As much as gardening is amazing, some of us unfortunately don’t have the space or the property to be able to build a garden. However, we do still have an option; container gardening!
Whether you are already an expert at container gardening, or just want to try it out, here are some great tips to follow!
Drainage
Drainage is highly important when it comes to container gardening. If your containers don’t have adequate drainage, the soil will stay too wet and the roots of your plant will end up rotting, only resulting in your plant dying.
The tricky part is finding containers with enough drainage holes. You can buy ones with some or no drainage holes and add them yourself. Just remember, minimum size for drainage is 1/2 inch in diameter for small-medium sized pots, and larger containers at least 1 inch in diameter.
Light
It is often difficult to know exactly how much sunlight is needed for a plant and comparing it to how much sunlight you receive during the day. While plants usually come with a set of watering and light directions, it still doesn’t answer the question of how much sunlight is your property receiving.
Soil
The choice of soil is super important for container gardening. Most garden soils are too heavy and easily become waterlogged. This can cause many issues, including diseases and pests.
Instead, try using a potting mix that is formulated for container use, this means it is lightweight and quick draining.
Water
Container gardens can be watered in different ways and different sizes require different watering schedules.
Here are a few pointers;
Water in the morning (or as early as possible). Ideally, container plants should be watered as early in the day as possible. This provides the plants with enough moisture to get through the hotter hours of the day.
Water deeply. Plants need water at their roots, so simply spraying the surface of the soil with the hose isn’t enough. You want to ensure that the roots of your plants are getting the water too. Try watering from the bottom. You can do this by Placing a tray under the pot and fill it with water. The soil will absorb the water through the drainage hole(s)
Don’t water too frequently! This is more common and can be the death of your container garden. Most plants can tolerate—and actually benefit from—having a little break between deep waterings, so don’t be afraid to let the soil dry out a little bit between waterings.
Fertilizer
With watering, this can wash away the nutrients that your plants need. Adding a slow-releasing fertilizer to your potting mix at the start of the season is a great option! You can mix it in with your potting mix at planting or just by sprinkling on top of the potting mix right after planting.
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