The beauty of planters are they can easily be moved to the perfect spot and really bring an array of color to a dull area. They make great additions to pool areas, stoops or any grid locked area where soil is not available. However, they do require more care than plants in the ground, especially with watering. With plants being contained, there is less soil to retain water and less room for plants to grow. Over the growth period of a planter, the roots will fill the space where water could once be absorbed. During the hot summer months, one may need to water their pots two or more times a day! However all is not lost, if your follow these tips.

Patience is key when it comes to the process of saturating your planter. Allow time for the water to drip down through the entire root area. Water needs to penetrate more than just the top two inches of soil, water will take the path of least resistance which could mean it is running down the side of the pot and never really getting to the core of the plant.

Trays will do wonders for your planter. A good watering strategy is to soak the planter until water runs out of the bottom, then fill up the bottom tray with even more water. The planter will wick up some of this water over time.

Direct sunlight heats up the pots in general, especially the darker plastic ones. A good idea for the smaller pots would be to move them to a shadier area during the hottest of days. Even full sun plants will do just fine in a shady area for a day or two. It will save time, water and even your planters health.

An important thing to note when watering is the more you water, the more nutrients are lost as water flows through the pots. This is why we cant forget to fertilize. Cooler days are ahead!