Refurbish your potted plant collection

Amarjeet  Batth

Giving a “rain bath” to indoor plants, especially the exotic and delicate plants is very essential.  Keeping the pots outside in rain for a couple of days will rejuvenate the foliage and activate the root system. Plants like aglaonema's, dieffenbachia, pothos (money plant), schefflera, dracaena, syhgonium, philodendrum are popular choices for lovers of indoor plants. These plants are native s of tropical humid region where they grow and flourish in rains under the canopy of tall trees with filtered direct light.  In the sub-tropical plains of North India, the dusty weather , especially during summer months, leads to accumulation of dust on the leaves of these exotic plants. This hampers  photosynthesis. Therefore, it is essential to remove dust with a  soft brush or spray of water for indoor plants because they are already growing in low or indirect sunlight. In monsoons , however, weather conditions are favourable for these plants, so a gardener must cash in on the rain showers for the benefit of these plants.

Pots give mobility to these plants and it is easy to shift these plants to a location with  better growing conditions in different weathers. So both rotation of pot on its own axis and rotation from inside to outside both are important for the health of the plant.

While it is the time to take care of the existing plants, rainy season is also the best time to add new plants to your collection as the survival rate of plants is much higher in this time.  

Selection of size

Pots are available in various shapes and sizes and are should be chosen considering the growth potential of the plant. A pot looks impressive when  plant foliage covers the entire pot. A pot of 10”-12” diameter pots is the most suitable for most plants. Plants with shallow roots do not need deep pots. Orchids require perforated pots for good aeration and moisture while Ferns thrive well in shallow pots. 

Earthenware pots should be preferred as porous clay allows good aeration and moisture.

Preparing the pot 

Before planting a plant, ensure the drainage hole of the pot at its base is open and covered with broken pieces of earthen pots which allow the drainage of excess water and also prevents blockage of the hole with pot medium. A drain plate at the base of the pots collects excess water and prevents spillage.

Potting

Soak new pots in water for a few minutes and then allow them to dry.  Moisten the pot mixture to facilitate its setting in the pot. Settle the pot mixture in layers and gently press each layer so that the soil get well settled but does not become hard. Keep the soil mixture lower by one inch from top of the rim to accommodate water. After planting give light but deep irrigation and administer anti-termite treatment of Cholorpyrphos 20 EC by dissolving 2 ml in one liter of water

Irrigation

Plants in pots require more careful irrigation than those planted in flower beds. There is a general tendency of watering plants in pots every day. But this may not be good for all plants in all the seasons. Remeber to water the plant only when the top surface of pot mixture appears dry. Be careful in monsoon and irrigate only on need basis. Keep the soil moist not water logged. 

Fertilisers

Annuals in the pot require fertilisation at regular time interval depending upon the growth stage of the plant. Soluble fertiliser NPK (20:20:20)  at the rate of two grams per liter of water is beneficial. 

Maintenance

Ventilation, sunlight, irrigation and temperature are primary area of concern for all pot ted plants. Regular hoeing improves aeration, over or under watering often damages the  plant.

Pot mixture

A pot mixture is prepared by mixing 

• two parts of garden soil
• one part leaf-mould (if available)
• half part sand
• half part farmyard manure
• 60 grams of DAP per cubic meter of pot soil.
• Add superphosphate, ammonium sulphate and murates of potash in the pot mixture