Container gardening has much to recommend it. It allows those of us with few sunny sites to make the most of what we do have. It brings herbs close to the cook. Raised containers make gardening easy for those with mobility issues. Lastly, containers can beautify the home inside and out.
Step one is choosing the container. No matter where you plan to place it, make sure that it has adequate drainage holes because sitting in water is the kiss of death to most plants. If the holes are too small or too few, you may be able to drill more holes or enlarge existing ones. Of course if you are repurposing an interesting object, you must make holes in the bottom.
Next think about where you want to use the container. Light is a critical factor in gardening success. There are shade-tolerant plants, but if you want a patio veggie patch, it must have six to eight hours of full sun every day during the growing season. Even houseplants have differing light needs. Some can take a sunny window situation while others will wither away there. For containers with several different plants, all of the occupants must share the same light and water requirements.
Plants in pots have special soil requirements. Certainly, one can purchase ingredients and make a potting mix. Mix one-third compost with one-third shredded bark and one-third expanded clay or shale. This last ingredient maintains pore space. For most of us purchasing a ready-made product is easier and even more economical. Big-box garden centers often feature deals on bagged potting soil to get us in the door and buying plants and other gardening essentials.
Even if your potting mix comes with a slow-release fertilizer, you will need to supplement this during the growing season. Buy a product you can mix with water to make a dilute solution. I use Mills Easy Feed, but there are plenty of others available. Depending on rainfall, give your pots a nutrient perk-up every week or two.
If you have grown one “crop” of flowers or vegetables in a container and want to use the soil again you must replenish the nutrients. Mix in a slow-release fertilizer prior to planting. I prefer organics because they do not harm beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Water is critical to a flourishing container. Check on your containers daily. Water if dry to your second knuckle. During very hot dry weather, some containers, especially hanging baskets, may need two drinks a day. Make sure the container is not in a low spot or saucer that leaves it sitting in water. I know saucers may be essential to keeping an area tidy. Empty the saucer after about 15 minutes and check again to make certain the plant is not standing in water. I elevate pots sitting on the ground to ensure that water can drain out of the pots.
Gardening in containers is just as much work as gardening other places. Nevertheless, it is another way to enjoy the benefits of having plants around our homes. Next week we will explore plant choices for containers.
Master gardener Ann Bartlett grows her flowers mostly in ornamental beds around her home, but she knows a trug from a tree frog when the wind is southerly. This is the first in her mini-series on container gardening.
