Clean up the composition: remove broken stems, leaves and withered flowers. Pinch the long stems that need to branch out.

watering

If your pots take advantage of the rain, watering will be necessary in summer, if the rains are not at the rendezvous.
Daily watering can become a chore, and in this case, install an automatic watering, the drip of your pots is interesting, especially if they are many and especially if you go on vacation during this summer period.
The drip system is made from a hose, connected to drippers placed in the different pots.
You can also use water retenters, plant in the pot, or mix with the substrate.
In winter , water only if foliage collapses and softens after a mild, dry period.
Insummer , water from underneath the pot. Better, totally immerse the root ball in the water, let well drain and remove the excess water that could remain in the saucer.
In the case of pots with water reserve, do not fill the reserve with each watering, always wait a few days after it has emptied to water again.

NB : If you water your potted plants with a spray or a watering can, be careful not to bare the roots, or to damage them under the power of the jet.

Do your potted plants need water?

To know the water requirements of your potted plant, touch the surface soil. It should not dry out to the point of not sticking to the pot. Then water from the top of the pot, 1 to 2 times a week depending on the ambient temperature and the state of dehydration of the plants.

Fertilization, fertilizer inputs

The substrate of the pot is exhausted over time, it is not enriched as the full ground by the action of soil microorganisms. These break down organic matter : dead leaves, vegetable and animal waste … and return it to the nutrient roots.
Thus, it is important to fertilize the potted plants, the best is to use slow release fertilizers: the fertilizer rods are inserted directly into the substrate, at the time of planting and ensures fertilization for a long time.
Otherwise use liquid fertilizers to add to the irrigation water regularly, especially during the growing and flowering period of the plant. Respect the winter rest of most plants, by not bringing them more fertilizer before the return of the beautiful days.

Finally, if the plant shows signs of weakness despite regular watering and sufficient fertilization, it is time to change the pot for a larger one. Then proceed to the potting by completely renewing the substrate.

Prevent diseases of potted plants

To avoid any risk of disease and contamination, it is important to keep clean containers. Start by removing all your damaged pots. Break them up and keep the shards for the drainage of your big bins. Clean the pots in a bath of antibacterial dishwashing liquid and brush them. Then dip them in very diluted bleach. Soak in clear water to renew several times; for that, do not hesitate to leave them in the rain. Finally, let them dry before putting them away.

Repot a houseplant or balcony

Potting is essential to keep a potted plant as long as possible. It is a question of renewing the cultivation substrate of the plant which is exhausted and to provide, if the plant has not reached its mature size, a larger container which helps its development.

When to repot a plant?

A potted plant needs to be potted when: the roots come out through the drainage holes, the foliage looks big compared to the pot or the new leaves are smaller.
Potting potted plants, from indoor plants to balconies, in the late winter to early spring, when the plants come out of their vegetative rest, and they will resume their growth. We then repot them in a larger pot (2-3 cm in diameter).
In the case of an adult plant, we will not change pot (or at least the size of the pot), we will just renew the substrate as much as possible, every 2-3 years on average.
NB : Do not repot a flowering plant.

How to repot a plant: the steps

1. In the new pot (a little larger than the old one), install a drainage bed (clay balls, shards of terracotta pots, gravel …) 5-6 cm thick. In the case of a pot with water reserve, the drainage bed is useless, the reserve playing this role.
   Tip : choose a terracotta pot that is wider than it is deep for plants that are sensitive to excess water, and rather a plastic or enamelled terracotta pot for plants that require more water.
2. Cover it with a geotextile felt, which you will make up the edges along the pot.
3. Then fill the pot with the appropriate substrate.
4. Depot the plant: tap the bottom of the pot, push a stake through the drainage hole and if you really have trouble removing the root ball from its container, immerse in a bucket of water for one hour.
5. Carefully grasp the edge of the clod.
6. Place the plant in the center of the new pot, fill the voids with the same potting soil. Tamp with your fingers on the sides to maintain the plants.
7. Water abundantly, let drain well then straw the surface soil to keep it moist. Enrich the soil of green plants with a dose of dried blood or roasted horn, and for flowering plants, organic fertilizer for strawberries or tomatoes

Surfacing large bins

In the case of large pots or bins (> 40cm in diameter), where to deposit the plant is delicate, just replace the first ten centimeters of potting soil . Grab the old potting soil and replace it with new ones.