Planting Guides & How To Care For Your Pots

Customers should consult with a horticulturalist to ensure the plant and size of the plant, is suitable for the size of the pot. Structural damage may occur to the pot, as result of a plant root ball being too big or that has outgrown the pot.

Customers need to ensure that that pots have adequate drainage and ensure that drainage holes are not blocked, or become blocked; which may result in the pot retaining water which can cause the pot to swell and result in structural damage.

We recommend that the bottom of pot have geo- tech lining (or similar product such as fibre weed mat) to cover the drainage holes, and then an even layer of 20mm aggregate stone paced on top (4-6cm deep). Once the stone has been placed, geo-tech liner should be placed over the top of the stone, and ensure the liner touches the sides of the pot and goes slightly up the side of the pot (to ensure no potting does not mix with aggregate). Potting mix and can then be placed on top of final layer of geo-tech lining and the plant can be potted up directly into the pot.

All potting mix contains lime, and potting mix companies vary the level of lime added to their potting mix to adjust the PH levels. Potting mix with high levels of lime may result in earthen ware pots bleeding lime, which will cause a white powder forming on the outside of the pot. This can be prevented by first sealing the inside of the pot with bitumen (product such as Gripset -51) prior to planting up. If the pot has not being sealed inside with bitumen, and lime bleeding occurs simply wipe off the outside of the pot using a dry clean cloth each time you see it (the lime will eventually bleed out over a period of time).

Do not use garden soil as a substitute for potting mix since water may not drain freely, and may cause water retention that can result in structural damage to your pot.

GRC, Fibreglass pots should not try to be moved when they are full of soil. Pulling or pushing against the sides of pot that is filled with soil which is a heavy dead weight, and may result in structural damage to the pot. If you need to move a pot that has already been plated, the plant and potting mix should be removed, and re-potted and planted once the empty pot has been moved into it’s new position.

Fibreglass, GRC, and painted pots may fade overtime in direct sunlight. Factory Direct Pots sell a sealant which can be applied to the outside skin of the pot and will protect and prevent colour fading. The sealant can be applied with a clean paint brush with excess sealant wiped off with a dry clean cloth. Factory Direct Pots recommend the sealant should be applied every 12 months.

Can our pots be used indoors? Factory Direct Pots can seal the inside of pots so that the pot becomes water proof. We recommend that indoor plant sits directly (in the plastic container the plant came in) inside the sealed pot. This way the indoor plant can be easily removed at any time to be replaced or to receive a deep watering in a kitchen sink for example.