How to Grow Coral Bells in Pots

 

Coral bells scientific name is Heuchera and is a hardy garden perennial of the saxifrage family, the common names are alumroot and coral bells. The plants are very easy to grow. The Coral bells plants actually produce small flowers on stems that rise above their foliage, but the plant are primarily grown for their lovely leaves. The flower colors of the plant include pink, white, light coral, and dark red. The Coral Bells plants provide everything you could want in a container plant. The plants add a burst of color and variegation, they naturally mound, so they fill in a pot very nicely, and they are also relatively low maintenance.

The Coral Bells plants are available in a wide variety of foliage colors. You can mix a few varieties to create a gorgeous container garden or you can easily combine them with other types of plants if you want more flowers in your container garden. Container gardens are a pretty way to spruce up your patio, balcony, deck, front steps, or to cover a bare spot in your garden.

Furthermore, the Coral bells' medium to large leaves is heart-shaped or rounded. A lot of are variegated or have ruffled edges. You can choose from varieties with lime, burgundy, chocolate brown, purple, or multiple shades of green.

 

How to Grow Coral Bells in Pots

One of the best times to plant Coral Bells in pots is during the spring. Once the temperatures are consistently warm and there is no longer a threat of frost you can get your potted Coral Bells plant outside in a spot with partial shade so that it can thrive. You can also plant in the summer and fall but the Coral Bells plant might require more water to help get established.

Make sure you use a container with a drainage hole at least six inches wider than the root ball to give the Coral Bells plants room to grow. The plants have shallow roots, so a tall container is not actually necessary. A single coral bells plant can grow to about fifteen inches wide, but some varieties can reach about twenty-four inches across. You can use a wider container if you want to add more than one coral bell plants.  

The Coral bell plants produce flowers in late spring to early summer. It’s actually best to select a variety for its foliage rather than the flowers because the foliage will persist all season long. The foliage spikes range from twelve to thirty-six inches in height.

The Coral bell plants prefer partial sun conditions but can easily tolerate full sun or shade conditions too. Generally, the Coral bell plants with lighter color leaves often prefer shadier conditions, and the darker leaved ones can also handle more sun. If the edges of the Coral bell leaves turn brown with crunchy edges you can easily move the container to a location where it will receive less sunshine.

Soil requirements: The Coral bell plants require a rich soil with high organic matter content. You can mix in compost or manure to create good soil. A well-draining soil is very important because the Coral bells like to dry out between watering. You can also use a good quality all-purpose potting soil for your container grown coral bell plants. You can add a half-inch layer of compost on top of the soil when you are potting them up. Make sure you don’t cover the crown of the plant with soil or compost.

Coral bells care: The Coral bell plants will do best in a planter with drainage and they require well-draining soil. The Coral bell plants will look lovely in a hanging basket. The Coral bell plants do not naturally trail as much as plants typically grown in hanging baskets, but they naturally mound so that it will create a very full look. Actually growing healthy coral bells plants in planters or other containers is fairly easy with just a few considerations. The Coral bell plants make an excellent addition to any pot and they are likely to thrive in if the right steps are taken.    

Water requirement: Make sure you water your Coral Bells in planters more often than plants in the ground; however, the care of the plant is the same. The Coral bell plants prefer consistently moist but not waterlogged soil. Like most other plants, the Coral bell plants do best when receiving an inch of water per week combined from rainfall and hand watering. The Coral bell plants may need more water if your container is unglazed, or if they are in a sunny location where the pot may heat up and dry out the soil.  

Make sure you water when the top few inches are dry to the touch and drench the soil until water runs through the drainage holes. Rain and periods of drought will actually impact the watering schedule, so make sure you pay attention and adjust as needed.

Fertilizing requirements: The Coral bell plants are not heavy feeders, which simply mean a slow-release fertilizer like compost is the best option to use. Just add a half-strength solution of a water-soluble fertilizer every 6 weeks throughout their growing season.

The Coral bell plants that are grown in containers typically need to be fertilized more often because the nutrients in the soil are leached away due to more frequent watering. If you wish, you can keep your Coral bell plants looking their best by applying a water-soluble fertilizer every other week during their growing season. It is not too important to fertilize Coral Bells during the winter when the plant is actually dormant.