Your outdoor flower pots are such a fun way to add color and style to your landscape. They are the first bit of “you” that your guests see when arriving, so let’s make sure they are looking pretty! We are going to go over some simple tips on how you can keep your outdoor pots looking fab all summer long.
Here we go….3 simple things you can do to keep your outdoor flower pots looks gorgeous ALL summer long!
Fertilizer is Key
Making sure that your newly planted annuals (typically what are planted in your summer pots) have more than enough nutrients is important and fertilizer is there to help. My approach to fertilizer is a bit different with my outdoor flower pots vs. my raised vegetable beds. With the beds, I only incorporate organic fertilizer. However, with my potted plants, synthetic is the route I take. Why? Because synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble (there are some organic water-soluble fertilizers out there, but I like the blue stuff) and are absorbed into the soil immediately, which when your new baby flowers are growing, immediate nutrition is key. Use some caution with your fertilizer, especially if you go the synthetic route. Too much can burn and damage the plant. So start out once every two weeks and adjust based on the growth of the foliage and quality/quantity of the blooms.
How Much & When to Water
Even more than fertilizer, water is key to your potted plants thriving. Typically your outdoor potted and hanging plants need to be watered every day. Make adjustments of course if there has been sequential days of rain, but watering every day is a safe bet. Your plants will give you some clues if you are giving them too much or too little water. Wilting leaves indicate too much water where shriveled leaves indicate too little water. So keep an eye on the leaves and make adjustments if necessary.
Deadheading & Pinching for Fuller Blooms
Consistently deadheading your plants is super important in creating a lush and full pot. This can be a tough thing to do, especially when you have been waiting all winter long for some vibrant color in your landscape. But, you really NEED to deadhead your plants in order for them to continue producing blooms throughout the summer. When you deadhead and pinch back your plants, you are forcing them to regrow twice as many stems as before, giving you more beautiful blooms to admire all through the summer! Check out this great article from Gardening Know How for the how’s and why’s of deadheading and pinching. If you leave your plants, such as geraniums, begonias, petunias, etc., alone all summer long, they will stop producing blooms because the plant thinks they are all done producing. So be brave, pinch off the new buds and watch your pot grow with beautiful vibrant blooms!!!
