Suppose you have a beautiful garden and you want to share it with a friend. One thing you can do is to pot one of the plants from the garden and present it as a gift. If you don’t want to give up a plant to a friend, you can always pot one and bring it indoors.
One might think that the process of moving a plant from a garden to a pot would be a simple endeavor. It’s not. And it could offer problems for the plant. The concern is preserving the plant’s root system when transplanting it from the garden to the pot.
Keep in mind that a well-established plant may be the most difficult to pot because the root system is established. You also would want to be careful with
Potted plant.
(Courtesy: Shaggysio2 at flickr.com)
plants that have a complex root system.
Best results will be achieved if you start with a plant that is healthy and vibrant. It will have the best chance of surviving.
The things you will need to perform the transplant include:
· A pot
· Potting soil
· Hand shovel
· Houseplant fertilizer
· Watering can
There are nine steps to the process.
1. Select the pot. Choose one that is large enough to accommodate the root system of the plant. If you’re not sure, then imagine the root ball is the same size as the above ground portion of the plant.
2. Chose the plant. Select flora that features dark green leaves. Dig the plant up in the late autumn when the weather is cool. Don’t perform the process when the ground is hard and frozen.
3. Fill the pot with potting soil. Leave about 5-inches to 6-inches of space around the top edge of the pot.
4. Pry up the dirt around the plant. Use a hand shovel to perform this task. You definitely do not want to damage the root system. So dig around an imaginary circle that is the width of the widest leaves. Dig as deep into the ground as possible. The hole should be as deep as the plant is tall.
5. Remove the root ball from the ground. Use the shovel and brush the dirt away from the outer roots so they will become established in the pot.
6. Dig a hole in the center of the soil in the pot. Place the root ball in the pot and cover the roots with extra soil.
7. Lightly press the dirt around the plant’s stem.
8. Add a dose of houseplant fertilizer to a watering can. Water the plant thoroughly.
9. Monitor the plant for a few weeks. The newly potted plant should be in a sunny location and you should water the soil when it is dry to the touch. Move the plant out of direct sunlight if the leaves appear wilted or droopy.
Next you will have to care for the plant. There are a few things to keep in mind.
· Feed the potted plant with a water-soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks.
· Follow the instructions on the fertilizer bag to avoid over-fertilizing. That can burn and kill the plant.
· Check the soil for moisture content every day in normal weather and twice a day on hot days. Water the plant until the water drains out of the hole in the bottom of the pot.
