The Art of Container Gardening
by Jenna Marshall
The wonderful thing about container gardening is it is incredibly versatile. The possiblities are virtually endless. As long as you provide enough light, food and water, you can grow plants almost anywhere. Even if you don't want to attempt to plant a garden in your yard, I hope that you give container gardening a try. Container gardening is a great solution for many people with limited time or space.
CHOOSING YOUR CONTAINER The most common types of planters are usually made of clay, wood, plastic or ceramic, and you can find them by the dozen at any Wal-Mart, home improvement store, or garden supply stores. Don't limit yourself. You can use just about any container you want to put your plants in, as long as it follows a few simple guidelines. First, make sure your container is strong enough to support the weight of the soil and the growing plant. Then, make sure it is clean and has plenty of drainage. If it doesn't, drill or punch some holes in the bottom. Next, make sure your container has enough room for your plants roots. For example, herbs are generally have shallow roots, so they would require a container at least 6 inches in diameter and enough depth for 8 inches of soil. Finally, get your container off the ground, just an inch or two. This needs to be done because plants that rest directly on the floor or concrete will have reduced drainage.
CHOOSING YOUR GROWING MEDIUM It is not recommended that you use soil from your yard for containers, unless you are blessed with loam (a light, balanced mixture of clay, sand and silt). Most of us will not have that. Prepackaged potting soils are readily available and easy to use. They are light, and come in dozens of blends, with and without fertilizer, blended for specific plants, and so on. My personal preference is for organic blends. If you have a lot of pots or some very large ones, buying potting soil by the bag can be expensive. A lot nurseries have large quantities of growing mediums that they sell loose and in bulk. We have a few where I live that sell them mostly by the truck load. This is a great, cost-effective way to get your containers started (if you have the room for a truck load of potting soil!).
When planting in containers, treat your plants as if you were planting them in the ground. Fill the container, leaving two inches at the top. Start with your medium slightly damp. Then, plant as usual. Follow the instructions on the seed packet or tag on your plant. Plants in containers generally need to be fertilized every 2-3 weeks. Do not over-fertilize. Plants in the ground have the benefit of a large amount of soil, which can protect it from too much fertilizer. In containers, plants receiving too much fertilizer will suffer from burnt roots, and this can kill your plants. Be careful to follow the directions on your fertilizer.
WATERING Plants in containers need to be watered every day. Sometimes twice a day. Since there is less soil than with a traditional plant, the soil dries out fast. This is even more so with plants in full sunlight or in windy areas. You can help your plants by mulching. This helps retain some moisture. You may want to also consider putting in a trickle watering system.
LIGHTING The amount of light you will need depends on, of course, the type of plants you have. The tag or seed packet for your plant will say what the sunlight requirements are for your plants. If you need to increase the light, or if your plant only gets indirect light, you may want to add something to reflect the light. Marble rocks or aluminum foil work well and will help you get the most out of the sunlight available.
No matter what type of container or plants you choose, have fun with it. There are so many ways to add color and life to your home, inside and out.
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