Watering

Water is crucial to plant growth. It cannot receive required nutrients if a plant does not get water in right amount. But, how much water is required in which season; that you need to learn. A plant sown in spring season will need water in little amount, may be once in a week will suffice. However, if you have planted a sapling in summers then you might need to water it on daily basis. Hanging plants and small pots may need watering twice a day (best times are morning and evening); once a day is enough for large pots.

You need to make sure that the soil gets moisture till its bottom. While watering a plant make sure that the water is coming out of the drainage hole of the pot and it is not blocked.

Sprinkling the leaves and flowers might clean them but it is the soil that will absorb water to give nutrients to plant. Also, sprinkling water on foliage can lead to fungal diseases and sometimes scorched spots on leaves.

Don’t worry if plants and flowers look wilted in the hottest time of the day. It is the right amount of moisture in the soil that does the trick of giving plant a long life. Wilting helps in maintaining the moisture of the plant and ensures that the root does not get dry. This will keep the plant up-right and healthy even after the sun say byes in the evening.

Though, water is important for soil but too much of water in the roots can lead to its rotting and eventually death of the plant. Do not let pots sit in water. If you are using saucers, empty them after you water and after it rains.

Feeding

A plant in your house which is in a pot needs more nutrients and might need fertilizer more often than the one which is grown in ground. The more you water, the more quickly you flush the nutrients out of the soil. It’s good to use a time-release fertilizer when planting, but it’s the bare minimum. The best you can do is to use water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks and use it at least couple of weeks.

Deadheading

You must have seen that people get their plants chopped off from top. It is usually done to keep producing more flowers. The process is known as deadheading or pinching.

In case you have a small plant with tiny flowers and it is difficult for you to cut it, then chop the whole plant and leave one-third of it. The plant will look worn-out for some time but it will soon pick up its growth and you will see wonderful buds blooming in your garden.

If you keep busy and do not have much time for the up-keep of plants then you can opt for some self-cleaning plants which do not demand deadheading or shearing. Some of the most popular type of bloomers which disappears on their own after a while and looks good in home can be browallia, diascia and others. All they need is to be cut down by one-third and you can see them blooming again.

Good Container Flowers for Sun

• Petunias
• Musk Rose
• Pansies
• Hibiscus
• Marigold
• Wax Begonias
• Geraniums
• Scarlet Sage