Potted plants -- Gardening help for my black thumb

[BlueHouse]

I have a few decorative plant pots that I like to fill with store-bought plants.  When I drop the new plant (with it's existing plastic container) into the decorative pot, what should I use to keep the plant upright? 

Rocks -- I don't like too many of these, as they make the pots heavy and immovable.
Florist foam -- I could get some of this for my indoor plants and cut it to size, but what about for the outdoor plants?  I guess I could use cardboard or newspaper, but I don't want to attract bugs.
Old water bottles -- yeah, I had extra multi-use sports water bottles and have filled up one of my pots (about 12 inches on the bottom), but the sides of the pot still teeter and then the plant looks lopsided. 
Dirt -- not gonna happen.

Is there something that is made for this purpose and I just don't know what it is?

[Cranky]

For indoor plants, I'd first assess whether the plant needs to be replanted. The only indoor plants that I have in cachepots are some orchids.

What about packing chips? Those would be light.

[Fishindude]

Why not just remove it from the plastic container and replant in the decorative pot with potting soil as necessary?

[BlueHouse]

Why not just remove it from the plastic container and replant in the decorative pot with potting soil as necessary?

After years and years of trying, I have finally realized that I am a serial plant murderer and I don't plan to change my ways.  I'm satisfied with my solution to keep a few plants for a few years until they look straggly and grotesque, and then let them retire to the sunny skies and endless compost available at the landfill. 
To replant or not is not really up for debate.  I appreciate that some people can make plants thrive and will love them like family members for years and years.  Not me.

[gardeningandgreen]

Why not just remove it from the plastic container and replant in the decorative pot with potting soil as necessary?

After years and years of trying, I have finally realized that I am a serial plant murderer and I don't plan to change my ways.  I'm satisfied with my solution to keep a few plants for a few years until they look straggly and grotesque, and then let them retire to the sunny skies and endless compost available at the landfill. 
To replant or not is not really up for debate.  I appreciate that some people can make plants thrive and will love them like family members for years and years.  Not me.

Not taking the plant out of the nursery pot will kill a plant extremely quickly. They are not meant to stay in those pots for very long. The best thing to do is to keep the same dirt once a plant dies and add in a bit of good compost mix it up a bit and add the new plant in. You don't need to throw out all the dirt every time. If it is a large pot putting rocks or grave or really anything that wont mold in the bottom fills up a ton of space so you use a lot less dirt!

[Cranky]

They make very attractive fake plants, which might be a better long term solution.

[letired]

Could you explain a little more about why the plant isn't sitting upright on it's own? Is it that it's too low in in the pot? Or that it's tipping over somehow?

[BlueHouse]

Could you explain a little more about why the plant isn't sitting upright on it's own? Is it that it's too low in in the pot? Or that it's tipping over somehow?

The container is significantly larger (especially too tall) than the potted plant.  so I've put other empty pots upside down in the container, and then I sit the potted plant on top of the overturned pot, but the overturned pot has a smaller surface area than the bottom of the potted plant's plastic container.  So it tips over or leans inside the outer container.

[letired]

Could you explain a little more about why the plant isn't sitting upright on it's own? Is it that it's too low in in the pot? Or that it's tipping over somehow?

The container is significantly larger (especially too tall) than the potted plant.  so I've put other empty pots upside down in the container, and then I sit the potted plant on top of the overturned pot, but the overturned pot has a smaller surface area than the bottom of the potted plant's plastic container.  So it tips over or leans inside the outer container.

The main thing is you don't want anything that will make the smaller pot sit in a puddle of water. Most plants don't care for it.

I don't think there is anything specifically made for this, unfortunately. I think you want something that either increases the size of the 'base' the inner pot is sitting on OR something like a mini stand that holds the inner pot at the desired height. I'm thinking something like this, but less decorative.

I would try thrift stores for cylindrical plastic objects that are cheap and you can cut up as necessary. Depending on the outer pot size, the basket from a salad spinner or a juice jug could work for the bottom section, and you could cut out the center a bit if you needed/wanted.

You could also get polymer clay from a craft store and make your own stand that is custom fit for the given pot combination! I'm thinking a ring that fits around the inner pot with legs or sides to hold it at the desired height. Note that I haven't worked with polymer clay much, so I don't know if that's the right medium, but it seems easier than woodworking or metalworking!

If you don't want to bother with finding a different system for raising the height of the inner pot, smaller cylinders like disposable water bottles could go around the edges of the inner pot to keep it centered. If you cut off the top and bottom, it will be pretty flexible and won't hold excess water to attract bugs.

If you are interested in potentially elongating your plants lives, it sounds like they might like to get more light, or possibly be fertilized once or twice a year.

Good luck! Let us know if you work something out!

[BlueHouse]

Could you explain a little more about why the plant isn't sitting upright on it's own? Is it that it's too low in in the pot? Or that it's tipping over somehow?

The container is significantly larger (especially too tall) than the potted plant.  so I've put other empty pots upside down in the container, and then I sit the potted plant on top of the overturned pot, but the overturned pot has a smaller surface area than the bottom of the potted plant's plastic container.  So it tips over or leans inside the outer container.

The main thing is you don't want anything that will make the smaller pot sit in a puddle of water. Most plants don't care for it.

I don't think there is anything specifically made for this, unfortunately. I think you want something that either increases the size of the 'base' the inner pot is sitting on OR something like a mini stand that holds the inner pot at the desired height. I'm thinking something like this, but less decorative.

I would try thrift stores for cylindrical plastic objects that are cheap and you can cut up as necessary. Depending on the outer pot size, the basket from a salad spinner or a juice jug could work for the bottom section, and you could cut out the center a bit if you needed/wanted.

You could also get polymer clay from a craft store and make your own stand that is custom fit for the given pot combination! I'm thinking a ring that fits around the inner pot with legs or sides to hold it at the desired height. Note that I haven't worked with polymer clay much, so I don't know if that's the right medium, but it seems easier than woodworking or metalworking!

If you don't want to bother with finding a different system for raising the height of the inner pot, smaller cylinders like disposable water bottles could go around the edges of the inner pot to keep it centered. If you cut off the top and bottom, it will be pretty flexible and won't hold excess water to attract bugs.

If you are interested in potentially elongating your plants lives, it sounds like they might like to get more light, or possibly be fertilized once or twice a year.

Good luck! Let us know if you work something out!

Great ideas Letired! I think I can get some jugs to work.  As soon as you wrote "cylindrical plastic objects" I immediately thought of pool noodles.  I don't have them, but they are often given away around here.  I think I can come into possession of one within a few weeks.  Until then, I'll work on some jugs and even some old shoes.