To plant or nestle in decorative planters?

Something we are often asked is "do you plant directly into the pot?" There's really no right or wrong answer, and it often comes down to personal preference but here's our advice on the most popular planting solutions.

Nestling

We've found it has become quite popular to keep your plant inside its original plastic nursery planter and simply nestle the whole thing inside your decorative pot. This gives you maximum flexibility to change things around at home and keeps your decorative planter clean. It also makes it super easy to water your plant if you want to take it outside or to your shower/bathtub to water.

We add a plastic drip saucer (a simple plastic tray) inside the decorative planter and nestle the plant on top. This stops any excess water or drips coming out the drainage hole onto your floor - make sure you don't overwater though or the tray will overflow.

When your plant outgrows its nursery planter, simply repot into a larger nursery planter and nestle back in your decorative pot (if space allows) or swap it with another plant in your home in a more suitably sized decorative pot.

Planting

Some pots are designed to be planted directly into and tend to be small and medium in size. The 'self watering' style of planters are a great example along with planters that come with an included decorative tray or plug for the drainage hole.

For these types of planters, you can confidently plant directly into the pot knowing there is ample drainage. For planters that come with 'plugs' simply take the whole pot + plant to your designated watering area, remove the plug, water like usual and allow the water to drain away before putting the plug back in and placing your plant back in its usual spot.

If you want to plant directly into a sealed planter, just be careful not to overwater your plant since the water will pool in the bottom and can cause the plant roots to rot when overwatered. There are handy devices such as a 'Sustee Water Meter' which can help visually show you when the soil is wet, perfect for these situations.