Growing flowers at home is not the best difficult task. However, some plants always feel great, while others have to throw another dead green pet in the trash after an unsuccessful transplant. To ensure that the plants do not die and bloom after this procedure, it is necessary to follow the technology, take into account the characteristics of soils and pots and avoid common mistakes.
Flowers to grow in a pot
You can plant not only indoor plants, but also outdoor plants in pots. In the latter case, containers are installed on loggias, balconies, terraces, cottages and flower beds. Roses, tuberous begonias, petunias and violas grow well in pots. These flowers not only require a lot of light, but also Fresh air, which is usually not enough in an apartment.
If you plan to grow a plant in a house, then you need to pay attention to which side the windows face. In the north, unpretentious species such as cacti and succulents are grown. It is better to use the south window only in winter, placing pots with heat-loving and light-loving subtropical plants on it. In summer, this side is too hot for any flowers except cacti.
The best option for plants in pots are western and eastern windows.
Landing indoor flowers can occur at any time of the year. The best period for dividing and replanting most plants is early spring.
Soil preparation
A novice gardener who decides to replant his plants does not have to make his own soil mixture. Soil preparation is enough difficult task, which can only be solved by experienced specialists.
In the trading network you can now find ready-made soil mixtures for almost any indoor and outdoor plants. They are inexpensive and quite suitable for growing home flowers at an amateur level. The most unpretentious ones can be planted even in universal and seedling soils.
Choosing a pot
The retail chain offers a variety of flowerpots and pots for indoor and outdoor plants. If you do not take into account exclusive vessels made from materials atypical for growing (metal, wood, stone), then you are left with a choice between plastic and ceramics.
Plastic pots are inexpensive and lightweight. Those who grow large indoor plants - dracaenas, ficuses, zamioculcas, dieffenbachias - have to take into account their size and weight. Therefore, for large indoor plants it is better to purchase light ones. plastic containers, which can be moved while caring for green pets. Durable pots made of this material are indispensable when creating vertical compositions.
Such vessels are not used when growing very tall plants, since in a light container they can tip over. An important disadvantage of plastic is that the material does not breathe, and the lack of air has a bad effect on the development of roots.
Clay and ceramic pots are suitable for growing any flowers. Clay is a porous material; if it is not covered with glaze, nothing prevents moisture from evaporating through the walls of the vessel. In the same way, air enters the pot through the pores, as a result of which the soil is saturated with oxygen, which is beneficial for the roots of the plant.
In the trade you can find fakes - pseudo-clay containers made of gypsum. Such vessels are impermeable to air and therefore lack the benefits ceramic pots. You can distinguish gypsum when struck, since it produces a duller sound.
Flaw clay pot– fragility. If handled carelessly, it can easily break. Many plants grow into its porous walls, which is why, when transplanting, their roots have to be torn off, causing injury.
Transplant technology
You can correctly transplant a green pet so that it feels no worse in the new pot than in the old one, as follows:
- 1. It is advisable to wash the container and let it dry.
- 2. Drainage is poured into the bottom of the vessel - ready-made expanded clay from a flower shop or small pebbles collected independently. A layer at the bottom of the pot prevents stagnation of water and rotting of the roots. The thickness of the drainage depends on the type of plant and the type of container. If the vessel has a hole at the bottom, then it is enough to fill it with 1 cm of stones. If it is not there, it is better to make a thicker layer - 3-4 cm. bigger plant loves moisture, the thinner the drainage should be.
- 3. A little soil is poured on top of this layer and compacted. If you need to replant a plant with a developed root system, then make a mound in the center of the pot, on which the flower is placed so that the ends of the roots are below the stem and evenly spaced. After this, they are finally covered with earth, making sure that the trunk is at the desired height.
Drainage is not used for very moisture-loving plants - cyperus, calla lilies. They like their roots to be in extra-moist soil.
In order for the flower to quickly take root, it must be watered after transplantation. The water should be warm, free of chlorine, preferably rainwater or distilled. The plant is carefully moistened using an indoor watering can with a spray bottle. If the soil settles after watering, it is refilled to the desired level.
Most flowers feel better when the soil is sprinkled with expanded clay on top. It prevents moisture from evaporating and prevents the formation of soil crust.
