastly, water the soil (not the leaves) of any plant. Watering the soil and keeping the leaves dry lessens the chance of leaf spotting, foliar disease, or bacteria on the plant. Putting mulch over the roots maintains better moisture and prevents soil borne disease on the leaves.
Nature Hills is shipping quality, completely compliant plants across the U.S. all summer long.
