I was thinking that when you buy the annual in the container it looks great and is well fertilized. Why not keep it that way and stick it in the ground as is well watered; like a hanging basket, etc. Restricting roots from wanting to establish and just flower during Maine’s short season.

healing in pots ... so mother earth can temper media temps is not unknown ... and is commonly done ...

as noted.. the size of the pot ... related to the mature size of the plant is important ... especially with annuals ... which complete their entire growth cycle in one year ...

in other words ... if you bought it in a 3 inch pot ... but it can usually fill a two gallon pot with roots in one season .. perhaps an exaggeration to make my point ... then you will end up with water issues ... as there simply wont be enough media to hold enough water to maintain the plant ... which might not be all that big a deal since you are in a cool short season region ... perhasp as compared to trying the same thing down south ....

there might also be an issue of how the abundant water is applied ... as whether it will actually get into the pot.. once the plant covers the top .. when i did this with conifers.. i could sink the pot.. and put them in my nursery.. where i could position the drip tape to water the pot ...

ken

hosta peeps also do what they call.. pot-in-pot ... trying to beat maple roots from sucking the life out of their hosta.. its works for a couple years ... but eventually maples always win ...

soo.. if it can be done with perennial hosta.. i dont see why it wont work with annuals .. and btw ... with pot in pot.. you can actually move you inner pots around the yard slipping them in and out of the outer pot ...

ken

Sounds good, thanks

Maine, you would see the difference if you planted some in the ground while planting others according to your plan. The difference in vigor will be very obvious to you, with the in ground plants being far healthier.

You will notice, however, that root systems will escape from containers to carry on happily in the real stuff.

I grow things in pots planted in the ground that are things I know I will have to move (temporary location) or I will pull up to over-winter; I don't do it a lot, though, and it's mainly perennials or shrubs. I find with potted annuals, they cram so many plants in there that they have to duke it out for nutrients and water -- okay for a short-term display but over the course of a couple months they tend to decline. Annuals planted in the ground tend to do better. For my plants, I pot them up myself - I don't jam-pack the plants in there, I give them room to grow; looks a little sparse at first but buy mid-summer the pots are full and lush and continue blooming like crazy into the fall.

yes.. if the pots are too small for the plant potential.. the plant will easily grow roots out the bottom of the pot ... so when you go to move them ... you will tear off the roots .. and stunt it ... complicating the whole shebang ...

ken