Have you also fallen in love with the beautiful, pink flowers of loosestrife. You often find this ornamental plant in lakes, ponds or meadows. But even if you only have one balcony, you don't have to do without the plant. We explain what you need to pay attention to when keeping pots.
How do I cultivate purple loosestrife in a container?
To cultivate purple loosestrife in a container, choose a sunny location, a large container and wet garden soil mixed with compost and sand. Place the bucket on a water-filled base to ensure waterlogging and avoid constant watering.
Tips for choosing a location
The purple loosestrife not only grows into an attractive ornamental plant in the garden bed. You can also cultivate it in a bucket. However, the plant is less suitable for the apartment unless you can offer it a sun-drenched room. Loosestrife loves sunny locations. In the shade it grows slowly and only develops flowers modestly. A bright, warm terrace with a southern orientation is also best suited for the pot.
The right pot size
With sufficient light and proper care, loosestrife can grow up to 2 m in height. Accordingly, it develops an extensive root ball. Therefore, choose a large bucket. If necessary, you may even have to repot the plant.
Demands on the substrate
The purple loosestrife feels most comfortable near water. It requires a permanently moist to wet substrate. Wet soil is very important, especially when kept in containers, as the plant has no opportunity to supply itself with groundwater. As a rule, conventional garden soil (€10.00 on Amazon) is sufficient as a substrate. Mix in a little sand and make sure it has a humus-rich consistency. Also remember that purple loosestrife prefers to be in the blazing sun. Accordingly, the substrate dries out quickly. To save yourself a little work when watering, it's best to mix some compost into the soil or apply a layer of mulch. These components store water and keep the substrate moist longer.
Tip
Unlike many other ornamental plants, purple loosestrife copes well with waterlogging. By placing the bucket on a base filled with water, it is always sufficiently supplied. This saves you the constant watering.
