Throughout the year, Greenfingers may offer activities in which you can sow your own seeds, bring your plants home, and watch them grow! This page displays the basic care instructions for those plants.
DIY Plastic Bottle Pots
Plants included . . .
Daisies (separate): Asters, Bachelor's Buttons
California Wildflower Seed Mix: Poppies, Blazing Stars (Mentzelia laevicaulis), Arroyo Lupines
WATERING
If you got the California Wildflower Seed Mix (the tiny, round seeds and/or the bean-shaped ones):
Water the soil when it feels dry.
Touch the top of the soil- if it’s dry, then water the pot (or whatever else the plants happen to be in).
No need to worry about overwatering if the bottle has drainage holes, and no need to worry about underwatering if you follow the instructions given above!
If you got the daisies (elongated seeds):
Water the soil when it’s dry.
Actually, daisies require the same watering regimen as the Native Wildflowers do, which makes it convenient for them to start out in the same pot.
SUNLIGHT
All three packets require full, but not scalding sun to thrive. I suggest that you place the pot on a windowsill or similarly sunny area where it’ll receive lots of light throughout the entire day. If you must expose the pot to intense sunlight, water the plants much more often than you might otherwise, keeping in mind the guidelines on watering given above. It is important to note that leaving the pot in darkness will not bode well for them in any circumstances- don’t do it!
SPACE
If your plants outgrow their container- and the daisies likely will- transplant them into larger pots so that they have adequate space for their roots. Plants remaining in undersized pots aren’t guaranteed to die, but their growth will be stunted and they’ll remain short as long as they aren’t moved out.
SOIL
Loam (a mixture of sand, silt, humus, and clay) is preferred by all the seeds we gave out due to its airiness and ability to retain water. An example of loam would be the soil we filled your pot with. If you run out of soil for some reason, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other gardening supply stores offer decent-quality soil. Your own garden (if applicable) may already have loamy soil that you can use.
NOTE: The conditions necessary for all three plants will not change as they get older.
Written by: Jenny Zu, 2018
Daisies (separate): Asters, Bachelor's Buttons
California Wildflower Seed Mix: Poppies, Blazing Stars (Mentzelia laevicaulis), Arroyo Lupines
WATERING
If you got the California Wildflower Seed Mix (the tiny, round seeds and/or the bean-shaped ones):
Water the soil when it feels dry.
Touch the top of the soil- if it’s dry, then water the pot (or whatever else the plants happen to be in).
No need to worry about overwatering if the bottle has drainage holes, and no need to worry about underwatering if you follow the instructions given above!
If you got the daisies (elongated seeds):
Water the soil when it’s dry.
Actually, daisies require the same watering regimen as the Native Wildflowers do, which makes it convenient for them to start out in the same pot.
SUNLIGHT
All three packets require full, but not scalding sun to thrive. I suggest that you place the pot on a windowsill or similarly sunny area where it’ll receive lots of light throughout the entire day. If you must expose the pot to intense sunlight, water the plants much more often than you might otherwise, keeping in mind the guidelines on watering given above. It is important to note that leaving the pot in darkness will not bode well for them in any circumstances- don’t do it!
SPACE
If your plants outgrow their container- and the daisies likely will- transplant them into larger pots so that they have adequate space for their roots. Plants remaining in undersized pots aren’t guaranteed to die, but their growth will be stunted and they’ll remain short as long as they aren’t moved out.
SOIL
Loam (a mixture of sand, silt, humus, and clay) is preferred by all the seeds we gave out due to its airiness and ability to retain water. An example of loam would be the soil we filled your pot with. If you run out of soil for some reason, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other gardening supply stores offer decent-quality soil. Your own garden (if applicable) may already have loamy soil that you can use.
NOTE: The conditions necessary for all three plants will not change as they get older.
Written by: Jenny Zu, 2018