Look after your containers

Keeping plants healthy need not cost the earth, said Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

THE container and basket I planted last month have been in the greenhouse while the weather remained seasonally unreliable. The plants grew well, protected from the worst of the elements, but they have been outside for the past few weeks and are filling out pleasingly.

Helping them to thrive through summer and into autumn will take consistent care and attention because wherever you have lots of plants growing in close proximity there will be issues.

Pests and diseases can spread fast among densely packed plants, which also use up food and water at an alarming rate once they have worked their way through the original nutrients contained in the compost, and we get into the hottest days of summer.

The cost of living is affecting us all and gardening is no exception. Patio containers and baskets can be expensive things to run well so on these two pages I’m looking at ways of minimising your costs while still getting the best results.

For example, there is no need to completely refill a large pot if it has been used for one season’s worth of annuals.

I have a large container that I planted with winter bedding last autumn. The flowers are past their best so I added them to the compost heap, leaving a deep pot full of old growing medium.

I didn’t want to waste it so I removed the top few inches and added that to a garden border as soil conditioner, then added fresh compost and fertiliser, mixed up and planted more annuals.

If you go down this route, always make sure you remove the old plant material that could be harbouring disease, and check the compost carefully for pests and snail eggs laid close to the edge of the pot and among the roots of plants.