Maintaining Your Garden sPOT

Keep your Garden sPOT looking great all season long, there are loads of tips on this page, but If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

Visit our YouTube page for lots of quick videos on plant care. We have playlists on herbs, watering, pruning, fertilizing and more.

We have a fun infographic that will help you with basic maintenance steps. Download it here!

WATER THE SOIL, NOT THE LEAVES

We recommend placing your hose at the base of the plants, on the surface of the soil. Sprinkling water from the top often means that the foliage directs water away from the roots and maybe even out of the pot!  Additionally, wet leaves encourage plant diseases.  

CHECK THE SOIL BEFORE YOU WATER

Container gardens need water more often than in-ground gardens. Containers generally have more plants per square foot, which means plant roots have limited space in which to collect water. However, if you don’t allow the soil to dry a bit between waterings, plants can get root rot or soil fungus may grow.

Check every day to see if the top half inch of soil is dry. Push your finger into the soil, up to the first joint. If the soil feels dry, it is time to water. It’s best to check in the morning – to ensure plants have enough water for the day, but still have a chance to dry before night.

When the temperature is below 80° F, every 2-3 days is usually sufficient for watering. If the temperature is above 90° degrees, you may need to water every day, and for full sun and edible gardens, you may need to water again in the late afternoon.

WATER SLOWLY

When you pour an inch or two of water quickly on the surface, it may be deceiving – everything looks wet, so you think you are done, but the water hasn’t had a chance to seep down to the roots at the bottom of the soil.  We recommend adding water slowly to give all the soil in the pot a chance to soak up water.  Keep adding small amounts of water while you see it still moving down into the soil. When you see the water puddling on the surface for a second or two before being absorbed, it’s time to stop. 

If your container dries out too much, the soil may pull away from the inside edges of the pot. When this happens, water will run down the gap between soil and pot and right out the bottom. The easiest way to solve the problem is to set your hose on a very low trickle, place it in the center of the plants, and leave it in the pot for 20-30 minutes. The soil will expand as it absorbs moisture and you should be able to go back to your regular watering routine.

REMOVE OLD FLOWERS & DEAD LEAVES

Dead leaves and flower heads invite plant diseases. Pinch off or clip spent flowers and leaves that are wilted or have spots. Removing flowers once they are just past their prime also encourages more flowers to form. If you have many dead or wilted leaves at the same time, you may be over watering or under watering. Water slowly and thoroughly and allow the top ½ inch of soil to dry between waterings.

FEED YOUR PLANTS

Most potting mix is just ground bark, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite. It does not contain the nutrients that your plants need. Even if a brand of potting mix includes some fertilizer, it will only last about 3 months.

You’ll want to add fertilizer to keep your planters looking their best. You can use water-soluble plant food every time you water. You can also use a time-release food that will last for several months. Organic fertilizers come in both forms but may not last as long. ALWAYS read the package for important application instructions.

PREPARE FOR BAD WEATHER

Heavy rain events can cause some soil to wash out of container gardens. You may want to move your Garden sPOTS to a covered area to avoid getting soil on your deck or patio. If this does happen, simply hose off the area, or allow the soil to dry and sweep it away. It is not necessary to add more potting soil unless plant roots have been exposed. Your Garden sPOTS pot is heavy enough to resist typical summer winds, but in the event of hurricane force winds, you should secure the container to make sure it does not blow over. Garden sPOTS containers are constructed to resist cracking in freezing weather. However, most Garden sPOTS plants will not survive past the first frost unless covered or moved to a sheltered location. If you are using your own ceramic or stone pots, plants and soil should be removed before winter to avoid cracking.

CARING FOR TOMATOES & PEPPERS

OVERVIEW

SUN: Vegetable plants need at LEAST 6 hours of sunlight every day. More sun is even better. If your plant is producing long stems but yellow leaves or no flowers after the first month, look for a sunnier spot for the pot. If the pot is up against the house, you may need to rotate the it every few days to get adequate sun all the way around.

STARTER FERTILIZER: Vegetables need more fertilizer than herbs or flowering annuals, especially in pots. Garden sPOTS’ suggests a blend of organic, well-aged compost and professional potting mix. If you are potting up your own vegetables, the ratio of compost to mix is 1:2. The potting mix improves drainage while the compost holds water and acts as a slow-release fertilizer. When potting, we also add an organic granulated fertilizer that feeds during the first 4-6 weeks.

ONGOING FERTILIZER: After the first month, the plants will need more fertilizer. Add a water soluble, organic fertilizer to your watering can according to the directions on the fertilizer package. Use a fertilizer formulated for vegetables. Continue fertilizing your vegetable plant as long as it is producing flowers.

Tomatoes also have a special need for calcium. If you don’t have a fertilizer that says it is formulated for tomatoes, you can use eggshells to add calcium to the pot along with the first dose of fertilizer. Wash the insides and dry the shells from 2-3 eggs then crush them and add to the top inch of potting mix. You can also water every few weeks with the cooled water you have used to boil eggs. 

WATER: Be careful not to overwater vegetable plants. Push your finger into the pot each morning – if the top inch of soil is dry, it is time to water. If it is not dry, check again later in the day; but don’t water after about 4-5 pm. You want to give the soil surface time to dry before the sun goes down. When the temperature is above 90◦ F, you may need to water in the morning and the afternoon. But again, be sure the top of the soil is dry before watering again.

CLEANUP: Keep your planter free of debris that can bring fungus and unwanted insects. Remove fallen or yellowing leaves from the plant promptly. Check the undersides of leaves and stems every few days for plant-damaging insects and remove them by hand. NEVER use pesticides on vegetable plants – they hurt the good pollinators just as much as they hurt the harmful insects, and they can leave residue you don’t want to eat! The good thing about a pot of plants (instead of a huge garden full) is that it is easy to monitor for and remove damaging pests like slugs and tomato hornworms.

SUPPORT: Support stems with fruit by twining or gently tying them to a cage or tripod.  

HARVEST:

Tomatoes: Use scissors to remove large tomatoes from the plant. Cherry tomatoes will often pop off in your hand. There are two schools of thought on the best time to harvest your tomatoes. 

Option 1: Pick your fruit when it reaches a lovely red shade and is a little soft to the touch. (A very soft tomato is over ripe.) This tomato is ready to eat immediately and will be delicious!

Option 2: Pick the tomato just before it reaches peak color (85-90%) and is still firm. Tomatoes will continue to ripen nicely on your kitchen counter away from direct sunlight. Do NOT put them in the refrigerator. Picking them a couple of days early helps avoid cracking and splitting. This option gives you a little more control over the ripening process. It’s particularly helpful if you’re expecting a lot of rain. Excess water can cause ripe and almost-ripe tomatoes to split.

Peppers: Use scissors to remove peppers from a plant.

Jalapeño: Pick when the pepper is about 3” long. Jalapeños start deep green and eventually turn red. There is some debate over whether or not jalapeños get hotter as they turn red but the flavor may become somewhat “sweeter.”

Poblano: Typically, poblanos are harvested when they are 4-6” long and dark, glossy green. If you want to dry your poblanos (they’re known as Ancho peppers when dry) or if you want a little more heat, wait until the pepper turns red.

Sweetie Pie: These are small, snackable peppers and can be harvested when green or red. The peppers will be 2.5 to 3 inches.