How many plants should you put in a window box?
The size of your container and the types of plants you are using make a difference. “Most plants will grow 3 to 4 times larger by the end of the season, so leaving some room for growth is important,” says Sue. Sue recommends using 5 to 7 plants in a 24” window box depending on the varieties you select..
To determine how many plants to purchase to fill up the window box, use the rule of thirds. This tenet of design says that the eyes break spaces into thirds. Choose an odd number of plants — three, five or seven.
Generally, using three or four plants in 10 to 12-inch planters, four to six plants in 14 to 16-inch planters and six to eight plants in 16 to 20-inch planters will fill out containers nicely while allowing room for the plants to grow without excessive crowding.
Details. 36" Window Box Planter with attached liner. Holds nine side plants, nine top edging plants and three 6" or gallon size centerpiece plants.
Petunias, geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, and begonias are good choices for main-theme flowers. Fill in with things like inch plant, ivy, euonymus, heather, or vinca, which will cascade over the edge of the box. Impatiens do well in shady locations. More subtle choices include coleus, heliotrope, and salvia.
Simply topping off your window boxes yearly will encourage shallow rooting because plants grow best in newer potting soil, and deep rooting encourages the best growth. To avoid all of these problems, your potting mix should be replaced every two years or so.
For a 2′ window box, use 2-3 geraniums, for a 3′ window box use 3-4 geraniums. In between the main plants, put in a filler plant- something that stays lower and more compact such as lobelia, calibrachoa, compact verbenas, flowering vinca or petunias.
Editor's tip: For the best visual effect, your window box should be at least as wide as the window but should not extend more than three inches beyond the trim on each side.
Absolutely, multiple houseplants can be planted in one container. Think about it. In the garden, we regularly combine different plants together. If you've ever bought or received a basket of live plants for a gift, you will see that the florist combined several plants.
With 3 inch seed/plant spacing needs, you can grow 16 plants in a 1 square foot area.
How many plants is too many in a container?
General Guidelines for plant quantities in traditional spacing: 10 to 12-inch diameter container – use 3 plants. 14 to 16-inch diameter – use 4 to 6 plants. 16 to 20-inch diameter – use 6 to 8 plants.
A minimum of 8 inches in depth and 8 inches from front to back is required to have enough room for a selection of plants. Larger–say a foot in depth and width–is even better, particularly if you want to include a lot of plants and want them to fill out enough to overflow the box.
A 30cm (12") patio container will comfortably accommodate about 6-8 plants, slightly less for strong-growing plants.
In addition to drilled holes, stones and gravel are essential to proper drainage of windowboxes. Put a two- to three-inch layer of pea gravel or pebbles in the bottom of the planter. This will allow water to filter through the soil and gravel before passing through the drilled holes.
Improve water retention.
"The pebble barrier stops the evaporation of water from the soil," the expert explains. "They are a great way to absorb excess water in a container, but also to release water when the pot is drying out. This combined with a top dressing is a natural way to aid your plant's water consumption."
Just line the bottom of your planter with newspaper or brown paper grocery bags. The paper will allow the water to drain while keeping the dirt from falling out. Also the paper will retain moisture, so less frequent watering needed.
Make your own growing medium or use a potting mix, such as our Wilson's Potting Mix. A north-south orientation is best for low-growing crops, allowing direct sunlight to reach both sides of the bed. For taller crops such as pole beans, peas and tomatoes an east west orientation works best.
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Here are some edible plants you can grow that aren't just herbs:
- Strawberry.
- Aloe.
- Calendula.
- Nasturtium.
- Borage.
Most houseplants are tropical and make ideal residents for a terrarium. Miniature ferns, peperomias, African violets, and some orchids are all good candidates. Many woodland plants and mosses are also right at home under glass.
Tall and small flowers that complement one another shine in a springtime window box assortment. Be careful, though, when watering window-box gardens, Trinklein said. "Most plants die from overwatering in containers, but window boxes can dry out quickly from exposure to wind and hot weather," he said.
Should I water my window boxes every day?
Soil in shallow window boxes dries out quickly. Keep soil moist and encourage roots to grow by watering daily.
How many plants per window box? The number of plants you can put in your window planter box depends on its size but aesthetically speaking, you should keep your plant and flower choices to a maximum of three. Nevertheless, it's still up to you and your preference.
They're generally low maintenance, but they need good air circulation to thrive. The care of each geranium will vary, but a good rule of thumb is to plant them in soil that drains well, at least 30 cm apart.
Keep your plant choices to one, maybe two or three at an absolute maximum (and then only if they relate closely to each other, such as a light pink and a dark pink petunia) and then plant every box the same.
The Dangers Of Planting Too Close Together
If you plant flowers too close together, the plants get stressed and are prone to diseases, Kole says. If air can't properly circulate and the plants can't dry out between waterings, fungus sets in. Roots can rot. And once plants are weakened from stress, insects move in.
