With spring on the way, it is time to think about cleaning up your containers and arrangements. Each season, as you change out your displays, you will be left with waste to dispose of. There are a few ways you can use this waste to your advantage. One excellent way to repurpose spent plants is compost. Not only does compost get rid of the waste, but it creates usable material to help the growth of  your new arrangements.

Starting Your Pile

To get started you must choose how you will contain a compost pile. This can be as simple as a pile on the ground, chicken wire around stakes, or as high tech as a purchased large plastic tumbler on a stand. The advantages of the plastic tumblers is they can be turned easily and are less unsightly than a pile on the ground. There are also advantages to piles. According to HowToCompost.org, a greater surface area will encourage faster breakdown of the pile into compost. A pile on the ground can have a much greater surface area.

Making Compost

Once you have chosen how you will house your compost pile, there are a few simple rules to follow to make compost. Compost can be complicated and there are volumes written about how compost works and how to make compost that is exactly suited to your desires. However, making compost can also be very simple and result in good, rich, multi-purpose growing media.

Compost requires a balance of green and brown materials to create a healthy soil. Examples of green materials are food scraps, and plants. Brown materials include shredded newspaper and cardboard, and dried leaves. You will also want to add a shovel full of dirt, when you start the compost pile. This will introduce the healthy microorganisms that break down the waste into compost.

Compost is formed by organic matter decomposing, this requires and generates heat, and requires oxygen. Compost works fastest, and maintains the correct temperature and oxygen flow when turned often. The more often you turn the compost pile the faster it will decompose.  The right amount of moisture is also necessary for your compost pile.  The pile should be moist but not wet. Each time you add a new layer make sure it is a little bit moist.

It is also a good idea to have more than one compost bin or pile. While one compost pile is actively decomposing, you can add new materials to the alternate pile. This will help your compost break down faster and you will have more compost readily available when you need it.

What to Leave Out

There are a few things you should leave out of your compost.  It is important to avoid adding any plants to your compost pile that have had herbicide or pesticide applications. These chemicals can linger in the compost and cause damage to plants that grow in the compost. Never put meat scraps, things with oil in them, or pet waste in the compost pile. This will attract unwanted pests and spread disease.

If you would prefer not to maintain your own compost pile, many municipalities have composting sites. You can drop of the waste from your containers and often times you can pick of compost for free or a small fee.

Composting can be a fun way to cut back on waste that otherwise would have gone into the landfill. It also provides a useful tool for your container arrangements. You will most likely have to add some perlite to your compost to allow for more drainage as compost can be very dense. Your potting media will be rich in nutrients and result in healthy, happy container grown plants. If you are looking for new containers to start the new season browse NewPro Containers outdoor collection.

Have you composted? What methods have you used? How have you modified it for your container arrangements?

Photo “better compost” courtesy normanack

"hosta, york me" by Peter Beardsley

Now is a great time to look ahead to the summer season. You will have time to plan and order the needed supplies to create stunning outdoor container arrangements for your clients. It is important to consider the space you are working with when you plan your arrangements, and many establishments may want their container arrangements placed on covered porches.  This poses the particular problem of light.  Many covered porches will not have enough light for sun loving flowers. There are, however, a number of beautiful plants that will not only tolerate, but thrive in the low light conditions. You can create beautiful container arrangements that are perfect for porches.

Hostas

Hostas are an excellent, shade loving plants that are perfect for a porch container.  There are a seemingly endless amounts of varieties. Hostas are attractive because of their lush foliage, that range from broad and deep green to narrow and variegated. They have small, understated flowers that rise above the foliage and are usually light blue or purple in color. Garden Guides suggests planting Hostas singularly in containers and then group different varieties of Hostas together for an arrangement. Garden Guides also suggests ornamental grasses in separate containers or ivy in the same container as companion plants.  Hostas like a lot of water but do not like to remain soggy so be sure to choose a potting mix that will encourage drainage. Also, Hostas vary greatly in size, so be aware of the mature size of the Hosta you are growing and plan accordingly.

Ferns

According to Container Gardening Guide there are 12,000 different varieties of ferns. Ferns also love the shade and can grow well in containers. Ferns have shallow roots systems and should not be planted in pots deeper than 6 inches. If you want to display your fern in a large decorative container, place the pot inside the larger container. You can flip over an empty pot in the bottom of the large container to fill space and act as a stand.  The watering needs of ferns vary greatly, so be sure to follow the growers instructions so that you do not over or under water the ferns. Ferns also grow well singularly in containers. You can place several different varieties in different containers and group them together for an arrangement.  Browse this link for a list of several descriptions of ferns, along with pictures, that are ideal for growing in containers. Ferns can also work well in hanging containers.