A freshly transplanted plant should not be immediately exposed to a sunny window. It would be correct to place it for two to three days (until the roots take root and begin to actively absorb moisture) in a slightly shaded place where direct sunlight does not reach.
Possible mistakes
Despite the fact that the technology for replanting indoor plants is simple, no one is immune from mistakes:
- Unsuitable soil. For capricious plants purchased soil has to be adjusted. Soil mixtures produced with violations of technology also need this. Such soils may be too dense or too loose. River or lake sand, perlite or vermiculite are added to dense mixtures. Too peaty light soil should be compacted by adding turf soil.
- Partial transplant. Many people believe that a flower bought in a store is already growing in a substrate that is optimally suitable for it, and they try to preserve the maximum amount of “native” soil on the roots. This is a grave mistake. Plants sold in stores are in a substrate not intended for their use. full development. Its purpose is to provide transportation. Therefore, having purchased a plant in a store and delivered it home, you need to clean its roots from the substrate in which it arrived from a foreign or domestic greenhouse. To do this, remove it from the shipping container and place the roots in a basin with warm water. After soaking, they are washed under the tap, finally freeing even small particles of the substrate.
To create your own collection the most beautiful flowers, you just need to know how to plant flowers correctly and how to grow them yourself from seeds. So, some types of flower seeds can be planted immediately in open land, eventually obtaining, without the slightest hassle with seedlings, a charming flowerbed with long, or even continuous, flowering. And there are those varieties that you have to tinker with, but the beauty of their flowers is worth it.
You can plant flower seeds in the ground before winter, or before the end of spring frosts, or even earlier - literally in the snow. In the snow, it is possible to plant only winter-hardy plants, also called cold-resistant plants. These include agrostemma or cockle, adonis and amaranth, cornflower and gilia, graceful gypsophila, godetia, iberis, calendula, clarkia, flax and lobularia. And also poppy, nicandra, phacelia, chrysanthemum and sage.
Seeds of various heat-loving flowers plant a little later than frost-resistant ones. There is information on how to sow them correctly on the bags in which they are packaged. It also indicates at what time it is advisable to sow and at what distance or depth the seeds should be planted in the soil. It also describes how tall the flowers will grow, as well as whether these species are cold-resistant or, on the contrary, heat-loving. Different kinds flowers need to be sown different methods, which is also indicated on their packaging. So the instructions will be quite enough to understand how to plant flowers with seeds. No additional data is required for this, since the process itself is extremely simple.
Advice
No matter how beautiful and attractive the flower may seem to you in the photograph of its packaging, in no case should you buy it if this plant not suitable for your climate. This is extreme important factor the correct choice of flowers for a flower bed or garden plot. When planting seeds with flower bulbs and when further care after them, you must strictly follow the instructions indicated on the packages. It is necessary to observe the recommended depth, as well as planting time, take care of the appropriate soil composition and comply with the requirements for the level of illumination of the site, and also try to monitor the frequency of watering and fertilizing.
For getting blooming dacha, in different corners of the site you need to plant flowers in the form of single-colored or multi-colored “islands”, as well as a row. They can be smooth or wavy. There are flowers that are most conveniently sown in nests, each with 3-4 pieces. It would be good to plant Gypsophila and Poppies, Cereals and Matthiola, Clarkia, Nemesia, Levkoya, Eschscholzia and annual Asters nearby. You can dilute your flowerbed with summer time and indoor flowers, such as orchids or violets. Just before planting such flowers, you need to learn about caring for them, even if they delight you on the windowsill. Type into a search engine the phrase how to care for indoor plants, or orchid diseases photo, and you will see how you need to care for plants so that they are not overtaken by any diseases.
Conclusion:
By choosing and planting flowers correctly plot of land, you can get a wonderful flower bed that will delight you with blooms from spring to autumn. But you should only choose plants that are suitable for your climate zone, and also follow the rules for planting them and take into account the conditions of care.
How to plant flowers correctly - flower bed design
Choosing plants for planting at the dacha is a very important stage, because from them varietal diversity depends and appearance dacha area, and the amount of time spent caring for flower beds, and the mood of the owners and guests who visited the country estate. To begin with, you shouldn’t get hung up on difficult-to-maintain exotic species, it is better to choose several unpretentious, but vibrant representatives of the flora. Let's take a closer look at what flowers to plant in your dacha so that it turns into a cozy corner of paradise.
