5 tricks gardeners use for healthier containers

When container-grown plants receive the right amount of light, moisture and nutrients, they're usually care-free. Here's some tips on growing healthy and beautiful container gardens.

• Salt buildup in the soil is a unique problem to container plants.
• You can spot it by its whitish deposits on the rim of the pot. These spots sometimes appear on the soil's surface as well.
• Some salts are always present in municipal water supplies. If potting soil becomes too salty, the plants will not be able to take up the moisture and nutrients they need.
• Accumulated salts can burn stems and leaves.
• Make a habit of flushing containers every few weeks by flooding them with water. Drench them again an hour or so later. This dissolves accumulated soil salts, although you may still see residue on containers.
• In winter or whenever containers are empty, take the time to scrub away crystallized salt deposits with warm water and a stiff brush.

• Every blossom counts in the small world of a container garden. It's important to do everything you can to encourage the development of bud-bearing stems.
• With annual flowers, pinching or clipping off old blossoms is crucial to prolonging their flowering.
• When entire stems appear to have borne their last bud, clip them off to force out a new flowering stem.

• When deadheading old blossoms or removing old stems, always use scissors or pruning shears.
• Don't tug at the plants with your fingers. Even modest pulling can injure roots.
• Plants are particularly vulnerable in containers filled with light-textured potting soil.

• Don't be afraid to control the shape of your plants. You may discover pruning tricks that might make a plant healthier or more attractive.
• Many gardeners elevate this process into a true art form, as seen in tightly sculpted topiary and dramatic bonsai.
• You can prune long-lived vines, shrubs and trees using the same methods used for plants growing in the ground.
• Thinning, heading back and shearing can all be used to shape plants growing in containers.

It's not always practical to move a plant into a larger pot. To save space in the garden, as plants become rootbound, they can be unpotted and root pruned. Finish off by potting them in the same container again.

Because we keep them in places we visit almost daily, make checking container plants part of your daily routine. Check their needs for water and other small problems that can be spotted quickly and fixed straightaway.