Shade Tolerant Flowers

If you want to add color to your porch arrangements, consider some shade tolerant flowering plants. A few options include begonias and impatiens.  Fine Gardening suggests finding some unique varieties of these old standards, such as double impatiens or tuberous rooted begonias with unique foliage. You can pair these with coleus or ivy to make the containers overflow with interesting foliage.

Foliage is the key to making stunning shade tolerant container arrangements. The possibilities and combinations are numerous, and shade loving varieties can be grouped together in showy containers to create a lush environment. As you search for the right container to show off your unique variety of hosta or fern, check out NewPro Containers selection of outdoor containers. Do you have a favorite shade loving plant you like to use in arrangements?

Photo “hosta, york me” courtesy of Peter Beardsley

"Spring is Here" by aussiegall

As winter continues with its dark nights and chilly days, it is exciting to start thinking about the color and warmth spring will bring. Now is the perfect time to plan out and even plant  spring containers. Consider using some of you favorite bulbs in a container to create a cheery springtime display.

Getting Started

To get started first choose the bulbs you want to use then, based on their size, choose a container. NewPro Containers has a great choice of indoor and outdoor containers.  The National Gardening Association suggests you allow for 1 inch between the tip of the bulb and the rim of the container, and a few inches between the bottom of the bulb and the bottom of the pot. For example, if you have a 2 inch bulb, your pot should be at least 6 inches deep; 3 inches of soil, 2 inches for the bulb, and 1 inch between the top of the bulb and the rim.  You can plant several different kinds of bulbs in the same container. Place the larger ones towards the bottom and the smaller bulbs closer to the top, taking care not to place the bulbs on top of one another. Make sure the bulbs that you plant together have relatively similar blooming times. You do not want some plants languishing and turning brown while others are just starting to bloom. If you want to have succesive blossoms plant several different containers each with bulbs that bloom at different times. Place the container that is flowering in the most prominent position.

You can use regular potting mix formulated for houseplants in your container. When you pot the bulbs add fertilizer formulated for bulbs, at the rate specified by the manufaturer to the soil. Once, the bulbs are planted with just the tips showing above the soil, water the container thouroughly. Make sure that your pot is able to drain well. The soil should stay moist, but if it stays soggy the bulbs will rot.

Time to Chill

Depending on what type of bulb you use, it will need a period of 8-14 weeks of cold in order to flower. These temperatures should average between 35 and 40 degrees. If you live in a place that has warmer temperatures, find a cool place to keep your containers such as a garage, basement, or refrigerator. If you live somewhere much colder, if you place the containers outside they could freeze, because they do not have the insulation from the ground.  You can keep the container outside and when freezing temperatures threaten, bring the containers to a cool place indoors, or keep the containers in a space you know will not become very cold. While your bulbs are chilling, be sure to watch the moisture in the soil. If is becomes dry about an inch deep in the container, add water.

Ready For The Move

When the tips of the bulbs begin send up green shoots, you can move the container outside. If it is not warm enough, you can continue to keep the containers in a cool and dark space and this will inhibit growth. The National Gardening Association suggests that once you move the containers outside, if temperatures become warmer than 75 degrees, keep the container shaded. Temperatures warmer than this will encourage the bulbs to grow too quickly and become leggy and top heavy. 

With care and planning you can have beautiful spring bulb containers to greet the warmer weather. Remember to allow for time to chill and monitor the moisture in the containers well so that the bulbs do not rot. What are your favorite spring bulbs? Do you have any container recipes you have found successful?

Plants B/W by dailyinvention

You  have been enjoying lovely indoor plants growing in your windows all winter long. With spring a bit closer you may be antsy to get your hands dirty again and now may be the perfect time. To grow and thrive, plants need to be in a container that allows their roots to take in moisture and nutrients from its growing media.  Your plants may have out grown their living environment and be ready for a change.

How do you know it is time to repot?

It is a good idea to check your plants before the longer days and more sunshine trigger a spring growth spurt. If you see roots poking through the drainage holes, if water runs quickly through the pot because there is no soil left to retain it, if the pot is very light and the plant is top heavy, then it is time to repot.

To get started, a few hours before you plan to transfer the plant, water your plant so that the roots will be less voulnerable when they make the transition. 

Choosing your pot

Next, you need to choose your new pot. Containers are typically measured in diameter, the distance across the top opening. According to Guide to Houseplants, you want to find a pot that that is only one or two  inches larger than your old pot. So, if your plant had been in a four inch container,  the largest container you should transfer the plant to should only be six inches.  If you use a pot larger than this your soil may retain too much water, causing root rot and hindering your plant from thriving. 