Many lovers countryside holiday They visit the dacha only on weekends, therefore, they need to choose flowers that require minimal care. In addition, plants must be able to withstand drought or, conversely, prolonged rain. If you plant capricious roses in more northern latitudes, they will require daily attention, so let’s consider options that quietly develop on their own, at least within a week.
Cheerful yellow and orange marigolds are undemanding when it comes to soil and atmospheric “gifts.” The only condition for their successful cultivation is a sunlit place, and this can be a patch in the middle of the lawn, a narrow flowerbed along the path, or containers hanging from the wall. Low varieties of marigolds are ideal for creating ridges or borders.
Bright, monochromatic marigolds look more elegant when surrounded by plants with decorative large leaves, for example, against the background of an ordinary or spotted hosta
Climbing, freedom-loving nasturtium is perfect for lightly shaded areas. It grows quickly, so it should be planted in areas with plenty of free soil. In order for the nasturtium bush to retain its shape and size for as long as possible, it is placed in a pot or small container. Beginning of May - best time for sowing these pink, burgundy, lilac, yellow or variegated plants.
Imopoeia is distinguished by its large flowers, noticeable from afar, which can decorate both the wall of a house and a trellis specially constructed for it. Imopea loves support and has increased tenacity, so she can easily “pounce” on any object, standing nearby– a bench, a tree, a corner of the house. These beautiful flowers with large buds they love sunlight and organic fertilizers.
A special feature of growing nasturtium is the dosed application of fertilizers. A large amount of minerals will cause rapid growth leaves, but will suppress the formation of inflorescences
Two or three varieties of imopoeia with buds of different shades, planted near a trellis, arch or trellis, look original and harmonious.
Perennials as a symbol of stability
If you don’t have time to annually change the composition of your flower beds and replant plants from place to place, it is better to stick to perennials, which, once rooted, will delight the eye for a long time. Recognized leaders among perennials are luxurious dahlias and fragrant peonies, which during their flowering turn flower beds into huge white-pink-red clouds.
Get ready for the aristocratic peony to decorate your area for 10 years or more. This dominant plant blooms vigorously throughout the summer, and the rest of the time its decorative function is performed by its dark, glossy greenery. Peonies are not capricious: in the fall it is enough to remove their above-ground part. There is no need to cover or wrap plants from frost so as not to damage the sprouts in the spring.
Dahlias are perfect for individual plantings, for group compositions, and even for creating lush arrays. They love places that are well lit by the sun but protected from the wind. One of the conditions for planting is moisture-intensive, sufficient fertile soil, as well as moderate use of organic matter (manure). Dahlias bloom towards the end of summer, so flower beds can be supplemented with shorter plants.
The roots of dahlias need additional air flow: by regularly feeding and watering the flowers, it is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds
Unrivaled rustic style
The persistent smell of mint, herbs and slightly wild, unkempt flower beds - old childhood memories take us on a journey through the garden of our beloved grandmother, where colorful plants of unimaginable varieties merged into a single picture, which is now commonly called.
The center of the landscape, of course, is a lush rose bush, spreading a delicate soft aroma around itself. By choosing soil that is neutral in acidity, not over-moistened and fertile, you won’t have to think about renewal for the next 10 years. Timely planting, depending largely on the variety, regular hilling and fertilizing will help create a strong plant with large, noble buds. To give the bush a certain shape, additional pruning will be required.
It is better to prune roses in early spring. In climbing and climbing plants, old, dead shoots are removed, bushy stems are cut at a height of 20-30 cm above ground level
Tall delphiniums, reaching 2 meters, give the flowerbed a special lively flavor. Their slender stems soar upward, releasing many large, bright flowers, reminiscent of the inhabitants of the salty expanses - dolphins. The colors also match the nautical theme. different varieties delphinium - from soft lilac to deep purple and sky blue. The most successful place to plant a plant is the center of a flower bed or an area along the wall of a high fence.
Delphinium is very difficult to grow as seedlings, so experts recommend dividing the bush and planting cuttings. A good period for breeding is early spring or August
Some varieties of violets are propagated by seeds, while others are more suitable green cuttings which is best done in early summer
Shade-tolerant varieties of flowers
Shaded garden corners often look monotonous, boring and neglected due to the persistent belief that nothing takes root there. In fact, there are many beautiful plants, which can turn even the darkest area into a colorful clearing. These include both perennials and noble herbs, mainly decorative element which are motley, striped, spotted and colorful leaves. Consider to revive them.
