photo by Rachel Pieters cc-by-nc-sa
Container gardening is when you are growing a plant in some form of container, such as a flower pot or a bucket or anything not directly the ground.
Why would I want to garden in containers?
- You don't have a yard, you have a yard but the soil is too sandy or plants don't grow easily in the ground for one reason or another, you want plants out of reach of your pets, you want to grow plants inside, and many more reasons!
What type of plants can I grow in containers?
- Almost anything can grow in the right container, but look for seeds or plants that are labeled “bush,” “compact,” “dwarf,” or “patio” these are smaller varieties that are better suited to growing in a container.
What type of container should I use?
- While recycling is a great thing to do, if you are growing anything that you intend on eating or touching, you are going to want something that is food-safe (you probably don't want to grow food in a can that still has paint in it). There are pots made of terra cotta, ceramic, plastic, wood, or a cheaper option is to use 5-gallon buckets
- Whatever container you choose, make sure there's a hole in the bottom for drainage and if your container isn't directly on the ground, put it on a saucer or something to catch the water that does drain out
What size container do I need?
- That depends on the plant(s) you want to grow. In general:
- 1 gallon containers- many herbs, small radishes
- 3 gallon containers- beets, carrots (depends on the size of the variety), lettuce, green onions
- 5 gallon containers- beans, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes
What type of soil do I need?
- Anywhere that you purchase bags of soil is going to have a variety of different types of soil. Some are labeled "blooms" or "flowers," some are labeled "cactus" or "succulent," some are labeled "vegetable" or "tomato," some are labeled "all-purpose." Make sure that you pick up a bag of potting soil and not topsoil or mulch or fertilizer!
How do I keep my plant alive in a container?
- Light or shade? What kind of plant are you growing? Did the tag or seed packet say full-sun, part-sun, or shade? Some plants actually do well inside the house not near a window. Most vegetables and flowers do need some sunlight, though.
- Water? Does the seed packet or plant tag say how much to water? Once a week? Keep moist? Let dry out then water? Tip: water the soil, not the leaves of the plant. Water can splash up and carry soil born diseases. Wet leaves can also get scalded by the sun or other light source.
- Food? Are there any instructions that came with your plant or seed packet that say when or how often to fertilize or give plant food? Like soil, there are many types of plant food, also keep in mind organic options if you are growing food to eat or you intend on touching
- Pests or disease? If your plant is outside, there are some not so nice insects (and these insects can also come indoors as well!) When considering a solution consider natural methods such as peppermint oil or neem oil instead of using something that is poisonous to both the pest/disease and you
- Size? Did your plant outgrow its current container? You might want to consider either trimming the plant to keep it small enough to fit the pot, or gently remove the plant and move it into a large pot with more soil.
