Friday 1 April 2016

Project - Something For The Weekend ...

Good Morning!
Today I thought I'd share something a little different to usual, It's a project for anyone to try whether they're a beginner gardener or more experienced! All you need are the following items from the list below, for the plants I've chosen to use for this display I preferred to use a shallow container.

WHAT YOU NEED -
* Pot / Container
* Potting Grit & John Innes no.2 Compost
* Sempervivum & Echeveria elegans (easily available from Garden Centres)
TIP - These plants produce 'off sets' which can be easily removed and placed into individual pots producing extra plants at no extra cost! In fact all the plants I have used today were one's that I propagated myself last year from just one plant of each type.

The above plants need good drainage so before planting up the container place a crock over the drainage hole and add a good layer of Potting Grit. 


Mix some John Innes no.2 Compost with some Potting Grit and place this on top of the bottom layer.
To get an idea of how many plants you can fit in before planting up empty each plant from it's pot and place in the container. Try not to place the plants too close together as they need a little space to grow.
TIP - Ensure plants are well watered before planting up into a display. For the plants mentioned in today's post place them on a saucer and water them from the bottom instead of overhead.


Fill in the gaps between plants with another mix of grit and compost, firming in as you go. 


Finally add a top layer of Potting Grit and remove any stray pieces from the surface of the plants. This can be a little fiddly so using an old soft toothbrush gently may work better than your fingers, however be careful not to scratch the surface of the plants too much.


The plants in today's display are hardy and can cope with low temperatures, but not the wet. 
This display would be perfect for the middle of a patio table now and during Summer as the height won't be disruptive amongst guests or block a view! 
However if rain is predicted do pop them under some form of cover to avoid it falling on the plants, which can lead to them rotting. When it comes to watering do as I suggested earlier and place the container onto a saucer. Water from beneath moderately and not at all when they are dormant in winter.
It's the perfect display for anyone that tends to forget to water their plants!

TIP - Once the plants start to produce off sets and look a little crowded in the container, remove the newly formed offsets and pop them into individual pots. Not only will this give you extra plants for another display but it also keeps your display looking at it's best!

If you decide to give this display a go yourself why not share some photo's of it with me?
HAPPY GROWING!
XXX

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