Moderate flowering plants
Bright pink and blue flowers A low plant, lungwort, stands out against the background of greenery. The three most common species tolerate shade well: lungwort, Dacian and red lungwort. The plant is valued for its versatility and unpretentiousness: early spring flowering in the summer gives way to decorativeness variegated leaves, which persists until the first snow. One individual is capable of developing and blooming for 30 years.
A wonderful honey plant and medicinal plant Foxglove is also easy on the shade. Absence sunlight does not prevent it from reaching a height of one and a half meters and scattering with juicy soft pink or snow-white buds. To turn a boring corner of the garden into a comfortable area for reading or relaxing, just put a bench and surround it with lush foxglove bushes - a gloomy place will come to life and sparkle with bright colors.
Foxglove seeds ripen towards the end of summer. The most viable seeds are found in capsules at the bottom of the stem, at the site where the first flowers appear.
Original ornamental grasses
Forest thickets and shady places near walls and fences they are not afraid of garden ferns. From fern bushes and shade-tolerant plants form beautiful green compositions that can decorate both the garden and the recreation area, and local area. The most popular varieties of fern are: maidenhair, leaf fern, multi-row fern, ostrich fern, and nomadic fern.
The fern easily reproduces by spores, which are best sown in early spring. The optimal soil for planting is a mixture of fertile forest soil and peat.
A garden wouldn’t be complete without the prima donna of shady areas – hostas, the different varieties of which set the mood of the lower tier. Inexpressive flowering is compensated by the beauty and nobility of exquisite leaf blades, which can be decorated with wide white stripes, marble stains, large specks or a bluish-violet edging.
Perennial hostas feel great for several seasons in one place, so the soil occasionally needs to be dug up, fertilized and mulched
A summer cottage is a great place to experiment and implement own ideas. To turn a dark territory into a positive and rainbow place relaxation, it is enough to plant a flower bed near the porch or arrange a small flower garden in the garden - the choice of its content is up to the owners.
Learn how to grow beautiful flowering perennials for luxurious blooms all summer long. What tricks and secrets do flower growers use to ensure that the flower bed blooms from spring to late autumn.
Techniques for creating a flower bed that blooms all summer
A flowerbed that suggests continuous flowering throughout the entire dacha season from spring to autumn, it will never look equally impressive throughout this time.
It is much better to create a flower bed that looks as luxurious as possible in one season, for example in summer. And then extend the flowering season for this flowerbed by adding earlier or later ones. flowering plants. This will give you beautiful flower bed, which will bloom from April to October, with a maximum peak in June-August.
Flower beds that bloom all summer often contain peonies, roses, dahlias, and phlox. If you choose them in one tone, for example, pink, then for spring you can add lavender tulips and hyacinths to this flowerbed, and use pink perennial asters for autumn flowering.
An attractive appearance of the flowerbed from March to May can be created by the foliage of such perennials as hydrangea and boodleea, which will bloom only at the end of summer - this will allow these flowers to be used in the overall composition of the flowerbed for two seasons. This will be especially impressive if you add unpretentious garden ferns to them.
For late flowering of a flower bed, you can add unpretentious annuals to its composition, such as cosmos, salvia, zinnia - they will bloom until late autumn. This way your flowerbed will be bright and beautiful from mid-April to mid-October.
And if you add decorative grasses to the flowerbed, the flowerbed will retain its attractiveness until the first frost. 
How to choose a place for a flower bed of continuous flowering
The choice of location for a flower bed can significantly influence our choice of flowers and overall design flower beds. Based on the location, we will plan the peak flowering season and select the plants that will form the basis of our flower bed. Then we expand the flowering time of the planned flower bed, adding to it some flowers with more early And late flowering.
If you have shady garden that the most suitable for such a flower bed will be flowers that bloom in spring and early summer.
If you have sunny garden, then most flowers will feel comfortable in such a flowerbed. This arrangement is ideal for a flower bed that will bloom all summer.
If you are planning to place a flower bed in the southwest, you have a wonderful location for a flower bed that peaks in fall. Because It is this arrangement of the flowerbed that will allow it to receive the greatest amount of light during the shorter autumn days.
