Making the most of a Dish or Basket Garden
Dish Gardens, sometimes called Basket Gardens, European Gardens or plant arrangemetents, make a wonderful gift and are very popular for a variety of gifting occasions. Just about everyone has received or purchased a Dish Garden full of green foliage and blooming plants as they make ideal decorations for tables, windowsills for both indoors and out.
Usually planted with a variety of tropical plants such as crotons, pothos, schefflera, sansevieria, dieffenbachia, ivy and others they can also contain a blooming plant such as Kalanchoe, African Violet, Poinsettia, Begonia or Cyclamen. While the beauty of the garden is its assortment, this is also its drawback.
Dish gardens look great for six to twelve months and then the plants begin to outgrow their container. Too, the variety of plants need different growing conditions which cannot be accomplished, long term, in a common pot. Display life can be extended by giving the gardens bright light but do keep them out of the direct sun. After a month or two of growth the vining plants usually need a little trimming and taller types can be tipped back to reduce the height. But in time all dish gardens need replanting.
With so many different foliage plants it's best to give each its own container to grow and mature.
Select pots with good drainage an inch or two larger than the root ball of each plant.
Position each plant so the top of the root ball is an inch below the rim of the pot.
Fill in around the root ball with potting soil.
Select the best light level for each plant.
Water thoroughly and when ever the surface soil begins to dry.
Feed monthly with a house plant fertilizer or use a slow release product as instructed on the label.
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