How to Pot Flowers

Overview

Flowers will grow in anything if properly cared for with a steady amount of nutrients and the right amount of light. Container gardening allows you the opportunity to change the look of your garden simply by switching the positions of your pots. Getting the right results in potted flowers takes just a few basic steps.

Step 1

Start with a clean container. If reusing a pot, make sure it has been washed with soap and water and dried. Diseases can linger in dirty pots and affect new plants. Make sure your pot has at least one drainage hole in the bottom.

Step 2

Place non-biodegradable packing peanuts, gravel or clay pot pieces to cover the bottom of your pot. This layer will aid drainage, help get oxygen to the roots and keep your soil from spilling out of the hole.

Step 3

Fill the pot halfway with a quality soil specially formulated for potting. Most potting soil is made up of perlite, bark mulches and peat moss, which keeps it lighter than garden dirt.

Step 4

Remove your seedling or mature plant by holding it upside down and tapping on the bottom of the pot until the plant comes loose. If the plant is root-bound, that is the roots have formed the shape of the pot in the potting soil or are sticking out through the drainage holes, then gently pull the roots apart, allowing them to be free from the mass.

Step 5

Place your flowers in the pot. If you're planting multiple flowers in one pot, now is the time to move plants around to meet your aesthetic taste. Place tallest flowers either in the center or in what will be the back of your pot.

Step 6

Fill the pot the rest of the way with potting soil just covering the roots. Water and add more soil if it settles below the root line.