How to pot a plant - the ultimate guide

So you've got your Slugg pots with either a tray or drainage kit. You've got your beautiful plants. Now it's time to pot those babies up! Here's our ultimate guide on how to pot up your plants! 

Drainage Kit or Trays?

Slugg suggests two ways of potting up your plants, with the use of a drainage kit or with trays. For outdoor plants to thrive in their forever location we suggest using the drainage kit. For indoor use, or fussy floors and to keep them easy to move, trays are your perfect match. 

How to use your Drainage Kit:

The single thing most critical to ensuring your plants thrive is drainage. Most plants hate wet feet, especially in garden pots. It causes rotting, invites pests and can lead to diseases. There are three components of good drainage:

1. Drainage Screen - You'll need to cover the two drainage holes in the bottom of the pot to stop the soil from falling through the drainage holes. At the same time, you need excess water to pass through freely. 
2. Pot Feet - Make sure your pot is elevated off the ground using pot feet. We recommend using 10mm plastic window packers, which you can find at most hardware stores. Elevating the pot off the ground ensures excess water can freely drain away. It'll also help reduce staining on the floor. 
3. The Potting Mix - It's essential to use soil specifically suited for garden pots. A good quality potting mix is free draining, lightweight and packed full of fertilisers & nutrients. You do not need to place a layer of pebble or aggregate on top of the fibreglass. Just fill the entire pot with potting mix. It's good to rinse the soil once you've placed it in the garden pot, limiting compaction later on.

How to use a Tray Kit:

When using trays drainage is still an absolute priority for the health of your plants. Pot trays have fewer steps at the beginning however they do require a weekly routine for maintenance to avoid your plants sitting in water. There are three steps to potting your plant using Slugg trays:

1. Insert Trays - Place each of your trays inside the base of your Slugg® pots. There are three sizes, small, medium and large, and they each correlate with the matching size Slugg pot, e.g. the largest tray with the largest Slugg pot. 
2. Add Plants - Once you have selected the location of your Slugg pots, you are ready to place your plants inside your Slugg pots! Keep your plant within its nursery pot and place it within your Slugg pot. Ensure your plant sits neatly on the tray within the base of your Slugg pot.
3. Maintenance - Like everything in your garden and home, maintenance and cleaning is required. To ensure you don't get a build-up of excess water or mould in the bottom of your tray, regularly remove your tray from the pot, wash and wipe clean. Once cleaned, you can place it back under your plant again without fuss. Keeping your trays clean allows your plants to stay happy and healthy and is more likely to avoid mould, root rot and unwanted pests.

Finishing Touches to your Plants

Finally, give your plant a good soaking; this will tell if you need more soil around the root ball due to compaction (if using a drainage kit) and starts your routine watering schedule. We highly suggest maintaining your plants with good quality fertiliser like this Liquid Plant Food every 2-4 weeks to boost and restore nutrients to your plant and soil, promoting healthier growth.

Didn't purchase a Tray or Drainage Kit? You can purchase these individual items to make your own kits from most hardware stores.