How to Pot a Plant

This method for potting a plant is the best for almost all plants in any size pot.

Watch the how-to video here!

What you need:

You only need 4 things to get this done; A pot, saucer, rock, and potting soil.  The saucer is important because it will prevent water from getting on the floor, even if your pot is outdoors this will help conserve water and keep it from getting into places it shouldn’t.

Start with your container:

Make sure you buy a pot with a hole in the bottom.  The hole will allow excess water through so that it doesn't sit in the pot and rot out your roots.  If your pot doesn't have holes, we recommend you drill or poke a hole in it, when you are drilling a hole in your pot it is very important that you are using the correct drill bit.  We recommend a mason bit and that it be very sharp, preferably as close to new as possible as you can crack terra cotta, and clay pots easily, let the drill do the cutting you don’t want to be pushing on it and applying too much pressure.  

Tip: Some Nurseries and garden centers will drill drainage holes for you if you are nervous.

Use a rock that's slightly larger than the hole. The rock will prevent soil from washing out through the hole but it won't seal it completely, which will still allow for proper drainage. For pots with multiple holes in the bottom, you can use a piece of window screen to cover the whole bottom of the pot, or you can use a couple layers of rocks, even a shade cloth or weed fabric will work.  You want something durable that still allows water to pass through it.

It's important to use a well draining potting soil.  Potting soil is typically lighter weight, and has water retaining capabilities which is important when planting in a pot.  Don't use soil from your garden outside because you don't want to introduce any potential bacteria, insects or diseases into your pot.  Here's the soil we used Kelloggs Patio Mix 

Because Pots are lifted out of the ground that makes the roots exposed to more air and sun then they would typically be if they were simply planted in the ground.  This puts a premium importance on moisture levels and water retention for our potted plants.

Start by filling the pot about half way up and lightly pat it down, this compacts the soil which minimizes settling and also eliminates potential air pockets that may have formed.

Use the small pot to measure how much soil to put in the pot.  The top of the soil line in the small pot should be two inches below the rim of the new pot. The soil line is the natural point in which a plant grows out of the ground.  We don’t want soil to be above that point because the water that is retained in the soil may start rotting the plant stem.  We leave 2 inches because it will prevent water from flowing over when watering the plant.

Grab the base of the flower and squeeze all sides of the plastic pot to release the root ball.  The smaller the plant, the more gentle you need to be.  Please don’t throw away your plastic pot. Most nursery or garden centers will gladly recycle them for you, some will even give you a credit for ones you bring back.

When you see the roots like this, it means the plant is becoming root bound.  Root bound is when the roots grow into the shape of the pot and entangle within each other. When this happens, the plant growth can become stunted and will not grow to its full potential.  In extreme cases, the plant could die.  This is why it's important to pot up your plants.

Place the plant in the pot and finish filling it up with soil, again, leaving 2 inches of space below the rim.

Give it a drink of water and you're done!   

TIP:  A good way to tell if you are watering a newly planted pot enough for the first time, you want to water a little bit, then let it settle, then water a little bit more, and let it settle and keep going until you see water coming out the bottom of the pot.  This ensures that all of the soil in the container is moist.