[adri123]

HI

I have these arriving today:

        Hylotelephium spectabile Stardust   
   Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote   
   Echinacea purpurea Magnus   
        Salvia × sylvestris Rose Queen   
   Echinacea purpurea Virgin (PBR)   
   Origanum laevigatum Herrenhausen   
   Pulmonaria Opal ('Ocupol')   
   Pulmonaria saccharata Mrs Moon   

I want to have them in big pots.  First question is what potting mix should I use?  Mix of GP compost and garden soil?

Secondly,  what if any is the benefit of potting up?  ie moving gradually from small pot then up a level etc until you reach the desired big pot?  Why not just put in the pot you want it to end up in?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Adri

[mumofstig]

I always use 50:50 soil to compost in my big pots and it works ok.

If you put a small plant in a big pot it is surrounded by a large mass of compost and the roots will grow to the outside of the pot and then begin to grow around in a circle before 'using' the nearest soil. If you wait for the plant to root through the soil in its small pot before giving it the next sized one each time, it will end up with a much larger/denser rootball, which in turn, should result in a stronger plant.

[adri123]

Great reply!!!

Many thanks.