Last Updated on July 26, 2022 by Griselda M.
When we plant multiple plants in one pot we often refer to this as companion planting. Sometimes, two plants, or even more, complement each other and grow better than if we grew each on its own. How To Grow Multiple Plants In One Pot? You can grow many different vegetables and herbs in one place. If you are growing multiple plants in one pot, you need to choose plants that are compatible in terms of their growth requirements. For example, you cannot plant a cactus that likes very little water in a pot with a watercress plant that loves lots of water. But you can plant two different cacti in the same pot. Let’s unpack this.
What Plants Can You Put Together In A Pot?
Herbs are generally quite easy to grow together in mixed pot plants. If you’ve never tried it before, there are plenty of herbs that are easy to grow in a pot, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil.
You can also create mixed succulent plantings in a pot. Succulents tend to grow quite slowly and have interesting leaf structures. Mixing your planting up to highlight the different leaf structures can be quite attractive.
In some cases, if you have a big plant, you can then grow another plant as an understory. This looks beautiful. I have had a lot of good luck with this in my indoor gardening.
Do Multiple Plants In One Pot Require More Water?
This will depend on the plants. If you plant two plants in one pot and one is a big plant, and the other is a ground cover, you will basically have the combined water footprints of the two plants and they would consume more water than either on their own. This is just pure logic.
Benefits Of Multiple Plants In One Pot
In many cases, planting two or more plants together can help the plants be healthier. I find that growing basil plants and tomatoes together seems to make both healthier. You probably find that the terpenes the plants produce help to chase pests away.
I also find that planting basil with peppers or chilis seems to be a winning combination.
Parsely and oregano grow well together. If you grow large Italian parsley it will provide some shelter for the oregano and both will thrive.
Celeriac and bell peppers. I would put a picture in here, but it is winter where I am now and my celeriac is dormant. In summer, this makes the most beautiful pot plant. The large bell pepper is covered in its red fruits with the celeriac below providing a lush weird green color.
You can see the logic – plant plants that work together, and you get a better system.
Conclusion On Multiple Plants In One Pot!
I hardly ever grow just one plant type in a pot – it is a waste of space. Enjoy experimenting and you will find out the combinations that work well in your garden. You can have a lot of fun with these multiple plantings. My advice is always – big pot! The bigger the pot, the more root and fungal activity you have in your soil. I also find that big pots can just stay untended for longer. Small pots dry out quickly and are a lot of admin.
Read more about What Is The Best Grow Bag Size For Tomatoes?
FAQs
How many plants can you put in one pot?
This will really depend on the size of the pot and what plants you plant. My Mom has a large pot that has at least 50 different succulent plants in it. This is an extreme example, but she has tended this pot for probably 40 odd years and figured out what works. I would suggest you start with two plants in a pot, and gradually build up your skils.
What happens if you put too many plants in a pot?
If you do this you may find that some plants will get crowded out. You can then just thin the plantings and remove some plants until you get the appearance you want.
How to plant multiple plants in one pot?
I normally used to get them too close by mistake. Even small plants tend to get a lot bigger than you think they will. Try and plant them as far apart as possible and over time you get better and better at figuring out how to plant them. Practice makes perfect. In the case of a planting where you have a plant that grows up, and ground cover this is a lot less difficult. Just plant them and they will figure it out.
Branko is the world‘s most enthusiastic gardener! He is always on the hunt for the perfect flower, bush or tree to add to his ever–growing garden. He is known for his love of all things green, and his passion for nurturing the plants he grows is unmatched. He loves to get his hands dirty and can often be found humbly tending to his garden at all hours of the day. Branko is the go–to guy when it comes to gardening advice – he is always happy to share his knowledge and wisdom with anyone who will listen. He also loves to play pranks on unsuspecting visitors, so beware if you enter his garden!
