Back to Watering Basics

A lot of our customers ask us how should they water their containers after we install fresh flowers and plants. One thing we like to remind our customers is that flowers and plants that live in a container are treated differently than their in-ground plants. Why is that? Well, let us help break down the do's and don'ts of watering plants in containers.

1. Do not be afraid of over watering. Container plants need water and in hot weather they need it every day. For full sun containers, they are being blasted by the sun on all sides. This is drying out the soil faster than their in-ground counterparts. Therefore, it is always important to check your soil daily. A quick way to check the moisture of your soil is by sticking your finger in the dirt and see if you feel wet soil. If you do not, it is definitely time to water. For shade containers, they still need to be watered but not as often as the full sun containers. Reason being is the sun isn't hitting all sides of the container to cause the water to evaporate faster.

2. Just because it rained doesn't mean it throughly soaked your plants. A common misconception is a lot of homeowners rely on nature to water their containers. Often times the rain blows sideways and unless we get a torrential downpour, usually your containers will still need to be checked for watering.

3. Look for tired or distressed plants. Some plants will wilt and look tired when they need water. Sometimes the leaves will droop or shrink up and the blooms will appear to hang heavier and lower. These are all signs your container needs water as soon as possible. Usually after watering the entire container hitting every piece of soil with a nice soaking of cool water, those plants will perk right back up and look lush and full. However, if you let them go too long without water, the damage could be too much to reverse.

4. How long should you water your specific container? You want to water an average sized pot that is in full sun at least 1 to 2 minutes and for a shade container at least 30 seconds. The pot may fill with water and overflow because the potting mix cannot drain fast enough. Just let it soak in, and then water it again.

5. What are you watering with? The ideal way to water a full container with lush flowers and plants is with a gentle spray. A nozzle that looks like a showerhead is called a breaker, presumably because it breaks the flow of water in the hose into dozens of streams that fall without injuring the plant, like a gentle rain. It is a must that you have a nozzle that offers this showerhead effect. There are also watering cans that come with a showerhead nozzle. We highly recommend our customers to purchase either the hose nozzle with a showerhead setting or a watering can as this will prevent the blooms from breaking off faster by the intense spraying of the water hose. Even with the hose nozzle, it is important not to spray too close and stand back so that it is a nice light spray on the soil and plants. The plants are resilient but the blooms are delicate. Please water with care.

We hope these watering tips helped some and you can always reach out to us if you are unsure of your containers watering needs. It is all a learning process of knowing how much water and how often. Forget-Me-Not Pots also has a monthly maintenance service where we can help you deadhead your plants to create fuller blooms, give watering tips specific to your container, and fertilize your plants to keep them looking fresh and full. Give us a call today!