Top (10) Tips To Care For Your Outdoor Containers

 

1. Remember, containers located in full sun will require more frequent watering, than their shade counterparts.
    

2. Always try to water containers early in the day, so they will be moist enough to get through the hottest period of the day. (i.e. 1:00 to 4:00 PM during the summer)
    

3. Please, do not assume containers received enough water, if it just rained, or poured from a thunderstorm!!!  Very often, the foliage acts like an umbrella to the container, blocking the water from actually seeping into the soil.  Always periodically check the soil moisture, by touching the soil and also observing if foliage is beginning to wilt.
    

4. When there is a forecast for temperatures to be in the mid to the upper 90’s, try to water, at least once during the day.
    

5. It is a good idea for most tropicals and annuals to be periodically fertilized, with a water soluble blossom booster fertilizer, every other week.
    

6. Most annuals will benefit from periodically 'dead heading' old flower buds, which have finished opening and have faded away.  This 'dead heading' of old flowers very often encourages a greater number of new flower buds to develop.
    

7. Some tropicals require more patience and heat, in order to bloom, such as Bougainvilleas, Tibouchina and Oleanders. 
    

8. During extremely hot and dry periods of the summer, it might be advisable to move smaller hanging plants out of the full sun.  Place them in a garden bed or lawn, where they will get additional water, from any sprinklers in the area.  This technique can be very helpful, if you are going to be out of town for several days.
    

9. Always make sure your containers have several drainage holes, at the bottom or on the sides, to allow excessive water to drain out of the containers.
    

10. At the end of the gardening season, if you are using either ceramic or clay type containers, it is best to empty them completely.  Then, store the containers in a dry shed or garage.  By storing these containers dry, you avoid damage from the freeze/thaw cycle, which often cracks containers, during harsh winters.