 If you are reusing any previously used pots, be sure to disinfect the pot before transferring. This will reduce the risk of transferring pests and diseases from plant to plant.

Now that you have your container and your plant ready for repotting, you can choose your soil mix. You can purchase a  potting mix made specifically for your variety of plant from a landscape or garden store, or you can mix your own. For potting mix ideas see this previous post.

Making the transfer

Now it is time to remove your plant from its old container. Gently tip the container and tap the sides to loosed the soil and roots. Pull the plant out and shake loose any soil. Roots that are coiled on the bottom can be gently pulled straight out or pruned. Plant Care suggests you,

 ”score the rootball vertically with a sharp knife in several places, cutting into the rootball about an inch as you slice from top to bottom.”

These actions will help the roots adjust quickly and begin growing in their new medium.

Next, place a few inches of the potting soil in the bottom of the new container. Now check your plant to make sure it will be at a depth equal to what it was in its old container. You do not want the plant too deep in the container, but you also do not want the root ball to be exposed over the rim. Once your plant is situated correctly fill in the potting soil around it, tamping it down to remove any air pockets.

To finish, water your plant thoroughly.  Guide to Houseplants advises that you not fertilize your plant for the first month in its new home. This will allow the roots to become established and protect them from fertilizer burn.

Now that you know when and how to repot your plants, it is time to find the perfect container. NewPro Containers has an excellent selection of decorative containers perfect for any indoor plant.

Have you repotted any plants lately? What tips and trick do you have for a healthy repotting?

Photo “Plants B/W” courtesy of dailyinvention

"poinsettias in the backyard" by Jan Smith

With Christmas time just around the corner, and all of your plans made and holiday plantscapes carefully crafted  it is time to relax and enjoy the holiday. Grab a cup of eggnog, relax and enjoy as we celebrate the season’s most popular plant with some fun facts, in honor of National Poinsettia Day which happened this week on December 12^th.

 History

The poinsettia was first introduced to the United States by Joel Poinsett. Poinsett was a United States ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s. Botany was also one of his favorite hobbies. He found the plant and brought it home to a greenhouse in South Carolina(University of Illinois Extension.)

 Long before being brought to the United States, the Aztecs prized the poinsettia, calling it Cuetlaxochitl which means flower with leather petals (gomexico.about.com.). They used the red bracts to make dye and to reduce fevers.   In it’s natural habitat, where temperatures remain between 50 and 70 degrees the poinsettia can grow to be a large bush over 10 feet tall.

"Poinsettia" by Robert Nunnally

Sales

According to Living Arts Originals, it was Albert Ecke that first sold the poinsettia on street corners. His son improved the plant through grafting, so that it was fuller and more beautiful as a potted plant. His grandson marketed the plant, sending it to television stations so that it would appear on air during Christmas time.   All of their efforts have paid off and the Ecke family still grows 70% of poinsettias purchased in the United States. 

 With its innovative marketers and natural Christmas red and greens, the poinsettia remains the most popular potted Christmas decoration.  According to University of Illinois Extension$220 million dollars worth of poinsettias are sold during the holiday season. Of that $220 million, 80% are purchased by women.  Also, you don’t have to stick to just red and green anymore. There are over a hundred different varieties of poinsettias with colors including pink, and white. However, keep in mind as you plan your plantscapes, 74% of Americans still prefer red poinsettias. 8% prefer white poinsettias and 6% prefer pink. 

"White Poinsettia" by Liz West

 Long Term Care

Poinsettias are difficult to keep and encourage to bloom again, but if you have the right conditions it is possible. These suggestions come from University of Illinois Extension. Store the plant in a space that stays between 50 and 60 degrees until spring, water just enough to keep the roots from drying. Then in the spring move the plant to a warm room and water regularly. Cut the stems back to about six inches. Provide plenty of sunlight. In the fall the plant should be kept in a space between 60 and 65 degrees. The plant must have 6-8 weeks of long nights in order to flower again.

Planning for Next Year

When you are ready to plan for next year’s poinsettias, be sure to browse the holiday selection at NewPro Containers. They have a variety of containers, including hanging, floor and table top containers that accent the festive beauty of the poinsettia.

 Your Turn to Share

What is your favorite holiday plant? Have you ever cared for a poinsettia year round? What difficulties did you encounter?

You may also be interested in these older posts about poinsettias:  Are Poinsettia Poisonous? Sell a Pot with a Poinsettia