Container Gardening Basics

Container Gardening is becoming more and more popular as the population of cities and suburbs increases. Your “garden” is moveable and so it is easier to manage pests and garden environments. It also reduces the time that you need to tend to your plants because you can place them where they are easier for you to reach. This is especially good for people who are handicapped but still want a garden.

There are some things that are necessary in order to have a successful container garden.

First, you must have a container. You can find them in almost every size, shape and they can be made of many different materials. And, they can be very inexpensive, especially when you create them from “found” objects. You must make sure that the container that you choose has adequate drainage.

Make sure that your container is appropriate for your plant’s full-grown size. You don’t want to have to keep changing pots as your garden grows.

Soil is the next thing you have to have for your garden. I’m sorry, but you can’t go outside and dig up some dirt. It will be much too heavy and will probably contain lots of bugs and pests that you don’t need. The soil must be of good quality to keep your plants healthy and growing well. Buy potting mix that drains well but still is able to retain adequate moisture. The mix shouldn’t be so light that it won’t hold the plant and root system in the container without propping the plant up.

You can mix your own potting soil by using one part compost; one part perlite and one part garden loam. Be sure that you inspect the loam for pests before using it.

Choose plants that do not have very large root systems. Those plants will soon get too large for the pot that you have planted them in, even to the point of breaking it. As I mentioned before, not sizing the plant to the pot (or the pot to the plant), can cause plants to be spindly and root-bound.

Tomatoes are a good choice for a new gardener because they are easy to grow and have a strong, but small, root system. Other vegetables that are appropriate are peppers, lettuce, spinach, radishes and eggplant.

Herbs are also an excellent choice for container gardens. Herb gardens don’t require much space and they are extremely easy to grow, even for the novice gardener. Like most plants, they do require adequate drainage to grow them successfully.

Some people use container gardens as decorating accents as well as for growing vegetables for the dinner table. Choosing containers that fit with the style of the area you want them in enhances its ambiance. You might even want to use them in a specific area inside your home. Sunrooms come to mind as a great place to grow plants. Do make sure there is adequate sun and shade for your plants.