What flowers to plant in a flowerbed to bloom from spring to autumn
Perennials for spring and early summer
These are some of the best spring-blooming perennials, best suited for a shady area to create a beautiful perennial bed:
Tulips Snowdrops Muscari Hyacinths Irises Daffodils Crocuses Primrose Periwinkle
Summer flowering perennials
These are some of the best perennials for flower beds that bloom at their peak in the summer months:
Dahlias Roses Daylily Delphinium Veronica Poppies Anemones Astilbe Sage
Perennials for late summer and early fall
These are some of the best fall-blooming perennials, starting to bloom in late August and continuing into the fall:
Chrysanthemums Perennial asters Echinacea Helenium Rudbeckia Coreopsis Goldenrod
Yarrow Sedum
Planting a flower bed: how many flowers to plant
The most common mistake when creating a flower bed is to plant one copy of your favorite plant. Using a disproportionate number of different types of flowers, you may not get the result you expected - your flowerbed may look chaotic.
It is much better to limit your choice of plants for your flower bed to ten species that you like. Make sure their flowering dates coincide or complement each other.
Buy 3-5-7-9 copies of one type, depending on the size of your flower bed. Then you will create a beautiful floral carpet where your plants will transition from one to another in a smooth, natural way.
Buying several copies of the same species will not only not undermine your budget, but, on the contrary, will allow you to save money - because you will still be buying a certain number of plants to fill the entire space of the flower garden. And if you buy several identical plants, you can count on a discount on your purchase.
When is the best time to plant flowers in a flower bed?
If you buy potted plants, they can be planted throughout the year with two exceptions.
Never plant when the ground is icy - wait better weather, burying your plants near the wall. A wall facing west is ideal.
Don't plant in hot, dry conditions unless you can water regularly, because once the root ball dries out, the plant will suffer.
How to prepare the soil for planting flowers in a flower bed
Land preparation has a significant impact on how our plants will look and develop in the future.
Use a hoe to remove weeds from the future planting site, carefully removing all roots. Dig up the planting area to a bayonet depth. Add compost - rotted manure, leaves, grass. Now you can plant flowers - carefully pull the flower out of the pot, straighten the roots and plant it in the flowerbed.
In dry weather, make sure you water your plants well the first year they are grown.
How to design a flower bed that blooms all summer
- Once you have purchased your plants, plant them in your flower bed. Give each plant enough room for future growth, keeping in mind that larger plants will need more space.
- Do not place plants in a specific height: low ones closer, high ones further away - this way your flowerbed will look too formal, like at a parade. If you have a tall air plant, such as a cosmos, it can be planted close to the outer edge of the flower bed, it will create an intriguing light curtain.
- Avoid making round flower beds, because they do not allow the eye to glide and are not beneficial from the point of view of the overall perspective landscape design. Try to make the shape of the flower bed so that it allows the plants to extend beyond its border. This could be a wavy border or some kind of irregular triangle that protrudes from the main flower bed and then returns back to the general border. This placement of one large plant aside from the main group, it deceives the eye and makes the flower garden visually larger.
- Mix textures by adding vertical plants
. Uplifting trunks of plants such as delphiniums and lupines connect the ground to the sky and break up the monotony of many flower mounds, the natural growth pattern of most flowers, thus creating greater elegance and interest. The sword-shaped leaves of irises and gladioli have the same effect, and they are sure to add more grace to any flower bed.
- Add one bold and tall plant. For example, amaranth or castor bean will explode a flower bed with their burgundy-red foliage, while at the same time becoming an advantageous backdrop for more neutral plants, making the flower garden much more colorful.
- If you discover a successful combination of plants, do not be afraid to repeat it several times in the flowerbed - this will give it more integrity and naturalness.
How to care for a flowerbed that blooms all summer
A large flower bed requires continuous care. It is necessary to cut off plants that have flowered in a timely manner to prevent self-seeding and self-occupation of territories. At the same time, some seeds may be left for decorative interest. Weeding, tying up stretched plants - all this must be done in a timely manner. Every three years, perennials must be divided to rejuvenate the bushes and create new ones. flower arrangements in the flowerbed.
We have told you the main strategic points that will allow you to create your own beautiful flower bed that blooms all summer long!
2017-12-12Tips for choosing a pot, soil and drainage for proper planting
A question that many people face.
