Container Gardening Tips for Everyone
October 1, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Mary Hanna asked:
All of us, at one time or another, has seen a display of container gardens with flowers or vegetables at a friend’s home or in a nursery center. Many mistakenly think that it took a lot of effort or was done by professionals. That is far from the truth. Container gardens are just as easy as outside gardens and in some way s even easier to maintain. Anyone that loves to garden can plant and raise a container garden even those with limited space, even apartment dwellers. You can create a beautiful garden with just a few container gardening tips.
Start out with a plan. You need to know what you are going to plant, a container garden flower or a container garden vegetable. You may want to concentrate on an herb container garden. It is important to know this so you can choose the right size container for the plants. The number one container gardening tip is to choose a pot that has sufficient space for soil and the plants. Vine type plants will need a large, deep pot to grow over. If you are planning on a large plant you will need a wide passed container for balance. Keep reading, there are more container gardening tips to come. One thing to keep in mind is that you must have adequate drainage in the container that you use. No plant likes to have “wet feet”.
The type of soil you use in your container garden is an issue too. Most experts on container gardening tips say that you should use potting soil. While some gardeners have had success using the soil from their outside gardens, it is not recommended. Potting soil is preferred mainly because it will not compact letting more water to the root system over the growing season. Here it is important to do some research and plant like minded plants together. Your plant groupings should consider water needs, sun needs and fertilization needs.
An essential container gardening tip is to pay attention to the plants watering needs. If you get a very hot streak and your container garden is outdoors on your patio you will need to water daily. If this is your first venture into container gardening, choose drought resistant plants. Plants in container gardens can’t reach out for other avenues of water supplies so it is up to you to make sure they don’t get thirsty.
You will come to love your container garden but plants only last so long. If the plants you are growing in your container garden become less productive change them out. With container gardening you are the one to decide how your gardens will be in bloom. It is true that you can manipulate your plants by moving them around or taking them from the inside to the outside, or vice versa.
There is one thing that you must be diligent about and that is pests. If you find a container that has an infestation, isolate and treat it immediately. Do not use harsh chemicals on the plants. If it is an indoor container garden the chemicals could harm pets or children. Here is a natural pesticide that will keep the bugs in check:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
Search online or at your local library for additional container gardening tips so that your beautiful container garden is a wild success. Once you have planted one container garden you will be anxious to start more.
Happy Container Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
All of us, at one time or another, has seen a display of container gardens with flowers or vegetables at a friend’s home or in a nursery center. Many mistakenly think that it took a lot of effort or was done by professionals. That is far from the truth. Container gardens are just as easy as outside gardens and in some way s even easier to maintain. Anyone that loves to garden can plant and raise a container garden even those with limited space, even apartment dwellers. You can create a beautiful garden with just a few container gardening tips.
Start out with a plan. You need to know what you are going to plant, a container garden flower or a container garden vegetable. You may want to concentrate on an herb container garden. It is important to know this so you can choose the right size container for the plants. The number one container gardening tip is to choose a pot that has sufficient space for soil and the plants. Vine type plants will need a large, deep pot to grow over. If you are planning on a large plant you will need a wide passed container for balance. Keep reading, there are more container gardening tips to come. One thing to keep in mind is that you must have adequate drainage in the container that you use. No plant likes to have “wet feet”.
The type of soil you use in your container garden is an issue too. Most experts on container gardening tips say that you should use potting soil. While some gardeners have had success using the soil from their outside gardens, it is not recommended. Potting soil is preferred mainly because it will not compact letting more water to the root system over the growing season. Here it is important to do some research and plant like minded plants together. Your plant groupings should consider water needs, sun needs and fertilization needs.
An essential container gardening tip is to pay attention to the plants watering needs. If you get a very hot streak and your container garden is outdoors on your patio you will need to water daily. If this is your first venture into container gardening, choose drought resistant plants. Plants in container gardens can’t reach out for other avenues of water supplies so it is up to you to make sure they don’t get thirsty.
You will come to love your container garden but plants only last so long. If the plants you are growing in your container garden become less productive change them out. With container gardening you are the one to decide how your gardens will be in bloom. It is true that you can manipulate your plants by moving them around or taking them from the inside to the outside, or vice versa.
