Growing of pots in plants

Growing of pots in plants.

1. Growing of Plants in Pots
DrPrativaAnand
Scientist
Division of Floriculture and Landscaping
ICAR-IARI, New Delhi

2. ØPotplantsareexcellentforinteriordecorationandareusedfor
beautificationofcampuses,verandahs,meetingplacesandtheplaces
usedforprivateandpublicfunctions.
ØCheapestsourceofin-housegreeneryandcanbehandledand
transferredfromoneplacetoanotherwithease.

3. Container
ØPotscanbeseparatelychosentosuitindividualplant.
ØPotsareavailableinvarioussizesandshapes.
ØPlastic,non-porouspotsareidealforplantswhichflourishinmoistcompost.
ØLessfrequentwateringisrequiredascomparedtoclaypots.
ØAllpotsshouldhavedrainageholeatbottomandshouldbekeptonplasticorglazed
ceramicsaucertocollectwaterandprotectthesurfaceunderneath.
ØWhenaplantappearstobepot-bounditshouldberepottedinlatespringorearlyrains.

4. ØThecontainerwithplantcanbeplacedinanotherlargerandmore
attractivecontainer.
ØPotstandsofdifferentdesignsandsizesaremadeofiron,caneoreven
bambooareexcellentplantsupports.

5. Potting Media
ØThepottingmediumneedstosupplyplantswithameansofsupport,good
drainage,adequateaircirculationandcapableofretainingwaterandnutrients.
ØMineral-basedsoilsarenotrecommendedforcontainerplants.
ØPackagedpottingmediumshavebeendevelopedspecificallytofulfilltheneeds
ofcontainerizedplants.
ØGrowingmedialabelledaspottingsoilsareoftenamixtureoforganicand
inorganicmaterialsandmayincludepeatmoss,bark,sand,compostand
vermiculite.
ØTheymayornotbesterilized.

6. ØHeavymixesthatdocontainsomesandormineralsoilareespecially
suitableforlargeortop-heavyhouseplants.
ØSoillessmixesdonotcontainanysoilmineralparticles(i.e.sand,siltor
clay).
ØSometimestheyarecalledpeat-litemixes.
ØExtremelylightweight,moistureandnutrientretentiveandusually
sterilized.
ØTheycanbeusedforalmostallcontainerizedplants,indoororoutside.

7. Factorsinfluencingselectionofpottingmixturecomponents
ØEconomic-Cost,availability,reproducibility,easeofmixing,appearance.
ØChemical-Nutrientlevel,pH,solublesalt,cationexchangecapacity
ØPhysical-Aeration,waterholdingcapacity,particlesize,density,uniformity

8. ØSometimespottingsoilsorsoillessmixesaremodifiedfurthertomeetthe
growingrequirementsofcertainplants.
ØNutrientrequirementcanbemetwitheitherorganicorsyntheticfertilizers.
ØpHofthegrowingmediumneedtobemonitoredandadjusted.
ØSoillessmediaaregenerallykeptatapHof5-6whilethemixesthat
containsoilarebestmaintainedatapHrangingfrom6-6.5.

9. Typical ingredients in a potting mix may include
ØPeat moss
ØSphagnum moss
ØBark products
ØPerlite
ØVermiculite
ØWater retention crystals
ØCoarse sand

10. ChoiceofPlants
ØRightplantatrightplace.
ØOnekindofplantperpot.
PreparationofPots
ØBeforefillinglargepotsplacethemwheretheywillultimatelygo.
ØShardofbrokenpotoverthehole(s)inthebottomofemptypot.
Pottingtheplant
ØRemovetheplantfromitsnurserycontainer.Settheplantontopofthemix.Pat
gentlytoeliminateairpockets.Waterthecontainer.

11. Watering
ØIfplantingisdoneinspringandweatherismild,onceaweekwateringis
required.
ØSummer-Hangingplantsandsmallpotsmayneedwateringtwiceaday.Oncea
dayisenoughforlargeplants.
ØBestwayofwateringthepotplantsiswiththehelpofahoseoracanfittedwitha
hose.

12. Feeding
ØPlantsgrowingincontainersneedmorefertilizingthanthoseinthe
ground.
ØItcanbedonebyliquidmanuringortop-dressingatregularintervals.
ØIncaseoftop-dressing,top2-5cmoftopsoilisremovedbyscrappingand
freshcompostisreplenishedinitsplace.Thisoperationshouldbe
repeatedoncein3-4months.
ØTophardsurfaceofthesoilofpotisforkedoccasionallytoadepthof
about2cmtofacilitateaerationandpenetrationofwater.

13. Deadheading
ØPinchingorcuttingofffadedblooms,knownasdeadheadingisessential.It
encouragesaplanttokeepproducingmoreflowers.
ØForplantswithtinyflowersandstems,shearthewholeplantbacktoabout
one-thirdofitssize.
Repotting
ØIftheplantsaregettingoversizedforthepotorthesoilhasbecomeold
andtherootsareseentowindroundthesideofthepotitisdesirabletodo
repotting.

14. GeneralPrecautionsinPottingandRepotting
ØThesizeofthepotsshouldnotbetoolargeortoosmall.
ØPlantsinthepotsshouldnotbeplantedtoodeeportooshallow.
ØImmediatelyafterpottingplantsshouldbeshiftedtoashadedplacefor
properrootestablishmentandgraduallytheperiodofsunexposureshould
beincreased.

15. Some Container Flowers for Sun
ØAfrican daisy
ØDahlia
ØVerbena
ØZinnia
ØTuberous begonia

16. SomeContainerFlowersforShade
•Fuschia
•Impatiens
•Browallia
•Torenia

17. ColourfulFoliagePlantsforSunandShade
ØCaladium(shade)
ØColeus(sunandshade,dependingonvariety)
ØCanna(fullsuntopartialshade)
ØFerns(filteredsuntoshade)
ØOrnamentalgrass(varioustypes,fullsun)

18. Thank You