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How to Plant in Containers Sunken Into the Ground
How to Plant in Containers Sunken Into the Ground. There are several reasons to use sunken containers for planting. You can plant your tropical plants outside in the summer into these containers. This way the roots are contained so that when you are ready to bring the plants back inside, you can just lift the plant in the pot without damaging the...
There are several reasons to use sunken containers for planting. You can plant your tropical plants outside in the summer into these containers. This way the roots are contained so that when you are ready to bring the plants back inside, you can just lift the plant in the pot without damaging the roots and possibly shocking the plant.
Planting in sunken containers is also a way to plant into an area with poor soil, or maybe to keep an invasive plant in bounds. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you use sunken containers.
Things You'll Need
Gravel
Potting Soil
Clay plant containers with drainage holes
Prepare a clay plant pot with drainage holes that you want to sink into the ground in the same way as you would any potted plant. Use clay since it will allow moisture to evaporate. Place a 2-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of larger pots. Fill it with a light-weight potting soil or when the time comes to lift the pot from the ground, you won't be able to lift it.
Dig the hole for your plant pot. Plan to dig the hole just big enough for the pot to sit in with the top edge just about half an inch above the soil line. For invasive plants like mint, make sure the sides of the pot are at least 12 inches deep. Set your pot in place and then fill in the soil around the edges.
Plant your desired plants into the pot after it has been sunk into the ground, just as if you were planting directly into the soil. Pull back the soil to make a hole, set the plant in, matching the soil lines and then packing the dirt in around it. The pot will retain more moisture than if it were just sitting outside and the drainage will also be a little slower so there will be less chance of the plants drying out during the heat of summer.
Lift the pots of warm-weather plants when the nights start to get cool and rinse off the outside of the pot. Place them on a water-collecting tray and start to bring them indoors during the evenings. Acclimate them to the indoors by leaving them inside for longer and longer--bringing them out only during the warmth of the midday sun, for about two weeks. Keep them inside in a warm sunny spot until the next spring.
Tips & Warnings
Don't forget to fertilize your potted plant.
