Planting With Hortico
Hortico at Foras After Dark
HortiCo Nursery & Emporium’s Jez Scoles will be planting for visitors at our Foras After Dark events. Purchase a beautiful Foras planter, and have it potted by HortiCo with their own selection of beautiful winter plants.
Step 1: Choose a Foras planter from our extensive range.
Purchase one of our beautiful planters from our extensive range, we have shapes, sizes and colours to suit every taste. Crafted from a thick gauge of insulating metal, our planters help to keep tender roots warm in winter and cool in summer, for healthier plants. Many of our planters in our Outlet range are up to 50% off, giving incredible savings on Foras quality.
Step 2: Visit HortiCo’s stand to purchase a selection of thriving winter plants.
Take your new planter to HortiCo’s stand, here you will find a huge selection of winter plants. Mix and match species of your choice or go with their recommendations, all the plants are individually priced and sold by HortiCo themselves.
Step 3: HortiCo will pot your planter with your chosen plants, free of charge.
Taking the hard work out of gardening by having your planter potted by HortiCo. They will fill your planter with quality compost, arrange and pot all your chosen plants completely free of charge!
Step 4: Speak to the HortiCo planting experts to learn how to care for your winter planter.
Both Jez and Gary have had long careers in gardening, with Gary having lectured at Norfolk’s College of the Countryside and Jez a former landscape designer and gardener with a degree in horticulture. Their tips and tricks will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to improve their gardening skills. Learning how to make plants thrive can bring immense joy and turn any garden into a luscious paradise.
Step 5: Take home a beautiful winter planter which will thrive throughout the season.
Take your planter home and enjoy, give a living gift to a loved one or keep in your own home. Jez has prepared a list of tips and tricks to make your plants last as long as possible! Follow the link to find out more.
Here, Jez answers the most common questions about how to care for your expertly planted gems!
How do I check if my plant needs watering?
The simplest way to check this is to dip a finger into the compost, if it is dry then it will probably need to be watered. It is possible to invest in a water meter which, when inserted into the compost, will give a reading as to the moisture content of the container. As a rule of thumb, give planted containers a good soak and then allow them to dry out before watering again. Keeping containers permanently sodden will invariably lead to the plant’s roots rotting due to lack of oxygen.
How often do I need to water my planted containers?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. It depends upon where the container is situated. If it is indoors, then the chances are it will not have any drainage holes drilled into the base and if this is the case, the container will act as a reservoir and hold the water inside for longer. The plants will eventually take up the available water in the compost and it will dry out.
If the planter is situated outside, the amount of watering will be decided by the positioning of the planter and the fact that it will have drainage holes to prevent it from becoming saturated with rainwater. If it is situated in bright sunshine or in a windy position, then it will dry out quicker and will require more attention than if it is situated in a shady, still site, but the same rules apply as for the indoor planted containers.
How much sunlight will they need, if any?
All plants require sunlight to photosynthesise, (producing the food they need to maintain health and grow), the sunlight is absorbed by a chemical called Chlorophyll in the leaves. All leaves contain chlorophyll, but some more so than others. The darker green the leaf is, the more chlorophyll they contain and the less light they require.
Look at the plants selected for your container, if the majority of them are variegated or silver leaved, then they will require a sunnier site than those with darker green leaves.
Can they withstand frost?
It is convention that plants sold in the UK as Winter Bedding Plants will be frost resistant. That said, some plants are hardier than others and will tolerate lower temperatures. Cold air will sink and collect at the lowest point in a garden, this position is known as a ‘frost pocket’, therefore, if in doubt, try not to place your planted container in such a position or ask us about the hardiness of your selected plants.
Can you put them indoors and if so, where is the best place to position them?
Containers planted with winter bedding can be placed indoors for a limited period, possibly to cheer up a room for a special occasion. These plants though, are by their nature, outdoor garden plants and are much happier outside the house where they are free from the physiological stress caused by dry air and central heating systems.
If they start to look unhealthy, what is the best course of action?
The answer to this question rather depends upon the reason for the plants unhealthy appearance.
Pests – Generally, these are not a problem during the winter months as most tend to be dormant, but keep an eye out for aphids, black or green as they can infest during milder periods. A spray with an insecticide will usually do the trick. For those who wish to be chemical free, soap-based insecticides are available.
Diseases – Again, not generally a problem in the winter months, although some mildews can be caused by plants being permanently wet due to excess rain or overwatering. Reduce the amount of water in the environment and the issue should be solved but a fungicide could be applied if required.
General Health – Most plants, if healthy, will be less susceptible to diseases and will recover more quickly from attack by pests. Maintaining your plants with sufficient water and nutrients will help to mitigate these problems. As a general rule of thumb, the following applies:
- If older leaves are turning yellow and dropping off, plants are too dry.
- If younger, new leaves are turning brown, especially at the tips, plants are too wet.
- If the leaves are generally turning yellow, then consider a feed of general liquid garden fertiliser.
