Pot Your Houseplant to Perfection: Use Correct Soils and Containers

Houseplants require different mixtures of soil based on weight, density, porosity, and other factors. Different gardeners like to use different mixes to please their plants or to make life easier for themselves.

Most stores sell commercially packaged potting soil and peat moss. These are useful products, but when used alone they're not adequate for potting plants successfully.

The best soil mix for potting combines sand, soil, and peat moss or decaying leaves. Sand must usually be purchased, unless you have access to a sandy spot where you can dig your own.

While potting soil can be purchased, you may choose to dig some from your own property for free. If so, dig under long grass for soil containing high levels of nitrogen.

Cut the grass off at its roots and dig underlying soil. Dig no deeper than six inches because the topsoil is the most nutrient packed. Soil retrieved this way may contain countless invisible seeds and produce weeds along with your plant. You may choose to pull these weeds as they grow or sterilize the soil before potting to prevent such growth.

To sterilize, place soil in pans and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Commercial soil mixes are already sterilized.

Choosing Containers

The most important consideration when choosing a container is your plant's growing needs. The plant's size should determine the size of its container. For best results, put your plant in a container that's 1/2 to 1 inch larger in diameter than its present pot. You also may put your plant in a pot that is the same size as its present container. Never pot a plant in a container that is too small or too large.

Regardless of what sort of container you choose for your plant - plastic, metal, wood, or clay - be sure it has drainage holes for water. It also should have a drip plate to collect excess water and protect the surfaces beneath the plant.

The most common type of container is the inexpensive red clay pot which is available in a variety of sizes. Clay pots absorb moisture so plants will require water more frequently. A white chalky residue will collect on the rim of these pots if you are over fertilizing or if the water is too hard.

Plastic containers also come in many sizes. They too are cheaper, lighter, and available in many colors. Be more careful not to over water when using this type of pots. You can water less frequently since they aren't porous.

Containers made of glazed pottery, metal, wood, or baskets are best used as decorative holders with the smallest pot inside since these materials do not allow good drainage. If you do pot your plant in such a container, be sure to provide proper drainage through alternative methods. Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the container or use a thick layer of porous material, such as peat moss or leaves, in the bottom of the pot.

Also take care to avoid over watering. Baskets can be made water proof by lining them with plastic or coating the inside with some sort of epoxy.

Potting Houseplants

Before potting a plant, you should wash the inside and outside of the container thoroughly.

Clay pots should be soaked for about an hour so they will not absorb so much water from the plant's soil after potting. Place pottery shards or tiny gravel in the pot's base to keep drainage holes from clogging and to hold the soil inside. Mesh containers holding hanging plants should be lined with moss or plastic.

While plastic prevents messy drippage, it also must have holes in it to allow drainage. A layer of course material such as leaves or moss should follow the gravel to aid quick drainage. Add enough soil mixture to ensure that when you place the root ball in the pot, it comes to about 1 inch below the top of the pot. A soil level too near the top of the pot will make it harder to water the plant later on.

Once you place the plant in the pot, surround the root ball with soil packed firmly (but not tightly), then water.