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Container Gardening
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Container gardening is a great hobby for anyone who loves plants. Regardless of how much room someone has there is always space for a potted plant or two. A green thumb isn’t required. Most container gardens are easy to maintain and with a little know how can provide flowers and vegetables for the whole family.
There are really only four things needed to get started on a container garden today: a container, plants or seeds, soil, and water. Containers can be pots for plants or they can be non-traditional like buckets, old wheelbarrows, and bins.
When selecting a container, keep in mind that bigger is better. Bigger containers hold more soil which holds more water for the plants. Plants also thrive when their roots have room to stretch. One tip with big containers though is to place the container where it will live before filling it, they can be very heavy once full of soil.
Ceramic and terra cotta pots are beautiful and can be used as well. The only bad thing about these pots is that the clay may absorb water meant for the plants so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the moisture in the soil. Using creative containers like old wheelbarrows and watering cans are a unique twist on the average container.
Whatever container is chosen be sure the container allows for adequate drainage. Plants can drown if the roots are soaked in water for too long. Drainage holes can always be added by drilling into the container. Look for mold too for another indication of too much water.
One of the best things about container gardening is the creative control. A gardener can choose the arrangement and placement of the plants. Even those who live in city apartments can fill their fire escapes and windows with a beautiful garden. Porches and outdoor breezeways and vestibules are a great area to add some color and lushness with potted gardens.
The environment can be controlled when container gardening. If a plant requires a lot of sun the container can be placed in a sunny area. If shade is all that is available, then shade dwelling plants can do the trick. To determine the amount of sun one area gets invest in a sun calculator, this will give the gardener a realistic idea of how much sun any one spot sees in a day.
Most vegetable plants need at least six hours of sun a day and many plants require the average four to six. There are even some plants that will be easily scorched and need only one to two hours of sunlight. Knowing the sunlight needs of a plant before purchasing it from the nursery will ensure a successful container garden.
For those who have available land they may wonder why a container garden is good for them. Well there are a few benefits to gardening in this method. First, as stated above, the environment can be controlled. Second, they can be easier to maintain with less of a need for weeding and ease of watering. Container gardens are better protected from pests and animals. Rabbits and groundhogs won’t get to the vegetables before the grower does.
The creative license is also a big perk. The gardener can easily design and arrange many colorful combinations, and the containers are a fun element to choose. Children love container gardens because they can help. It’s a lot more fun to eat vegetables grown at home in front of their eyes than veggies from the grocery store.
For those new to container gardening here are some tips that will save a couple of plants’ lives:
•Plants may dry out more in the summer, so water plants in sunny areas once to twice a day when the high temperatures strike.
•Vegetable plants and many flowering plants don’t like cold soil, the soil should be at least sixty degrees; use a meat thermometer to get an accurate temp on the soil.
•Always use potting soil, dirt from the backyard will not have the fertilizer needed and may introduce foreign plants to the container.
•Container plants need food. After a few watering potting soil loses nutritional quality, so provide nutrients with an organic fertilizer or homemade compost.
•Don’t let plants drown; make sure there is adequate drainage.
•Self watering containers are good for those who can’t water every day.
•Pruning plants when they become ragged will improve the plant’s health.
Container gardening is easy and after a few trial runs, it will take no time to create a beautiful scene with little effort.
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