There is one thing that you must be diligent about and that is pests. If you find a container that has an infestation, isolate and treat it immediately. Do not use harsh chemicals on the plants. If it is an indoor container garden the chemicals could harm pets or children. Here is a natural pesticide that will keep the bugs in check:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
Search online or at your local library for additional container gardening tips so that your beautiful container garden is a wild success. Once you have planted one container garden you will be anxious to start more.
Happy Container Gardening!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Container Gardening Tips For Amazing Plants, Flowers, & Edibles – The 7 Step Process (For Great Results)
July 20, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Eric Samms asked:
It’s often overlooked that Container Gardening can be a life long passion, a creative and artist hobby, and a simple and effective way to create a stylish, clean and inviting home, a great way to eat healthy organic foods, and an amazing way to connect with nature.
So if you’ve got itchy green fingers, and want an amazing collection of plants and flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs – just simply follow these key Container Gardening Tips!
The 7 Steps Process to Great Container Gardening
1. Get Your Lighting Right
2. Choose Your Soil
3. Monitor humidity levels
4. Water as required
5. Check temperature
6. How to Choose the right container
7. Food & Nutrients
Lighting
Via photosynthesis, plants absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to create food. As such light is a very important factor. Try and keep your container plants and flowers near a natural source of light during the day. If you have a dark corner at home or your home does not receive much natural light, use a 150 watt incandescent bulb about 4 – 5 feet away during the day. An even easier way to get some light is to buy a plant stand equipped with a built in lighting system. This is a great way to keep container gardens anywhere around the home. And remember light is only important during the day!
Humidity
The humidity required depends on the nature of the plant. Jungle plants need about 90% humidity, sub-tropical about 50%, temperate zone plants (such as North America and Europe) require 30 – 40% and desert / cacti about 5 %.
Cheap humidity indicators are great at monitoring moisture in the air, however obvious signs of low humidity levels are dry topsoil and wilting leaves. Excess humidity is not often a problem except for desert plants such as cacti. Low humidity levels can be quickly rectified by a spray on the leaves once or twice a day, and by placing a pot on a shallow try of water and small pebbles.
Temperature
Jungle plants thrive at higher temperatures, temperate zone plants thrive at between 90 – 100 F. Container plants, flowers and edibles are able to handle relative lower temperatures at night, as long as they are not too low i.e. near freezing. Tropical plants can handle a minimum of 65 F at night, sub-tropical plants about 55-60 F and temperate zone plants about 45 F.The exception to this are the desert plants such as cacti, which have adapted to the plunging evening temperatures of the desert.
Soil
The vibrant organic environment of jungle plants makes them more conducive to leaf mold and moss, and therefore a more acidic environment. A ph of 5.5 is ideal. A good potting ratio for jungle plants is :
25% organically enriched garden loam
50% leaf mold
25% coarse sand or compost
Temperate zone plants have less organic material to cope with, and a therefore more comfortable with a ph of near neutral i.e. 7.0.
Desert plants prefer a slightly more alkaline soil.
Containers
The material from which the container is made – will affect the rate at which water is ****** out of the soil. Some container gardening enthusiasts can’t stop raving about clay pots, as they remove water at a generally faster rate, preventing water clogging of the roots, and keeping the pot cool. What ever the material , just make sure that their are water holes at the bottom, or material at the base which raises the pot and allows excess water to drain.
Get creative and indulge those container gardening ideas. Choose a variety of container colours, materials and styles to add a bit of sophistication and pizazz to your home.
Water
The amount of water required by a container plant, flower or edible will depend on it’s make up and size, and environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and type of soil, as well as the nature of the container it’s self.
Always check the surface of the soil, and about 1 – 2 inches deep to determine moisture levels and top up as required. Too much water will drown your roots, and too little will dehydrate your plant.
To prevent excess moisture loss, keep a layer of rich top soil or moss on the surface of the soil.
A useful container gardening tip is to never use cold water! This may be too much of a shock to a delicate system. Go with room temperature or slightly above.
