Quite often, people start out with container gardening with great intentions but don’t really have the know how to make a go of it. It can be quite common for a hopeful container gardener to do very well with one kind of plant and not well at all with another but, what do you really need to know and what do you need to do to be successful at container gardening? In this article, I’ll share some great ideas for successful and productive gardening in your little corner of the world.
You may be surprised to find out that there are lots of easy-to-grow plants out there. For example,you can grow a wide variety of vegetables in containers. The key is knowing what kind of soil to start with and what kind of placement of the containers will work best. After all veggies are like people; they know what they like!
The best way to determine where to put your containers is to simply consult the information on the back of your seed packet. The packets will tell you how much sun each type of plant needs and you will also learn what kind of soil you need as well as how often to water. What could be easier than that?
I think its a great idea to set up several mini-container gardens around your home to accommodate all the different types of fresh vegetables you want to plant. For example, you could keep all your herbs in a nice rack on a sunny kitchen windowsill. Just line the rack with peat moss, add the right kind of soil and plant your seeds or seedlings. For minimum mess, it’s best to put this kind of arrangement above your kitchen sink for easy, tidy watering.
Put larger containers out on your patio or balcony. Patio tomatoes are perfect for this. Be sure to choose the type that is intended for container gardening. These shorter, bushier tomato plants don’t need to be staked to stand up straight, and they are stellar producers.
Make the most of your tomato containers by adding radishes at the base of your tomato plants. They are fast and easy to grow, and they help keep bugs away. For a pretty touch, add some marigolds for more natural bug repelling power.
Bell peppers are another pretty (and tasty) choice for outdoor container gardening. Choose red, yellow, green or all three for an attractive display that are, of course, a tasty addition for salads, soups and other dishes.
Be sure you get the right kind of soil for your container gardening project. Its important to avoid heavy soil. You can get a good commercial mix and add vermiculite, perlite or peat to lighten the soil and provide good drainage - something that also helps to avoid root rot.
You can also compost your own soil mix from kitchen scraps by establishing a compost bin or small compost heap if you have the room. Invest in a batch of garden worms to help you compost your kitchen waste super-fast and make rich potting soil. Remember, though, that you will still need to add vermiculite, perlite or peat to lighten the mix.
It’s also a great idea to use large, high quality planting containers outdoors so that you can easily return to them and change the soil year after year, just like in a standard garden. When you place your containers, don’t worry too much if you can’t provide full sun all day - most plant will still thrive in a mixture of direct sunlight and shade. In fact, six hours of good sun is really plenty for most types of veggies to grow well
Container gardening is really quite simple and lots of fun even in an apartment or home with a small yard. You can amend your family diet and enjoy a relaxing hobby with simple and easy use of a few inexpensive resources. Follow the tips presented here, or visit my other backyard landscaping blog for more information and have fun with container gardening in a small space.
You may be surprised to find out that there are lots of easy-to-grow plants out there. For example,you can grow a wide variety of vegetables in containers. The key is knowing what kind of soil to start with and what kind of placement of the containers will work best. After all veggies are like people; they know what they like!The best way to determine where to put your containers is to simply consult the information on the back of your seed packet. The packets will tell you how much sun each type of plant needs and you will also learn what kind of soil you need as well as how often to water. What could be easier than that?
I think its a great idea to set up several mini-container gardens around your home to accommodate all the different types of fresh vegetables you want to plant. For example, you could keep all your herbs in a nice rack on a sunny kitchen windowsill. Just line the rack with peat moss, add the right kind of soil and plant your seeds or seedlings. For minimum mess, it’s best to put this kind of arrangement above your kitchen sink for easy, tidy watering.
Put larger containers out on your patio or balcony. Patio tomatoes are perfect for this. Be sure to choose the type that is intended for container gardening. These shorter, bushier tomato plants don’t need to be staked to stand up straight, and they are stellar producers.
Make the most of your tomato containers by adding radishes at the base of your tomato plants. They are fast and easy to grow, and they help keep bugs away. For a pretty touch, add some marigolds for more natural bug repelling power.
Bell peppers are another pretty (and tasty) choice for outdoor container gardening. Choose red, yellow, green or all three for an attractive display that are, of course, a tasty addition for salads, soups and other dishes.
Be sure you get the right kind of soil for your container gardening project. Its important to avoid heavy soil. You can get a good commercial mix and add vermiculite, perlite or peat to lighten the soil and provide good drainage - something that also helps to avoid root rot.
You can also compost your own soil mix from kitchen scraps by establishing a compost bin or small compost heap if you have the room. Invest in a batch of garden worms to help you compost your kitchen waste super-fast and make rich potting soil. Remember, though, that you will still need to add vermiculite, perlite or peat to lighten the mix.
It’s also a great idea to use large, high quality planting containers outdoors so that you can easily return to them and change the soil year after year, just like in a standard garden. When you place your containers, don’t worry too much if you can’t provide full sun all day - most plant will still thrive in a mixture of direct sunlight and shade. In fact, six hours of good sun is really plenty for most types of veggies to grow well
Container gardening is really quite simple and lots of fun even in an apartment or home with a small yard. You can amend your family diet and enjoy a relaxing hobby with simple and easy use of a few inexpensive resources. Follow the tips presented here, or visit my other backyard landscaping blog for more information and have fun with container gardening in a small space.
post was very helpful
ReplyDeletecould you list a few plants that are easy and take up less room eg on apartment balcony please
thanks for the tips