Planting the big copper up for summer - part 2

Planting up for summer - Part 2

Arthur demonstrates how to prepare the soil for planting up the pot for summer, to give it the best chance of producing magnificent blooms.

Preparing the soil

Now that the spring show is all cleared out, it's time to prepare the soil for planting up the pot for summer. Make sure to look out for pests, particularly vine weevils. Either squish them with your fingers or leave the soil bare for a few hours and allow the birds to come and eat the weevil grubs.

Next, refresh the soil with extra nutrients. Arthur uses organic chicken manure pellets that are high in nitrogen. Scatter the pellets generously over the surface of the soil and then mix in well. This will give a good slow release fertiliser through the season.

The level of the soil in the pot will have gone down so you can now add some fresh peat-free compost. Arthur uses the mix for vegetables from New Horizon. By not filling the pot right to the brim with compost, it means there is more room to give the pot a really good watering without the water all running off.