We can often see on store shelves different types soils, drainage and additives - try to figure out what exactly suits your grandmother’s favorite ficus or large lemon tree...
"And a stalk of grass is worthy of the great world in which it grows..."
Surely a good housewife cozy home, I have a special passion - growing indoor flowers and plants. It’s not for nothing that plants are believed to “feel” an aura. good man, if all kinds of flowers in pots (of any kind) grow luxuriantly or coexist in the house, this indicates the positive energy of the owners of the house.
How to plant indoor plants correctly?- A question that many people face. We can often see different types of soils, drainages and additives on store shelves - try to figure out what exactly suits your grandmother’s favorite ficus or large lemon tree... There are no universal recommendations for choosing soil or soil, but there are generally accepted standards and concepts that will help your green households.
We plant indoor flowers without compromising their well-being
For planting (or transplanting) indoor plant You will need
-
Plant (flower)
A flower pot (or flowerpot, as it is fashionable to call it these days), preferably with a tray
Soil
Choosing a flowerpot for a flower
First you need to choose the right container for planting (flower pot). The pot should be approximately 3-5 cm larger in size (diameter) than the previous one. If you plant a flower in a larger pot, the plant’s growth may be delayed (instead, the plant will enter the active growth phase root system), and with it a delay in flowering.
The most optimal and affordable option - plastic flowerpots with pallets. They do not break or prick, they are offered in different designs and sizes, are produced in series (which will allow you to transplant all the flowers into pots different sizes in the same style). In addition, they are lightweight and durable.
! Important: when choosing a pot, pay attention to the presence of a hole in its bottom. If it is not provided there, buy another one or make a hole yourself.
Drainage - what is it and how to use it
In order for your flower to have a better chance of developing successfully, experienced gardeners recommend when replanting plants in a pot: create drainage system . Drainage will help smooth out small mistakes in watering.
! Advice from SLONcom: it is more advisable to use expanded clay drainage.
What is expanded clay? At its core, expanded clay is baked clay with a porous structure. The only parameter of expanded clay that can vary is the fraction (grain size). For drainage, expanded clay of a fraction of 5 - 10 mm is used (sometimes they write “fine expanded clay”). You can often find larger expanded clay of a fraction of 10 - 20 mm (then they write “large expanded clay”).
! In the absence of expanded clay, drainage can be done using ceramic shards.
What size drain is best to use? For plants, it doesn’t make much difference what fraction of expanded clay you use for drainage. Here, subjective reasons are of greater importance: the diameter of the drainage hole in the pot (in large pots, small expanded clay can spill out of the drainage hole).
Lay out the drainage and prepare the soil for the flower
Drainage layer in pots small size(up to 3 liters) should be approximately 1-2 cm, in larger pots from 5 to 10. But no more than 1/5 of the height of the flower pot.
! Important: some manufacturers of “expanded clay drainage” recommend mixing drainage with soil, supposedly to prevent soil acidification. This is not true, because if the oxidation process has already begun, expanded clay can only delay the beginning of the end. It is much better to water correctly. Mixing expanded clay with soil is only important for air exchange of the roots.
By the way, after 5 - 6 years of being in the ground, expanded clay is gradually destroyed and converted into soil, i.e. After 5 - 6 years, it is recommended to update the drainage.
The next step is preparing the soil. Today, flower shops offer wide choose soils intended for all types of plants and flowers. It already contains the necessary minerals and fertilizers that have a beneficial effect on the growth of flowers, moreover, it does not contain harmful impurities and debris. Thanks to such soil, your indoor flowers for a long time no feeding required.
Place on the drainage layer a small amount of prepared soil, plant the plant in the center, add soil and compact it a little.
*Important: leave at least 2 centimeters to the top edge of the pot.
Using drainage on the soil surface. We recommend covering the soil with a layer of expanded clay (drainage) on top, because... this prevents mold, moss and fungi from appearing on the soil surface. Also, expanded clay on top eliminates overheating of the top layer of soil and reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Besides useful properties, expanded clay can serve as decoration (for example, colored drainage).
How to fill the soil surface with drainage.Fill it evenly with expanded clay, a layer of about 1 cm, not 2 - 4 cm, as is often written on the packaging. Too large a layer of expanded clay will absorb a lot of water and prevent it from going into the ground to the roots, which may begin to dry out.
