If you have ever done container gardening, you will agree with many that it is the best thing that ever happened since sliced bread. Why? If not for anything else, because the possibilities of using containers to plant your favorite crops are endless, not to mention the fact that containers are very economical when it comes to space.
Whether you want to grow flowers, fruits, herbs, or vegetables, or you want to combine all of them, you can rest assured that containers are an ideal choice for most homeowners, especially those who are limited on space. The best part with container gardening is the fact that they are ideal even for people without yards, meaning any gardener can enjoy and reap the many benefits of growing what they love.
As the name would suggest, container gardening is a form of gardening where containers are used to hold the plants, instead of the traditional ground. The containers used for this form of gardening can be anything ranging from terra cotta pots to gallon milk jugs which have been opened on top, to half barrels or plastic window boxes. Anything that can hold soil can be an ideal container for this form of gardening. Ideally, you want a container that has holes, or one that is easy to create holes at the bottom so as to facilitate drainage.
The secret to successful container gardening is ensuring the plants are planted in containers that are large enough. The best way to go about it is to purchase a container that is 1 or 2 sizes larger than the original container in which you bought the plants in. This way, you will be able to give your plants enough room to grow in, as well as facilitate good aeration and provide ample space for the roots to form strong rooting systems.
The second key to successful container gardening is ensuring you use top quality soil. Never compromise on the quality of soil you use on your container gardens, lest of course you don’t want to get top quality produce. Avoid taking any soil that you collect from the yard and putting in the containers. Should the soil be infected by diseases, it will mean you will transfer the diseases and pests to your otherwise healthy plants. Invest in high-quality, tested soil, preferably the one that has already been fertilized, so as to be guaranteed of high quality produce.
Just as an additional tip, when buying pots and containers for this form of gardening, you might want to invest in coordinating or matching colors or sizes so as to give harmony… even a container garden deserves some harmony doesn’t it? Harmony can be created by simply using containers that are of the same color, size, or those made from the same material.
With that being said, if you get good-sized pots, superior quality soil, and healthy plants, you can rest assured that container gardening is the greatest way to show your green thumb, especially when limited on space.
