Hedge Garden Design & Nursery

Container Care & Topiary Workshops

Here are some general guidelines for looking after your pot plants and topiary. You can grow almost any plant in a container – but they do need regular care to thrive.

Water:

  • Water thoroughly - one bucket of water/plant every 3 days through summer, windy and dry spells. This will make a tremendous difference to your plants.
  • Water once a week through winter if your plants are under roof eaves or on a veranda.
  • Move plants into a sheltered shaded spot when you go on holiday.

Food:

  • Apply a slow release fertiliser eg Osmocote once a year in spring.
  • Apply a topdressing fertiliser eg Osmoform or Nitrophoska Blue twice a year, in September & February.

Potting Mix:

  • Use a good quality potting mix that contains a slow release fertiliser eg Osmocote. The fertiliser will last 9 months, after which you will need to add more slow release fert annually in spring.
  • The soil structure itself should last several years. Generally, pot up only if you want to increase the size of your plant.

Other Maintenance:

  • Choose plants that are suitable for your situation, and a disease resistant variety.
  • Weed regularly – don’t let weeds flower & go to seed. Make sure you pull out their roots.
  • Generally spray when you first see any signs of insects or damage. Roses are the exception, and we recommend you follow a regular spraying regime.
  • Prune first to remove dead, diseased or insect damaged foliage; then to improve structure, shape and flowering/fruiting.

A Word on Natural vs Chemical Fertilisers

The general rule of thumb for using chemical vs organic products, is to use natural/organic fertilisers in the garden and chemical fertilisers in pots.

This is because of the abundance of organisms in the ground, that feed on natural products and break them down into a form that can be taken up by plants. Yes you can use manufactured fertiliser for plants in the ground - but the problem is that the chemicles will only feed the plants and not the organisms. So the worms etc will eventually die or move elsewhere in search of food. These orgsanisms are vital for long term plant health, aerating the soil, and forming part of your garden's food chain etc. So your plants in the ground may do well to start with chemical fertilisers; but longer term the garden will not thrive.

However: these organisms, like worms, don't come in potting mix - so nutrients in an accessible manufactured form have to be added to pots. So it is OK, in fact preferable, to use chemical fertilisers for plants in pots.

Workshops on Topiary, Standards & Pot Plants

We hold an annual Container Plant Care Workshop in Autumn. This is a fun and practical session where we share some tips & insights from commercial growers, and try to answer any questions you may have about your pot plants. Please contact for bookings or enquiries.

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