Container gardening can be enjoyed
by everyone no matter how old you are, no matter how much you
know about gardening. Many people enjoy container gardening for
the simple ease and convenience of planting gardens in
containers or pots. It is ideal when space is limited. Plants
are right up close for you to admire as you gaze out of your
windows and sit on your deck and patio. Container plantings can
soften the hard lines of a patio of deck.
Build a container garden on a
balcony, patio, deck, or any other places where a backyard is
not available. Planting in containers is also a great solution
when you have extremely difficult soil in your yard, or you are
just plain fed up with hours of weeding a conventional
flowerbed. Maybe your outdoor space is paved. Then you have no
choice but to plant in pots!
Many gardeners are discovering
that brightly glazed or painted ceramic pots, spilling over with
attractive flowers and foliage, brighten a landscape and serve
as focal points in the garden beds themselves. Container
gardening makes it possible to position your plants in areas
where they can receive the best possible growing conditions.
Container gardening is a technique that permits plant materials
to be changed or renewed as desired.
Container Choices
Planting pots come in all
shapes and sizes of plastic, terracotta, and wood. Wooden
containers are often lined with plastic to slow the
deterioration of the wood. Wood containers don't crack in cold
weather and they provide more insulation than do terracotta
pots. Terracotta and ceramic pots often crack if left outside in
the winter. They dry out quickly. Plastic pots are inexpensive
and hold water well but are often unattractive. At least four
drainage holes are recommended in the bottom of each container.
Container Cultivation
Potting soil should be free of
disease organisms, insects, and weed seeds. Soil straight from
the garden should not be used in a container! Soil in containers
should be porous yet hold water and nutrients. That means using
approximately two parts packaged potting soil to one part
compost and a small handful of sand. Mix your potting soil with
a teaspoon of slow release fertilizer beads. Mix close to the
top so the roots of the plants will benefit immediately.
Planting and spacing
requirements for the plants you have selected can be found on
the plant tag. A container can sustain only a certain number of
plants, therefore, it is important to limit the number of plants
based on the container size and the eventual size of the plant
at maturity. Don't be worried if there is some yellowing and
dropping of leaves as the plants become accustomed to their new
environment.
Watering
Plants in containers need
frequent watering, maybe even twice a day during very hot
weather. They may dry out after just one hot day but may be all
right in dry soil until the next morning's watering. Containers
should be kept moist, not wet. Plants roots will rot in overly
wet or water logged soil.
Smaller containers will dry out
faster than larger containers and terracotta faster than
plastic. Remember that containers under a porch roof of under a
roof overhang or even a densely leafed tree will not receive
much, if any rainwater. Don't rely on rainwater; it is not
sufficient for container gardens. If you don't enjoy watering by
hand you can purchase small drip systems made just for container
gardens.
Fertilizing
After a few months your slow
release beads will have worn out, so you could reapply the
beads, or to be more organic, you could try something mild like
seaweed emulsion and-or fish emulsion every 2-3 weeks. Don't
fertilize plants in hot sun. Always use recommended amount or
less. Plants in containers won't thrive if you don't fertilize.
Many of the flowering annuals in your containers will flower
right up until first frost as long as they are maintained and
watered.
Container gardening is not
necessarily low maintenance. If you love to garden but you don't
have the time of space for a large traditional garden, you will
find gardening in containers extremely rewarding.