Aim for a minimum height of 6 inches (15cm), while up to a foot (30cm) is ideal for root crops. Make sure to leave enough space for access between beds. About two feet (60cm) wide is ideal.
Always make your window box bigger than you think, both for ease of design and to reduce the amount of time you need to water. You want a window box to anchor your window, so make it longer than the base of your window, extending out at least to the window trim if not a few inches longer.
In a too-small pot, soil dries so quickly that you will be challenged to water frequently enough. Your plant could become root-bound and exhibit stunted growth. Ideally, for a large plant, pots that are the same size it is growing in is preferable.
Three plants creates balance
If you have enough space, group them in an equilateral triangle. This looks particularly good with mounding or vertical plants. Be sure to leave some space between the plants, especially if they are three different kinds.
Plants will definitely experience something like being “lonely” in pots because they miss out on underground connections. The majority of plants form symbioses with fungi underground, via their roots.
What plants like to grow next to each other?
| Type of Vegetable | Friends |
|---|---|
| Cabbage | Beets, celery, chard, lettuce, spinach, onions |
| Carrots | Beans, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, tomatoes |
| Corn | Climbing beans, cucumber, marjoram, peas, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, zucchini |
| Onions | Cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes |
At the same time, it's important to make sure your seedlings aren't overcrowded. Crowded seedlings are a common problem that can prevent plants from reaching their full potential. If you don't plant your seeds far enough apart, they'll have to compete for the same sun, water, air and nutrients in the soil.
If potting up, choose a clean new pot that is no more than 2” in diameter larger than your plant's old home – too much space slows growth and can lead to root rot. If potting into a container with out drainage, we recommend adding a .
A general rule of thumb is to allow one square foot for each plant. That's a minimum unless you use the Sea of Green method. Allow extra space if you want your plants to grow bigger than that. Pay attention to how much space you have above the lights.
Watering potted plants once a day or even twice daily may be necessary, especially if the weather turns hot and windy or your outdoor containers are located in full sunlight. Watch closely, and check moisture levels often.
What is #1 Pot Size? The gallon (4 L.) nursery containers, or #1 pots, are the most common nursery pot sizes used in the industry. While they normally only hold 3 quarts (3 L) of soil (using liquid measure), they are still considered to be 1-gallon (4 L.)
You can line your box with plastic first if you like (make sure to poke holes in the plastic for drainage). This is just to make it easier to remove the soil year by year. Otherwise just pour your compost straight in; use an organic potting mix, and fill to about an inch from the top of your box.
Most growers will choose to grow 8-12 plants in a 4×4 tent.
Summer containers should be planted from April onwards but need to be protected from frost until the end of May by using fibre fleece or fleece jacket. Winter containers should be planted in the months of September and October. Herbs are best sown/planted between April and July.
If you've provided good drainage, it's difficult to overwater a containerised plant; most will need watering at least once a day through the summer, but the results will be worth it!
What can I use instead of plant saucers?
You can also use cork pads as saucers under small planters with plants that don't require a lot of water, like succulents; I use them under my cachepots for the same reason.
Styrofoam peanuts do an excellent job. Make sure they're secured within a bag to keep them stable and in place. It also makes your life easier if you decide to repot the plant. You can use styrofoam blocks also.
Keep your plant choices to one, maybe two or three at an absolute maximum (and then only if they relate closely to each other, such as a light pink and a dark pink petunia) and then plant every box the same.
Simply topping off your window boxes yearly will encourage shallow rooting because plants grow best in newer potting soil, and deep rooting encourages the best growth. To avoid all of these problems, your potting mix should be replaced every two years or so.
The gardeners suggest selecting a window box with decent depth, which provides space for the plants and their roots to grow. "Our preferred width is a minimum of eight inches, and the depth ideally is 10 inches," says Starnes.
Allow about 3 plants in a 10-12” container. #5. Water, water, water. All plants – especially impatiens – are like humans… we need water to survive!
Space grandifloras and multifloras about 12 inches apart in full sunlight, or several inches closer together when planted in a shadier location. Milliflora petunias can be spaced as close as 4 to 6 inches. The spreading ground-cover types of petunias should be planted at least 1 1/2 feet apart.
Geraniums are beautifully fragrant plants that look great in window boxes. What is this? They grow best in a sunny spot, but they need some afternoon shade in hot summer weather.
Top it off: If the level of soil has dropped, add fresh planting mix also known as potting mix. Ideally, the soil comes to within an inch or so of the rim of the planter or raised bed. Use a fork or hand tool to blend the new soil into the old soil. Blend new soil into the old soil.
It's absolutely necessary that a window box have drainage holes so plants do not sit in soggy soil. If your box does not come with holes, you will need to drill holes in the bottom before installation.
How large should a window box be?
Editor's tip: For the best visual effect, your window box should be at least as wide as the window but should not extend more than three inches beyond the trim on each side.
