Do outdoor plant pots need saucers?

Do outdoor plant pots need saucers?

This week's gardening tips: Unless it's absolutely necessary, avoid placing saucers underneath outdoor container plants. Saucers full of water will keep the soil in the pots too wet, an unhealthy condition for most plants. In addition, saucers full of water provide breeding sites for mosquitoes.

What plants do well in pots outside?

10 Plants for Year-round Containers

1. 'Golden Sword' yucca combines with almost anything. ...
2. 'Green Mountain' boxwood keeps its color all year. ...
3. Golden creeping Jenny is perfect for the edge of the pot. ...
4. 4. Japanese pieris has colorful new growth. ...
5. 'Emerald' arborvitae works where you need some height. ...
6. Bergenia has bold leaves that shine in containers.

Can ceramic pots be used outdoors?

Much like terracotta and clay pots, it is not a good idea to store ceramic pots outside in the winter. While the coating on ceramic pots keeps the moisture out for the most part, small chips or cracks will still allow some in.

How do you fill tall outdoor planters?

How to Fill a Tall Planter

1. Check your planter for a drainage hole at the bottom. ...
2. Fill the bottom half of the planter with space savers instead of potting soil. ...
3. Separate the filler from the soil with a layer of newspaper, cheesecloth or landscaping fabric.
4. Add potting soil to the planter, leaving a few inches at the top. ...
5. Plant your plants.

What can I put in the bottom of my planter for drainage?

Poking sphagnum peat moss or cheesecloth loosely into the drainage holes of your planter won't plug them but will help keep soil particles from washing out. Commercially made discs of coconut fiber, polyester or plastic filled with hydroponic rock also are available to place over drainage holes.

What to fill large pots with?

Options for Lightweight Pot Fillers

• Plastic Water/Soda Bottles.
• Plastic Milk Jugs.
• Plastic Grocery Store Bags.

Will Styrofoam kill plants?

The answer: Not really. In fact, if you are using a pot with little to no drainage, adding Styrofoam packing peanuts could do more harm than good. Deep plant roots can grow into the foam material, and without sufficient drainage, they can become waterlogged and rot or die.

What's the white stuff in potting soil?

Perlite used in soil resembles tiny white plastic foam balls, but it's actually a naturally occurring volcanic glass. When processed for use in potting soil, perlite is heated to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, so that it puffs like popcorn. When it puffs up, it expands to several times its original volume.

How do you fill deep planters?

Choose a high-quality potting soil for your planter box; don't use garden soil. Potting soil is sterile, free from weed seeds and diseases and blended with a material such as pumice or perlite to provide good drainage. Fill the planter box to about 1 inch below its rim. The extra 1 inch allows space for watering.

What do you put under potted plants?

For single pots that have no drainage holes, non-porous materials can provide a barrier between sitting water at the bottom of a pot and the roots themselves. Marbles, gravel or pebbles can act as the barrier.

Is mold on soil bad for plants?

The mold you see growing there is not dangerous, not usually allergenic, and is actually a good thing for your plants and soil.

How do you keep mold from growing in potted plants?

How to prevent mold in houseplant soil

1. Use healthy and sterile soil for all newly acquired plants or when changing the soil. ...
2. Avoid overwatering plants. ...
3. Remove debris (such as dead leaves) from the soil and wipe off dust or dirt from the leaves regularly. ...
4. Provide plenty of light and ventilation to your plants.

Why do my plants keep getting mold?

A white mold growing over the surface of houseplant potting soil is usually a harmless saprophytic fungus. ... Overwatering the plant, poor drainage, and old or contaminated potting soil encourage saprophytic fungus, which feeds on the decaying organic matter in soggy soil.

Does cinnamon repel bugs in garden?

Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon around your plants to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away. They don't like the strong smell of cinnamon, so you can enjoy your garden (even at night) in peace. Alternatively, you can plant a teabag.

Does cinnamon repel aphids?

Fear no more because a mix of just 1% Ceylon Cinnamon Oil with water will kill off those horrible Aphids. Good quality Cinnamon Oil high in Eugenol (at least 75%) is a powerful anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal that can kill off tiny organisms.

Why do I have gnats around my house plants?

Gnats in houseplants are annoying. Known as fungus gnats, they're actually small flies about 1/8-inch long that are drawn to moist potting soil and decaying plant material at the base of indoor plants.