SEATTLE — Gardening expert Ciscoe Morris says container gardens need regular maintenance to stay beautiful through summer.

"If you think you can just leave your containers sitting there all summer long, you've got another thing coming," Morris said.

Morris says there are three key tasks for keeping container gardens healthy:

Remove Dead Growth

Start by pulling ugly dead leaves from larger plants. Then deadhead spent flowers, especially on plants like dwarf dahlias that bloom frequently.

"You're going to be deadheading every two seconds with heavy-blooming designs," Morris said. 

The task takes only minutes but makes planters look better. More importantly, removing spent blooms prevents plants from going to seed. When plants reproduce, they stop flowering and focus on seed production instead.

Fertilize Regularly

Feed container plants every two weeks minimum, following package directions. Plants that produce lots of flowers may need weekly fertilizing.

"If I really have a plant that I want just to keep pumping out flowers, I might fertilize every week," Morris said.

Water Daily

Container plants dry out faster than garden beds. Morris waters his containers every day during summer.

"It's a bit of work, but what could be more beautiful than this," he said, gesturing to a container filled with mandevilla and gerbera daisies.

"Look how spectacular this looks, people probably think Monet lives here — oh la la!" 

Sponsored by Dramm.

KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, X, Instagram, Email.