CARE
& MAINTENANCE
HOW TO PLANT A POT
Explanation in pictures to help you plant your pot properly.
HOW TO PLANT A JAR
Plant a jar using a jar interior to be able to put your plant inside in winter.
PLANTING SCHEME
To carry out good drainage and prevent water from stagnating in the pot, it is recommended to follow this planting scheme.
PLANTING
Start by WETTING THE VASE or THE JAR inside and outside to saturate the porous terracotta with water. Thus fertilizers, soil juices are not randomly absorbed by the pot.
Arrange a drain about 1/3 of the height of the vase, made up of gravel stones or clay balls, so that the water can drain from the vase. This way, the roots are preserved and the pot is more resistant to frost.
Spread a rot-proof canvas or geotextile or even some old tights, making sure to bring it up on the edges between the drain and the topsoil.
In general, when planting outdoors, it is advisable to raise the pot a few millimeters by positioning it on tiling pads or small wooden cleats to prevent it from being in direct contact with the ground. Winter. NEVER BURY POTS!
If you use saucers, it is necessary to remove them in winter to prevent the water from stagnating and keeping the bottom of the pot in the water. The saucer can be a mosquito nest in the summer.
That's it, your pot is ready to welcome your plant!
entretenir vos pots et vases
Three natural elements are harmful to the plant and the terracotta pot: snow, frost and wind.
Snow / Frost
Clear the snow from the pottery because the terracotta pot, under the effect of the melting snow, becomes waterlogged (the terracotta being porous) and will be weakened by the inevitable return of frost. In addition, if the drainage is badly carried out, a persistent frost will lead to the hardening of the "stagnant" water in the pot and to exert a strong pressure on the walls of the pot which could burst and split.
The risk is real: cracks, despite the recognized quality of Ravel terracotta, no pottery can be fully guaranteed against frost. Don't we say "freeze to stone"?
Regarding the frost? Enameled vases are more fragile to frost. We advise you to choose natural terracotta vases for your exteriors exposed to frost. Frost resistance cannot be guaranteed. Some vases will last thirty years without worry and others, depending on their exposure, the type of root and the quality of the drainage can crack or peel more quickly.
The wind
The number one enemy of vases. In Provence, it is the mistral and even other violent winds, sometimes swirling, which are capable of overturning enormous and very heavy vases.
If you are exposed to the wind, do not plant plants that are too tall with good foliage. This amplifies the catch in the wind and the tilt.
Maintenance
Warning: terracotta vases are garden vases and therefore outdoor. By planting them indoors, it is necessary to anticipate that they will age with a patina that is not always beautiful. What is acceptable, even charming on the outside is not always pretty on the inside.
Over time, several "aging" phenomena may appear:
- a moss patina due to a lack of light, which you can clean with chlorine. Use bleach diluted with water and apply to the entire jar, remembering to protect yourself well. You can use a steam cleaner without risking damaging the pottery. The operation can be repeated if necessary.
- the pot clears up due to the lime salts. Watering water that is often too calcareous, fertilizers or rain contribute to this phenomenon. You can apply hydrochloric acid sold diluted with a sponge on the entire surface of the pot. Leave to act and rinse thoroughly. The operation can be repeated if necessary.