You love to garden, but at the current stage of your life, you have the misfortune of living on the 24th floor of an apartment building in a noisy city. Grrr! Or maybe you’re limited by a tiny backyard, keeping you from the garden of your dreams. Container gardens: everything you need to know!
With all the emphasis on higher-density living, I thought I’d better update this post so those needing to live in something other than a home on a reasonable-sized property can still learn to garden.
There might even be a few of you who have a big backyard, but the inconvenience of living in an area where the soil conditions are just flat-out terrible for growing vegetables and flowers. Thankfully, even with these challenging circumstances, you still have the option of container gardens to help you get through these setbacks. This is where I buy my seeds: SeedsNow
Container Gardens: Everything You Need to Know
Even if you have a big yard and the right conditions, a container garden is still a great option to consider expanding your garden’s capacity. Container gardens are also great for those who are just starting and want to see on a smaller scale how gardens work and what it takes to be successful. Here’s more on container gardens and everything you need to know.
Saves Water
You’ll notice a big difference in how much less water you use with a container garden compared to an ordinary garden. That’s another way of keeping things green around your home.
Fewer Pests to Deal With
Pests can take a lot of fun out of gardening with the havoc and ongoing nuisance they can create. Plants kept in container gardens have far fewer pests to worry about, meaning that your plants should remain healthier during the full growing season.
Plenty of Sunlight
Depending on the size you use, you can move container gardens around your yard to get all the sunlight they need as the growing season progresses. This allows them to get more sunlight than plants stuck in one location that might be subject to unwanted shade, like you’d experience with a tall fence.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Container gardens are the perfect growing environment for your plants. All of the issues mentioned above make them healthier than if you were to try planting them in the ground.
Things to Consider
The Right Size Container
When choosing the right container size, bigger is usually better, particularly from a depth standpoint. That’s because the roots need plenty of room to stretch underneath the soil to obtain moisture. Due to the smaller space, you’ll also be able to plant more plants in them and not have to water them as often.
Container Drainage
If your container doesn’t have drainage holes in the bottom, you’ll need to drill a few for proper drainage. Be sure to set a mesh or a coffee filter at the bottom of the container so dirt doesn’t escape, but the water can.
The Right Spot
One of the benefits of having a container garden is that you can move it around the yard as needed. But before you place it, save yourself some time and energy by paying close attention to your yard throughout the day and seeing where the sun shines the most consistently.
Choosing the Right Containers
Ceramic
Containers made of glass-ceramic certainly look classy, but are generally much more expensive. They also come in pretty snazzy colors and patterns. Just be prepared for them to be much heavier than when dealing with plastic and possibly wood.
Plastic
Using plastic is lighter and easier to move, but it is expensive compared to the rest. Depending on the type of plastic, they may crack and fall apart as they age, especially when bumped.
Wood
Many gardeners prefer wood because it provides a nice touch. However, it can become hard to move after sitting for a long time, and may become more fragile. Wood can also get weathered with sun and water exposure, so plan on some repairs or replacement needs over time.
Metal
Metal is also considered a classy method for holding plants. However, metal conducts a lot of heat, so you’ll want to line the container with plastic or plant the plants closer to the middle of the container so that you have less chance of scorching the roots.
Terracotta
Many gardeners use terracotta pots for their container gardens. They tend to be heavy to move and more prone to break. They can also be pretty expensive, especially if you are considering purchasing larger containers or planning to use a lot of them.
Window Boxes
Planting flowers or herbs in window boxes looks so lovely hanging beneath a window. Plus, it gives you something to look forward to each morning when you look out the window. Depending on the window’s location, it may be challenging to water them.
What to Grow in Your Container Garden
You may think you are limited to what you can grow in a container garden, but there’s a lot you can do with one. Check out some of these plants to get you started:
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Peppers
- Herbs
- Onions
- Eggplants
- Cucumbers
- Blueberries
- Potatoes
- Smaller Fruit Trees
- Lemon Tree: Everything You Need To Know
Helpful Tips for Your Container Gardens
Water Them Every Day
Plants and flowers in container gardens don’t hold moisture as well as those planted directly into the ground. So you need to water them consistently, possibly every day. If you’re lucky, the weather may naturally take care of their watering needs for you.
Use a Trellis for Extra Support
Plants that like to spread out or become weighed down with produce need that little extra support. Make sure you pick up a trellis when planting tomatoes or other fruits and vegetables in your container gardens, particularly those that gain some height as they grow.
At the least, some stakes should be placed around the plants. You can use some garden tape with the stakes, which provides not only the support that your plants need but also helps them to be healthier and more productive as you separate the plants from each other.
Don’t Pack Down the Soil
When you lay soil around the plant stem, don’t pack down the soil too much. Doing so will prevent the proper drainage of your plant.
Lay Mulch
Another thing to consider is laying mulch or compost around your flower beds that are planted in the ground. Mulch helps plants retain moisture more easily, and it looks nice, too. Just make sure that you leave about an inch of space around the stem.
Add Fertilizer to Feed Your Plants as Needed
Your plants in the container gardens need not only water to flourish, but also nutrients to absorb. Before planting them in their containers, ensure there is fertilizer to get them started. Pay close attention to your plants and keep up with the fertilizer as needed, about once every other week.
Keep them Looking Attractive
Container gardens are naturally a focal point in your backyard, deck, patio, or window box, so you must keep them looking good. Keep up with the pruning and deadhead any spent flowers. If certain plants are not growing well, go ahead and dig them out and replace them with something else, or allow the other plants in the container to fill in.
Matt’s DIY Gardens
I’m so grateful for friends like Matt who will share pictures of their homemade garden beds. The more we help each other, the more food we can grow ourselves. These are blue barrels cut in half lengthwise. From Matt, “The white deal is an IBC tote cage I cut in half. The container wasn’t any good, so I repurposed the cage. IBC stands for Intermediate Bulk Container”.
Look around your yard or at garage sales for items you can use to make a container garden.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! You can make a garden by recycling items.
Please Check Out What To Plant Each Month:
- What To Plant In January
- What To Plant In February
- What To Plant In March
- What To Plant In April
- What To Plant In May
- What To Plant In June
- What To Plant In July
- What To Plant In August
- What To Plant In September
- What To Plant In October
Garden Gloves
These are my favorite garden gloves: DIGZ Garden Gloves. I love that they come in different sizes. These are the best rose bush gloves: DIGZ Rose Bush Garden Gloves. I have to get the large size for my hands. These are awesome!
You want to protect your hands from damage caused by wood or metal slivers. Those with fancy fingernails also want to keep them looking nice.
Final Word
Hopefully, now you feel more comfortable about container gardening and how you can experience your success. Now that spring is getting close, what do you plan on planting in your container gardens this year? We need to grow as much of our food as possible now, more than ever before. Container Gardens: Everything You Need To Know. May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Plants in Pots AdobeStock_289231170 by Vaivirga, Plants In Containers AdobeStock_219432220 by Tottoto, Container Gardening AdobeStock_278515411 by Christine
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