Container Gardening Articles | Gardening

By: Nigel Grimshaw

Container gardening is a very convenient way of gardening. A large variety of vegetables and flowers can be grown in containers. Plants can be potted in a very small space also. Imaginative use of pots can make your garden look beautiful and productive.

Container gardening has an edge over regular gardening in terms of mobility, pest control and beauty. You can easily move the plants from one area to the other as they are in containers. You can move them indoors in case of frost. Secondly, if a certain plant is infected by pests, you can move it out and treat it without disturbing other plants. Your imagination can add beauty to your garden in terms of selection of pots, placement and color.

Potted plants on steps.

Here are a few things to consider while planting a container garden.

Containers:

Plastic containers are very convenient but may deteriorate in the sun. Glazed clay pots are the best containers in the garden. The pots should be well drained. Holes can be drilled at the bottom of the pot for drainage of water. Keep the pots on bricks for free drainage of water. Make sure that the container size is not too small. The roots need to grow freely in the container for better growth of the plant. Pots can be suspended off the ground with the help of plant suspenders to protect them from slugs in the soil below.

Suspended pots

Soil mixture:

Compost is a very good soil mixture. Vegetable peelings, leaves, eggshells, lawn clippings and fruit etc can be used from the home kitchen as compost for the plants. You can also buy readymade mixes from the market. Don’t fill up the pot completely with soil as you may need to add mulch to the soil later.

Fertilizer:

Soil mixes drain water rapidly. Fertilizers also will get drained with water. You will need to use fertilizers frequently. You can also use a dilute fertilizer so that it is absorbed easily. Liquid fish emulsion or seaweed fertilizers are good fertilizers.

Light:

Potted plants need at least 5 hours of sunlight which falls directly on them. Fruits and flowers need more sun. So keep the pots in a sunny area.

Water:

Potted plants lose water faster than plants in soil beds. So watering them regularly is very important. Most plants need water every day.

With these simple tips, your container garden will beautify your home and surroundings.