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Re: Growing perennials in pots???

Nan Sterman wrote:

>I am interested in what perennials people grow in pots :--

>What are most successful perennials to grow in pots in your region
Where I live,almost anything can be grown well in a suitably sized
pot.  Lilies, palms, Camellias, Rhododendrons - even roses.  I prefer
to use 'special' plants for this treatment: coloured, hybrid
Zantedeschias, good forms of Hibiscus, really big, standard (tree)
Fuchsias a few palms plus one or two really nice grasses and bamboos.
The lower growing species and hybrid Diascias make excellent pot
subjects since they can get a bit lost in the open border.  Many show
their tendency to tumble over the sides of the pot to great effect - a
virtue that is lost when the plants are grown in open ground.
Furthermore, certain types prefer full sun during winter, spring and
autumn  but need partial shade in summer.  Keeping them in pots
enables me to move them around according to their needs.

> What kinds of pots do you use and why
I use plastic (fake terra cotta look-a-likes) and real terra cotta.
The plastic pots are more practical because they retain water for
longer - during the summer, this is especially important if I cannot
get home to water the plants again at lunch time.  The 'real' thing
looks infinitely better, rapidly developing lichen and mossy
encrustations which help create an 'aged' look.  Owing to their
porosity, terra cotta pots are not suitable for drought intolerant
perennials since even large pots dry out in a few hours at the moment.
I have a few glazed, imported Korean planters, but I find such things
a bit too strident for my tastes.  They hold water a bit better than
the ordinary crock-types though.  

>How do you select the perennials for the pots
The plants need to have an especial value or merit - either
architecturally, for their ability to flower very freely or on account
of their comparative rarity.  I like to see big 'tubs' of Agaves,
Cannas and certain palms - Brahea armata and Butia yatay look very
fetching as young plants grown this way. 

>What soil and fertilizers do you use
Always loam based composts - we have specially formulated types that
have been around for years in the UK.  These are the result of
research conducted by the John Innes Institute.  They contain slow
release fertilizers, high quality loam and are far superior to
'soil-less' types which 'run out of steam' in a matter of months.  My
favourite additional fertilizer is Miracle Grow which I buy in
ever-increasing quantities.

>How often/when do you fertilize
Depending upon the vigour and requirement of the plant, once per week
at the very least, although extremely vigorous specimens are fed every
other day.  I keep Brugsmanias in large pots and these are treated in
the same way as Tomatoes - lots and lots of water, liquid feed every
other day.  The results can be impressive to say the least.

>WHY do you choose to grow perennials in pots (as opposed to in the ground)
They give accent and structure to a particular position.  Also, I have
several areas where it would be impossible to plant directly into the
ground.   Pot culture enables me to create optimum conditions for a
single plant - very useful if it is demanding with rather specialized
requirements.

>Do the perennials last in pots as long as they do in the ground?  Are
>there other differences in the ways they grow?
After the first year's surge of growth, they often slow down, but if
the top few inches of compost is replaced every spring, I find that
growth is nearly a vigorous as during the first year.  Generally, I
find that a total repot involving the removal by washing, of all old
soil, trimming back the roots and replanting in fresh compost is
necessary every 5 - 7 years.  This way the plants can be kept almost
indefinitely.  

David Poole
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