You are right its putting a potted plant in the ground pot and all. I have some this way. Some will put the same size container in the ground first so the plant pot can come out leaving the hole intact for the winter. Drilling big holes allows for the roots to spread to the earth and draw up water and food from there also.

Mike

Hi tomato. There is a whole variety of things people do concerning plunging.

If you drill holes in the sides of the pots then your roots can grow out and spread in the surrounding soil, whether in another larger pot or into the ground. Then come winter, it's easy to saw around the outside of the pot, cutting the roots to remove the potted plant.

I've been plunging plants for years and like to plunge a 3 gallon into a 5 gallon, then leave the 5 gallon in the ground until next year. Often I will push another 5 gallon, bottom up into the other 5 gallon. This helps to give the hole some height and keep the dogs (and others) from wandering into a hole.

Plunging not only helps keep plants from getting blown over but keeps the roots cooler, too.

The point of plunging into a larger pot is that you put an empty short wide 5 or 7 gallon pot into the ground, then place your smaller pot with the plumeria and holes drilled into the sides into the pot on the bottom. Now you fill fresh soil mix around the plant. The plant will grow into the new soil but like Moonie said, come winter if you have to bring your plants inside, you cut around the outside of the plant pot cutting the roots. Now you remove the plant to store and remove the soil and cut roots and toss them. You cover the empty pot (one of those plastic dishes that are made to go under a pot works well and wait until spring to start over with fresh soil mix. Basically you are root pruning which stimulates growth the next season. Bill

In addition to what's been mentioned, there is another significant advantage that accompanies this practice - it allows you to use soils that might otherwise be considered too water-retentive to be the best choice for a more conventional application, where the pot is not sunk into the ground. Essentially, it employs the earth as a giant wick, which serves to eliminate all or almost all of the water that would otherwise 'perch' in the lower reaches of the container, creating soggy conditions and increasing the probability that the excess water and reduced volume of air in the root zone that accompanies it would limit root function or be detrimental to root health.

Al

Melting the plastic instead of drilling works better for me. I use an inexpensive soldering iron. Just as fast and it's less likely to slip than a drill bit on the rounded surface of the pot.

But if I drill holes in the side of the pot, I will inevitably hit some roots - that won't hurt the plant? How large holes are we talking about?

I use a spade drill bit in the sides. I like to make them at least a half inch in diameter because as the roots grow in diameter they could clog the hole unless it's large.

If you drill holes while plants are dormant, you won't hurt it much.

Great info from all of the above posters...

I also "plunge some of my pots in the ground.."

Sometimes i "plunge my pots in other larger pots " still on the concrete or on my deck. Same method, except for they are still above ground.

Here ia a pic of them inside another container..

Just protecting the roots from to much heat. They also grow roots like crazy and i have to cut them when i bring them in for the season.

Good luck..

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Laura,

Would that just be mulch around the black nursery pots? Great idea. I could have done that this summer. July went on record as the hottest July for our area. Many 100 degree days.

Big Wave Dave

Those of you using gritty mix and plunging; how do you keep the mix in the pot if you drill holes in the side?

Those look great Laura, no wonder your plants are so pretty and healthy!!!

For my first go at plunging (after my Divine was tumped over by some really strong winds, even in a heavy pot!) I dug a hole and put my Divine in it leaving only the top few inches of the pot above ground.
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Our soil is nothing but pure clay below a shallow layer of top soil. It's so gross!

Hey Dave,

I really like to do this during the heat of the summer. It usually is in August when i do this with the containers.. My trees are still on the deck in the black containers and i will probably sink them in a few weeks when the heat rolls around again. It is just good for the trees to get the roots off of the concrete and the hot deck. Yes.. it is just reg mulch (cheap) Pine to put in between the containers. I like it and the trees do as well. I have to cut the roots when i bring them in in the fall.

Hi Cessna,

Since i am not sinking them into the ground and only using the containers, i dont drill holes on the sides of the containers. I just use the reg holes that are on the bottom. WHen i plant into the containers using the gritty Mix, I put a layer of mesh on the bottom to protect the mix from escaping from the holes. I am just trying to keep the roots cool for a short period. Once the blazing heat settles down here in VA, I take them out and let them enjoy the heat of the deck and the day. Some of them that i have left until fall in the containers tho..have grown lots of roots from the holes... i just cut them when i bring them inside for the winter. Usually around the End of October, depending on the temps..Others that are in the Gritty Mix that i do sinkk in the ground are on the fence line. They are only half plunged into the mulch. This is only to prevent the roots from frying. Otherrs sink to increase root growth .. i do this to protect them from burning up...

Hi Emily!!

Thank you!! You are so sweet!!

Looks good!

Maybe you could make the hole larger and layer it with mulch so that it won't hold any water in the container when you water... I know that the earth acts like a giant wick, but if you have mostly clay.. it might helps your trees to have a barrier of mulch to help drain the water from you container to prevent root rot. ( so you dont have any Perched water sitting in your container)

Your trees look great!!

Always enjoy seeing your trees!

Great job!! : )

Your seedling are awesome too!

Take care,

Laura

Cessna - Laura's advice is well worth heeding. Any time you dig a hole in clay, it fills up with water when it rains or you water - even if the hole does happen to be filled with a pot full of soil. The key is, the soil is more porous than the clay, so you have created what is commonly referred to as the 'bathtub effect'. It won't really matter if the hole is the size of your pot, or the size of a small car, or what you fill it with - it will still fill with water when it rains. The problem arises if the hole doesn't drain fast enough - water can sit in a hole in clay for days without draining, so that's something you might wish to consider - especially if you start to see any symptoms attributable to an overly wet soil.

Al