Top tips for sowing and growing with Clever Pots
Want to do more with your garden but don’t know where to start? With Clever Pots, it’s easy to get smart with gardening and find new and creative ways to make the most of the space you have.
Let’s get sowing
You don’t need to be a gardening expert to grow your own from seed.
- Some seeds are a lot easier to grow than others – so if you’re new to gardening, start by growing easier plants like sunflowers, sweet peas, salad leaves and radishes!
- To give your seeds the best start, a propagator will be your new best friend as it’ll help create an environment you can easily control (a bit like a mini greenhouse)
- A Clever Pots propagator lets you water your seeds directly without lifting the lid, meaning you don’t have to risk trapping your young plants between the lid and base, helping to support healthy root growth right from the start
- You can combine your propagator with Clever Pots Easy Release pots to help your seeds on their growing journey. This way, when your seeds are ready to plant out, all you’ll need to do is push the base up, tilt and remove (rather than faffing about trying to get them out without damaging them!)
- While some seeds are most definitely pickier than others about the kind of soil they grow in, it’s always a good idea to get a good quality sowing compost to increase the chances of germination and give your plants the best start
- Before you get sowing your seeds, moisten the surface of the compost with a mist spray
- Sprinkle small seeds over the surface of compost then cover with more compost. For larger seeds, place them one by one in the compost and cover
- Pop on your propagator lid and place it in a warm spot. The cover will help stop the compost from drying out
- After a few days, give your seeds a little look over and check they’re popping their heads up (the time it takes for germination to start will depend on what you’re sowing)
- Make sure you’re careful not to overwater them as it can wash away seedlings or even flatten them
- Once you can spot some leaves on your seedlings, you know you’re ready to move on to the next stage… Planting!
Let’s get planting
- Now your seeds have started to grow, you’re ready to move them out from your propagator and start planting!
- If you’ve been growing your seeds indoors, it’s a good idea to slowly get them used to outside conditions before planting them out. You can do this by popping them outside during the day and then bringing them back in at night (when it’s colder)
- Now they just need a new home. Decide whether you’re going to plant them out in your garden or into a bigger pot
- If you’re planting into a bigger pot but want to be clever about the space in your garden – or if outside space is limited for you – some Clever Pot solutions can help you make the most of your space
- Clever Pots are a great addition to any garden – they’re weather resistant, made from 20% - 60% recycled plastic and are UV colour stable, which means the colours won’t wash out or fade in sunlight – that's a little win!
- A Downpipe Plant Pot can be popped at the base of your downpipe, hiding drains and making the most of the space you have
- A Hanging Pot will help you get growing vertically and make the most of otherwise unused space along the tops of your fence panels – very handy if you have a small outdoor space. What's more they’re fuss-free with no need to attach any fixings – that's a little win!
- Or if you’re after something to stand on the ground, you can go for a more traditional Round Plant Pot – create an interesting display that draws the eye by mixing and matching sizes and colours
- Whatever you decide is right for you, whether that’s planting directly in a flower bed, veg patch or in a pot, the first thing to do is dig a hole suitable for your plant
- You can easily check the size of the hole you need to dig with the pot your plant is in. Place the pot in the hole and make sure it fits comfortably and that the hole isn’t deeper than the pot
- Pop the plant out of your Easy Release Pot, loosen the soil and place your plant in the hole, before filling back in around the plant with compost and firming down
- When planting in bigger pots, remember to mix up your potting compost with a bit of topsoil to help keep it moist, and feed regularly
- If you’re planting in pots, your plants will get extra thirsty. To make it easier to keep on top of the watering and feeding, add a Reservoir or Hydroball into the bottom of your pot
With Clever Pots you can make the most of your outdoor space with a range of accessories that turn everything from your patio to your drainpipes into a part of your garden.
For more clever ideas to help your garden grow, visit www.wilko.com
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