Container Gardening

Many kinds of containers. Best to match the extent of the roots to the container so the plant thrives.

Satisfy the plants' needs, and both you and they will be happy, despite having their roots restricted.

Using ornamental pots without drainage holes can be successful if the plant is in its own pot with drainage, and you spill out the excess water weekly.

Hanging pots can be problematic unless you pay close attention to watering.

Matching plants' textures, colors, sizes with contrasting pots can be fun.

Pay close attention to plants' requirements for sun - or no sun.

Use a high-quality, sterilized soilless planting mix combination of organic materials, instead of garden soil which is too heavy for successfully growing in containers.

Lots of vegetables will grow and produce well in containers.

Fruit and ornamental trees also can make good container plants.

Flowers also can do well in containers.

When combining plants in a large pot, be sure to consider the depth each plant's roots will need. Here, artichoke's deep roots won't compete with herbs' shorter roots or water.

Transplanted lettuce and seeds sown for the next crop.

Plant high-yielding vegetables in containers.

Make sure container soil mix is kept well-moistened so plants thrive.

Major fertilizer elements are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Minor nutrients and trace elements are also necessary.

SOME FUN CONTAINERS

All of us may fantasize this as our very own container garden. It's somewhere in Italy.....

Container gardening can allow gardeners to grow anything anywhere, but some guidelines will foster greater success.
 
Why?  Why Not?
Advantages

• Patio or balcony, fence or steps…anywhere where light level matches plant needs
• Move per seasons to follow or avoid direct sun
• Move for enjoyment when in bloom or fruiting
• Create special soil mix as for blueberries or orchids

 
Disadvantages

• Roots restricted
• Sensitive to weather – summer heat, winter cold, wind, indoor ventilation
• Frequent irrigation and fertilization
• Frequent root pruning and repotting

 
What Type of Container?
Almost any kind of container is usable, but here are some basic requirements.

• Drainage holes allow water to drain fully from air pores.
  • Use a piece of window-screening, coffee filter and a clay piece to block the drainage hole so soil mix won’t run out.  Using more than a single clay piece or “peanuts” reduces the space the root system can grow.
  • Planted container with drainage can be placed inside an larger container without a drip hole if drained water is poured out so it doesn’t stagnate. Filling the interspace with soilless mix will help insulate the plant’s root system.
• Size matches the plant’s root system – larger is better – to allow roots to develop as large a root system as possible within that confined space. 
• Deeper is better than wider so gravity holds cooler water at the base.  Shallower results in too much evaporation.
• Material and color affects plant growth. 
  • Glazed clay will evaporate less and insulate more
  • Unglazed clay will evaporate more
  • Wood will absorb and hold water and insulate more but will rot
  • Plastic will heat up more and evaporate less
  • Metal will heat up the most.
  • Light color will reflect sun’s heat.
  • Dark color will absorb sun’s heat.
• Hanging baskets require more frequent irrigation, especially if they’re in the direct sun and hot weather.

 
How Much Sun?
It depends on what kind of plant, and why you’re growing it.

• If you’re growing a plant for its foliage, it needs about 6 hours of direct sun daily.
• If you’re growing a plant for its flowers or fruits, it needs more than 8 hours of direct sun daily. This can be difficult to provide for indoor containers.
• Plants that require bright shade like African violets may also be grown as houseplants indoors.

 
What Kind of Soil Mix?

• Don’t use regular dirt since it may contain disease spores and weed seeds; it is generally too heavy to drain well in the restricted space of the container.
• Use a high-quality, sterilized soilless planting mix combination of organic materials that will absorb and hold moisture but also drain well so roots remain evenly moist with access to air pores. 
• When filling the container, leave a 1-inch space at the top after lightly compressing the soil mix with your fingertips to allow watering space.

 
What Can I Plant?
Vegetables
Food production requires as much space for root systems as possible, and more attention to irrigation and fertilization.
 
12” deep container
Beets                     3” apart
Bok Choy              6” apart
Carrots                 2” apart
Garlic                    3” apart
Leaf Lettuce         6” apart
Onions                  3” apart
Radishes                2” apart
Spinach                 5” apart
Strawberries        6” apart
Swiss Chard          9” apart

18” deep container
Beans                    5” apart
Broccoli                12” apart
Cabbage                24” apart
Cauliflower           24” apart
Cucumbers           5” apart
Eggplant                12” apart
Peas                      3” apart
Peppers                12” apart
Squash                  18” apart
 
24” deep container
Blackberries         18” apart
Blueberries           18” apart
Potatoes               6” apart
Tomatoes             18” apart
 
Fruit and Ornamental Trees
The largest possible container is best, and the most attention to fertilization and irrigation because you expect long-term growth.

• Will require root pruning and repotting every couple of years
• Fig trees can tolerate restricted root systems well, and extensive annual pruning will still produce a good-sized food crop.

 
Flowers
Most annuals and perennials will do well if container is large/deep enough and lots of bright light is provided. 

• Annuals will tolerate crowding.  Some include alyssum, begonia, coleus, impatiens, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, snapdragon, sunflower, zinnia
• Bulbs do well when planted in layered depths, especially when topped with annuals. Some include daffodils, tulips
• Perennials, especially drought-tolerant varieties, will thrive for at least a couple of years before requiring root pruning and repotting. Some include bromeliad, chrysanthemum, clivia, coreopsis, geranium, lantana, orchids, salvia, succulents

 
How Many Plants Can I Plant In Each Container?
The more plants in a container, the less successful each will be because they’re competing for irrigation and fertilizer and light.  Estimate space use for both mature root systems and foliage.
 
Seeds or Transplants?
Both are fine when root and foliage space are considered.

• Seeds are best for plants that germinate and grow quickly.
• Transplants are best for eggplant, pepper, tomato, and most flowers.
• Both – at beginning of each season, sow seeds and purchase first seedlings of lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard from nurseries to get a quick start on harvests before your seedlings catch up.
• Choose high-yielding vegetables – beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, lettuces, peppers, radishes, squashes, tomatoes.

 
How Frequently Must I Water?
Keep soil mix evenly moist.  Timing will vary according to season, size of container, soil mix, and amount of direct sun it receives. During hot weather, check containers daily.

• Larger container with more soil mix helps moderate soil temperature so the plant can grow an extensive root system.
• Double-potting moderates even more.
• Determine whether the container needs watering by sticking your finger all the way into the soil mix. If it’s moist more than 1 inch down, it doesn’t need water.  If it’s dry 2 or more inches down, it needs water.
• Water slowly enough so the soil mix absorbs it before draining out the bottom hole. 
• If the soil mix is dry, the water may run down the insides of the container instead of moistening the mix.  Roughen up the surface soil and water again; it may take 3 fillings before excess water exits the drainage hole after moistening the mix. 
• During warm months, provide a drip pan to catch the drained water so the plant can reabsorb it as it needs it.
• During cold rainy months, remove the drip pan so the soil mix won’t remain oversaturated.

 
How Frequently Must I Fertilize?
Since plant roots are restricted in the container, they depend on you for nutrition, and every watering drains away nutrition.

• Use a “balanced” fertilizer which contains all 3 macronutrients:  N = Nitrogen for green leaves.  P = Phosphorus for flowers and fruits.  K = Potassium for root growth.
• Choose fertilizers that also include trace elements for broad-spectrum nutrition.
• Organic fertilizers include fish emulsion, seaweed, kelp, blood meal and bone meal. 
• Feed with a quarter-strength liquid fertilizer every other time you water.