Workshop
Ask a question

The Bunnings Workshop community can help with your home improvement projects.

Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

BalconyBalcony

I want to get a few (maybe 3-4) pot plants for my apartment balcony. It's quite roomy, facing North, with shaded and and sunny areas.

Looking at compact pot plants, I see they have a pot size specified. Are these just the size they are sold in, or are they recommended sizes? I want to get good pots for them.

 

I'm thinking of plants like Fuchsia Electric Lights, Jade Plant - crassula ovate, Ficus Lyrata, Peace lily - spathiphyllum Rocco, or Cyclamen persicum.

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Many thanks, Eric. Sounds good. About the wind, now that I've lived here for 3 months, I know it swirls around in the balcony space and can get very strong. I thought the paneling on part of the open side railing would be a shelter, but it doesn't help.

Anyway, those are mainly indoor plants so I'm happy to stay with that. I'm thinking of using a couple of planter boxes on the balcony for some geraniums and gazanias, which should tolerate the wind better.

 

Regards,

 Charles

BradN
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Hi @CEH , hi @EricL . Windy balconies can be tricky, and your Ctenanthe and peace lily are not well suited to that sort of environment. They're better off indoors, or in a shady, humid area. 

 

Both plants lose a lot of water via evaporation from their big leaves, and wind will make them dry out even faster - just like it dries out laundry on the line. 

 

The leaves on the Ctenanthe and the peace lily will develop crispy brown tips if they dry out for too long. That won't kill them, but they won't look anywhere as nice.

 

Could you maybe keep the Ctenanthe in the bathroom? It will appreciate the humidity and it will be easy for you to take it in the shower with you to give it a good drench every week or so. 

 

BTW, Seasol is a tonic, rather than a true fertiliser. When you repot a plant it's nice to give it a hit of Seasol diluted in the watering can to stimulate root growth. For fertiliser, as Eric said, the Osmocote slow-release is a good one. 

 

Just looking more closely at your pics, have you left your plants in their little black plastic pots and then half-buried the little pots in the bigger pots? The best thing to do is take the plants out of their little plastic pots and plant them directly into the potting mix in the bigger pots.

 

For a windy balcony you can always consider bushy succulents like the Jade plant (Crassula ovata) . They don't have that leafy look but they're low-maintenance and tough as nails.

 

Hope that helps!

Brad

Noelle
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Hi @CEH 

The plants you've selected all look great and most, with the exception of the daphne, can be grown inside, as they are usually kept as "house plants".  The daphne should be able to tolerate gusty winds outside provided the pot is stable and doesn't regularly blow over, losing the potting mix and so disturbing the roots.

The other plants - ficus, ctenanthe and peace lily -  can have time outside when conditions are calm and mild but will do quite well indoors in good ambient light, not direct sun through the glass.

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Hi Brad, I've left the plants in their sale pots till I get them positioned and get supplies like fertiliser. I will repot them in the coming week.

Thanks for your help.

Charles

BradN
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Ah, groovy!

Adam_W
Workshop Legend

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Hi @CEH as @Noelle mentioned the change of pot sizes is a progressive thing.
All those you've mention will do well in small to medium sized pots with the exception of the ficus. Figs are funny, I think of them like goldfish, they have a tendency to restrict their size to available growing area. As long as you keep them watered & fed they'll stay happy in surprisingly small pots.

If space is an issue a great way to save space on balconies is to use square and rectangular pots & planters. That way they can go completely into corners and against walls without wasted space and they can also 'nest' together without wasting space.

Noelle
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Square and rectangular pots are a great idea, Adam! Perfect for areas where space is at a premium, like balconies.

 

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Many thanks, Noelle. Much appreciated.

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Thank you, Adam. That makes sense. I think the ctenante will need to go from the 25cm sale pot to a slightly larger 30cm one, as it is already fairly large.

CEH
Cultivating a Following

Re: Pot sizes - compact balcony plants

Ctenanthe next North-facing windowCtenanthe next North-facing window    My ctenanthe is already quite large - 900mm high. I've read that they can get to  2m. Given the location shown, how how would you suggest? An how would I limit it to a certain height?

I have a humidifier coming - hope that helps the plants (and me!).

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Why join the Bunnings Workshop community?

Workshop is a friendly place to learn, get ideas and find inspiration for your home improvement projects