Food & Nutrients
Slow release plant-food granules can be added to the compost or potting mix in the recommended quantity before filling the container, or at the sprinkled on the surface of the soil. Pelleted granules can be added about 1 -2 inches under the soil surface. If the soil is nutrient rich, additional food may not be required, however a little extra will go a long way!
Now that you have the 7 key tips to great Container Gardening you are on your way to growing great plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
It’s often overlooked that Container Gardening can be a life long passion, a creative and artist hobby, and a simple and effective way to create a stylish, clean and inviting home, a great way to eat healthy organic foods, and an amazing way to connect with nature.
So if you’ve got itchy green fingers, and want an amazing collection of plants and flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs – just simply follow these key Container Gardening Tips!
The 7 Steps Process to Great Container Gardening
1. Get Your Lighting Right
2. Choose Your Soil
3. Monitor humidity levels
4. Water as required
5. Check temperature
6. How to Choose the right container
7. Food & Nutrients
Lighting
Via photosynthesis, plants absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to create food. As such light is a very important factor. Try and keep your container plants and flowers near a natural source of light during the day. If you have a dark corner at home or your home does not receive much natural light, use a 150 watt incandescent bulb about 4 – 5 feet away during the day. An even easier way to get some light is to buy a plant stand equipped with a built in lighting system. This is a great way to keep container gardens anywhere around the home. And remember light is only important during the day!
Humidity
The humidity required depends on the nature of the plant. Jungle plants need about 90% humidity, sub-tropical about 50%, temperate zone plants (such as North America and Europe) require 30 – 40% and desert / cacti about 5 %.
Cheap humidity indicators are great at monitoring moisture in the air, however obvious signs of low humidity levels are dry topsoil and wilting leaves. Excess humidity is not often a problem except for desert plants such as cacti. Low humidity levels can be quickly rectified by a spray on the leaves once or twice a day, and by placing a pot on a shallow try of water and small pebbles.
Temperature
Jungle plants thrive at higher temperatures, temperate zone plants thrive at between 90 – 100 F. Container plants, flowers and edibles are able to handle relative lower temperatures at night, as long as they are not too low i.e. near freezing. Tropical plants can handle a minimum of 65 F at night, sub-tropical plants about 55-60 F and temperate zone plants about 45 F.The exception to this are the desert plants such as cacti, which have adapted to the plunging evening temperatures of the desert.
Soil
The vibrant organic environment of jungle plants makes them more conducive to leaf mold and moss, and therefore a more acidic environment. A ph of 5.5 is ideal. A good potting ratio for jungle plants is :
25% organically enriched garden loam
50% leaf mold
25% coarse sand or compost
Temperate zone plants have less organic material to cope with, and a therefore more comfortable with a ph of near neutral i.e. 7.0.
Desert plants prefer a slightly more alkaline soil.
Containers
The material from which the container is made – will affect the rate at which water is ****** out of the soil. Some container gardening enthusiasts can’t stop raving about clay pots, as they remove water at a generally faster rate, preventing water clogging of the roots, and keeping the pot cool. What ever the material , just make sure that their are water holes at the bottom, or material at the base which raises the pot and allows excess water to drain.
Get creative and indulge those container gardening ideas. Choose a variety of container colours, materials and styles to add a bit of sophistication and pizazz to your home.
Water
The amount of water required by a container plant, flower or edible will depend on it’s make up and size, and environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and type of soil, as well as the nature of the container it’s self.
Always check the surface of the soil, and about 1 – 2 inches deep to determine moisture levels and top up as required. Too much water will drown your roots, and too little will dehydrate your plant.
To prevent excess moisture loss, keep a layer of rich top soil or moss on the surface of the soil.
A useful container gardening tip is to never use cold water! This may be too much of a shock to a delicate system. Go with room temperature or slightly above.
Food & Nutrients
Slow release plant-food granules can be added to the compost or potting mix in the recommended quantity before filling the container, or at the sprinkled on the surface of the soil. Pelleted granules can be added about 1 -2 inches under the soil surface. If the soil is nutrient rich, additional food may not be required, however a little extra will go a long way!
Now that you have the 7 key tips to great Container Gardening you are on your way to growing great plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
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