No matter how small your porch or patio is, you can still change it into a beautiful garden of flowers or a crop of some of the best vegetables grown in containers. Some of the containers which you can use for this purpose include wooden barrels, planter boxes, large flower pots and even hanging baskets. As a container gardener, your imagination is your only limitation. Gardening in containers makes a lot of sense for people with little garden space but still want to engage in some gardening too.
Containers also make an ideal choice where the balcony is the only place you have to grow your flowers or crops. A wide range of plants are incredibly happy when being grown in containers such as basil, thyme, chives and many other herbs. You can set them in a convenient spot may be just outside your kitchen door and you can rest assured that you will have an incredibly beautiful garden. Container plants add versatility as well to your garden, whether it is small or large. The containers create a focal point in your garden and add instant color that makes your garden incredibly lovely.
Choosing your gardening containers
When you decide to do gardening in containers, you will realize that planters and pots come in a vast range of shapes, sizes, styles and materials. Still, it is also possible for you to modify the containers you use on a daily basis like barrels or bowls to be planters.
The first thing worthy consideration is the size of the containers. It is of paramount importance that you always keep in mind the fact that growing plants in relatively large containers is quite easier than in small ones. This is because of the fact that large containers are able to hold more soil that can stay moist for quite a long time and is less vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. Using small hanging containers means that they will dry out incredibly especially during the hot summer months. This might mean that you need to keep watering your plants now and then which might be just tiresome and stressful to keep up with.
Still, you will also need to really consider the kind of plant that you will be growing in each container. A number of factors are going to determine how deep and large your container should be for the plant to grow and thrive well. Most importantly, make sure that you pay consideration to the shape and size of the root system of the plant in order to choose the most ideal type of container for it to be grown in. how big the room you have will also determine the maximum size as well as the weight of the container you decide to use for your gardening. The gardener also needs to determine what they will be using for supporting the plant as well as if they intend to move it or not.
Drainage
No matter which container you decide to use for your gardening needs, you should understand the fact that an essential aspect that your containers should have is drainage holes. If the container doesn't have drainage holes, the soil will simply become waterlogged which will mark the onset of the death of your plants. However, you don’t have to make large holes as such but should be considerably large in a way that the excess water will be able to drain out of the container. You can drill some holes all by yourself and everything will certainly be good to go. Containers that don’t have holes can serve as a cachepot and for hiding or covering a plain pot.
Materials
There are different types of materials used for making gardening containers and each one of them comes with its share of advantages and disadvantages. Terra- cotta or clay containers are for example loved by many as they are very attractive. However, these containers are also easily breakable and thawing and freezing can damage them easily. Cast concrete containers and long lasting not to mention that they are available in a wide range of great sizes and styles. Regardless of what the prevailing weather at your place is, you can leave these containers out all day long. But due to their heaviness, they are not an ideal choice to use in balconies as moving them can prove to be quite problematic. There are many other types of containers that you can use for gardening and you just need to analyze what each of them has to offer you.
Growing mixture
The growing mixture should be one that drains rapidly but is still able to retain enough moisture for keeping the roots moist evenly. For the topping soil of your containers, make use of compost. Sand can be added as well depending on the specific requirements of the plant. After you have added soil in the container, make sure that you leave a two inch space between your container’s top and the soil.
Sunlight
Just like the normal garden, your container garden also needs direct sunlight as well, at least 5 hours per day. This will help in photosynthesis which is very important for both leafy cabbages and root crops alike. Fruiting vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes must have plenty of sun to grow. Regardless of the plant you have planted in the containers, just make sure that you place the container in an area where it receives direct sunlight.
Fertilizer
Considering the rapid draining of water by the potting mixes, this means that the fertilizer is going to be quickly washed out. As you water. If you are using lighter mixes, you will need to fertilize your soil more frequently than heavier mixes. Liquid fertilizer should be diluted for the best results to be achieved.
Water
Water is an essential aspect of growing plants in containers. When the gardening containers are placed in a location that is exposed, moisture will be lost more quickly. Watering your plants on a daily basis especially during hot and dry weather is advised.
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