Four excellent possibilities are presented here when planting in containers: succulents, carissa, and holly leaf osmanthus, and for an oddity, the scouring rush or equisetum.
Pertinent Suggestions For Potted Plants
- Use pots with drain holes; put a crock over the hole, then add a layer of drainage material like crushed rock or broken brick.
- Add enough potting soil over this to cushion the plant then fill in around it with the potting mix.
- Avoid repotting when the soil ball is a vet—let it be dry and crumbly to the touch.
- The relation of the top of the soil to the plant should be the same as previously, not lower or higher.
- Water the pot thoroughly, preferably by placing it in a tub of water.
Succulents
With succulents, add sand and peat to the potting mix—sand to ensure good drainage and peat to retain moisture. If water runs out too fast, the roots have no time to absorb it, and peat will remedy this.
On the other hand, do not keep soil constantly wet, for succulents store moisture in their fleshy leaves and stems.
Carissa
Carissa will grow happily in pots filled with three-fourths composted soil (soil rich with humus), one-fourth peat moss, plus some sand if the soil is at all heavy.
Variegated Osmanthus
Variegated osmanthus (O. heterophyllus variegatus, also known as O. ilicifolius Argento marginatus) has handsome white-edged leaves.
It blooms with delightfully fragrant white flowers in fall, winter, and early spring. Slow growing, the plants are kept in good form by pinching out tips or by pruning.
Osmanthus
Osmanthus needs good potting soil consisting of four parts fibrous compost, one part leaf mold, one part rotted manure, and enough sand to keep the soil porous and to drain readily. It will not tolerate stagnant soil and should not have too large a pot.
Equisetum
Equisetum, commonly called horsetail, needs much moisture. In this one instance, the container needs no drain. It is practical to grow equisetum in water, with pebbles to hold the plant in place.
44659 by Woodward Radcliffe