When we pot our plant for the first time after getting it from a garden nursery, or repot our houseplant when it has outgrown its container, we have to choose a new container with the right size for our plant.
Using Garden Containers Too Big
When a houseplant gets too large for its container, its roots will start circling around inside the container, and restricting themselves. If our houseplants appear to dry out more quickly than they used to, but are otherwise healthy, the plants are probably pot bound. There are simply too many roots in the container and not enough soil is left to hold and distribute water to the plants.
To fix this problem, simply repot our houseplant into a container an inch or two larger. When choosing a garden container, think about what is good for the plant. Don’t try to save ourselves some work by planting our houseplant in a container too large. The extra soil may keep staying too wet and can smother the roots and lead to root rot.
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Using Garden Containers Too Small
On the other hand, a garden container that is too small crowds roots, and cuts down the ability of the soil to provide moisture, oxygen, and nutrients that are vital for healthy growth.
Outdoor container plants, especially rapidly growing ones such as summer flowering annuals, need adequate space for root development. Small containers restrict root growth, which causes limited top growth. The end result is fewer flowers. And plants with deep-running roots, such as tomatoes, require a container that is much deeper.
So, before we pot our plants, we should do some research and learn more about our plants to ensure that we are using an appropriately sized container for the plants we are growing.
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