Planting Big Pots

Potting up large, heavy ceramic pots can be a real pain. I bought two identical ones from Thailand for $34 each from Costco, but then I had to plant them.

First, be sure to place them on rolling planter holders. This keeps them easily mobile and prevents your deck, patio, or rug from rotting.




Keep them as light as possible by filling them with styrofoam peanuts. You can get them very inexpensively from your local mailing center. Fill the bottom 2/3 of the pot with the peanuts. Cover that with a thick plastic trash bag that was cut open and then punched with several holes, for drainage.







Fill the center with high quality potting soil, amended with a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote and possibly those water retaining crystals. Trim the excess plastic from around the edges.



Pot the plants of your choice. I selected two small purple fountain grasses for $5 each from Home Depot. In a month, they have grown to almost fill the pots. Sometimes, a real pain is worth the effort.