Wildflowers are ideal for cultivation in containers. In addition to a suitable planter, the substrate plays an important role. With the right approach when planting, the wildflowers get an optimal habitat.
How do you plant wildflowers in a container?
To plant wildflowers in a container, you need a sufficiently large planter with a drainage hole, water-retaining substrate such as peat-free potting soil or cocohum mixture and a drainage layer made of pottery shards or expanded clay. Plant the wildflowers in a staggered manner and then water them generously.
Planter
Choose a sufficiently large planter that has at least one drainage hole in the bottom. Excess water can drain away so that waterlogging does not form. Plastic containers are particularly light and can be moved without much effort. The material reduces water evaporation and provides optimal conditions for moisture-loving plants.
Terracotta or clay pots have a porous structure through which water evaporates. They are suitable for plants in dry locations. The moisture on the outside wall provides good growing conditions for mosses and lichens, so you need to clean the pot regularly. Their weight requires more effort when repositioning.
Planting substrate
A water-storing substrate offers plants good growing conditions. Conventional potting soil is suitable for growing wildflowers in containers. Make sure the soil is free of peat. Peat mining endangers important ecosystems, which are not only the habitat of endangered animal and plant species, but also act as a store for carbon dioxide.
Use alternatives like coconut hum. The growing medium consists of dried fine fibers from coconuts. The high strength of the fibers and the good water holding capacity offer potted plants perfect growing conditions. Root growth is promoted by the high air content.
How to mix the perfect plant substrate:
- four parts soaked coconut fibers, bark humus or wood fibers
- 1, 5 parts compost
- Sand and perlite, one part each
Planting instructions
Cover the water drainage holes with a layer of broken pottery or expanded clay. This layer acts as a drainage and ensures that the sensitive roots are not in the water. Fill the bucket about halfway with the planting substrate. Place the plants staggered from each other in the flower box. The taller growing species go to the back of the pot, while the creeping or hanging plants are placed at the front.
Fill the gaps layer by layer with the substrate and press it down well. The roots need this contact with the plant substrate. Fill the flower box with soil to about one centimeter below the edge. Water the plants generously with stale tap water or rainwater.
