CONTAINER GARDENING

Lets begin by choosing the correct type of pot for your location, area size and type of plants and vegetables you want to grow.

Do not choose pots with small or narrow openings.

Very cheap plastic pots will deteriorate quickly from the sun

Choose a larger pot than you believe you need to avoid binding the roots and rapid soil moisture loss.

The pot you choose needs good drainage

If you live in a very hot area, purchase light colored pots, if a colder climate choose dark colored pots.

For more information Container Gardening - How To Choose the Perfect Pot

You want your growing mixture to drain quickly, yet retain moisture to keep the roots moist. Compost makes an excellent potting soil for container gardening. If you do not have a ready supply of compost, most likely you do not if you have limited space, you can use a good commercial potting mix. Most of the commercial potting mixes are acidic so you might want to add a little lime to it. Most people that garden in containers have concluded that soiless potting mix works best.

Another choice is to mix your own potting soil.

A rich mix can be made for annuals and for perennials by mixing 2 parts peat and 1 part commercial compost

A mix for Tomatoes and lettuce mix 1 part peat, 1 part garden soil and 1 part commercial compost

For cactus and succulents you want a light mix of 1 part Perlite or course sand and 1 part peat

If you are using a mix using peat, wet the peat before mixing. This will hold enough moisture for your new plants.

You want to add a slow release fertilizer to your mix. Peat has little or no nutrition for you new plants and the slow release fertilizer will keep your plants healthy for months.

Your container garden will need at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and many plants will benefit from even more. As a general rule, leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce can tolerate the most shade, while root crops such as beets and carrots will need more sun. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers need the most sun. The amount of sunlight needed by flowers varies depending on the varieties grown. Check the flower guides for sunlight requirements.

Since potting mixes drain water rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the container as you water. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes. It's a good idea to use a dilute liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed are great plant boosters, but remember that you need to provide your plants with a variety of nutrients. Check the labels on the products in you garden center to be sure that they contain a complete, balanced solution that includes trace elements.

Your container garden will lose moisture rapidly and probably will need watering daily.

Container gardening requires proper planning just like that of traditional gardening. Planning consists of finding your USDA zone (this will help to identify the suitable plant variety of your zone), amount of daylight you are receiving in your apartment, and finally choose your beloved plant variety.

It is always advisable to buy the plants from nearest nursery unless you have right conditions to germinate seedlings indoors. You should not keep the tender plants of container gardening outside below 45° F temperature or in soaring winds. If possible you want to bring your container garden inside if there is a chance of frost.

perennials are the east choice. You can also choose a number of different annuals for your flowering garden. There are also a number of Vegetables that are suitable for growing in your new container garden.

Here is a list of suitable flowers and vegetables.

Here is a nice list of Annuals for you to choose from for planting in you containers. These will help you create a beautiful - bright - personal landscape in your container garden.

Alyssum
Begonia
Browallia
Coleus
Geraniums
Impatiens
Latana
Lobelia
Marigolds
Periwinkle
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Petunias
Salvia
Sanvitalia
Snapdragons
Thunbergia
Zinnias

Do you want to create a beautiful edible container garden? Then begin with some of your favorite foods from this list.

Beans, Snap
Beans, Lima
Beets
silver beet
Broccoli 1 plant per 5 gal. pot
Brussels Sprouts 1 plant per 5 gal. pot
Cabbage 1 plant per 5 gal. pot
Chinese Cabbage 1 plant per 5 gal. pot
Carrots
Cucumber
Eggplant
Garlic
Lettuce
oak leaf lettuce
Onion
Peppers (chile peppers)
Radish
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes

If you have poor garden soil, limited space, not enough sun in the garden area, or impaired mobility, you may want to grow vegetables in containers. Containers allow you to have a movable garden with the opportunity for a limited vegetable supply, or a supplemental source of vegetables that are difficult to locate for purchase. Container gardening also affords better pest management and a chance to have color in areas where you want it. Container vegetable gardening is also a great way to introduce children to gardening.

The downside of container gardening is that containers need frequent watering. Since the root system is restricted by the size of the container, some plants may produce smaller fruit, and some vegetables don't grow well in containers. Vegetables that grow well in containers are those with a confined habit of growth, such as salad greens, spinach, eggplant, Swiss chard, beets, radish, carrots, peppers, bush beans, determinate tomatoes, bush varieties of summer squash and cucumbers, green onions, and many herbs. It isn't that other vegetables can't be grown, but that they may not be as suitable for container culture. Read More ...

With container gardening it's easy to be adventurous even if you have just a few square feet of patio, deck, balcony or rooftop.

And because plantings can be changed with the seasons, pots, hanging baskets and window boxes offer scope for originality.

In spring, try bulbs and pansies; then move to colorful summer and fall annuals, and even perennials, or ornamental grasses.
Read More ...

Many gardeners do not even consider fall gardening because of the winter frosts that might make an early appearance. On the contrary, fall gardening will result in excellent vegetables and will extend crops long after spring planted plants are finished. Vegetables produced from fall gardening are sometimes sweeter and milder than those grow in the summer and offer a brand new taste to the same old veggies.

What you choose to grow during you fall gardening will depend on your available space and what you like to eat, just like spring plants. Even the crops that enjoy the heat, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers, will produce until frosts hit, which can be pretty late in the year in southern areas. However, there are some plants that will quit towards the end of summer like snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers. If these vegetables are planted around the middle of the summer they can be harvested until the first frosts as well. Hardy, tough vegetables will grow until the temperature is as low as 20 degrees, but those that aren't as strong will only be able to grow through light frosts. Remember that if you have root and tuber plants and the tops are killed by a freeze the edible part can be saved if a large amount of mulch is used.

When fall gardening, make sure and pick the vegetables with the shortest growing season so they can be full grown and harvested before the frost arrives. Most seed packages will be labeled "early season", or you can find the seeds boasting the fewest days to maturity. You may want to go after your seeds for fall gardening in spring or early summer; they are usually not kept in stock towards the end of summer. If they are stored in a cool and dry location they will keep until you are ready to plant.

In order to know exactly when the best time to start fall gardening, you must know about when the first hard frost will hit your area. One of the best ways to tell this is by a Farmer's Almanac. They will give you exact dates and are rarely wrong. You will also need to know exactly how long it is going to take your plants to mature.

To get your soil ready for fall gardening you must first remove any leftover spring/summer crops and weeds. Crops leftover from the last season can end up spreading bacteria and disease if left in the garden. Spread a couple of inches of compost or mulch over the garden area to increase the nutrients, however, if spring plants were fertilized heavily it may not need much, if any. Till the top layer of soil, wet it down, and let it set for about 12-24 hours. Once this has been done, you are ready to start planting.

Many gardeners will run from fall gardening so they don't have to deal with frosts, but if tough, sturdy vegetables are planted they can withstand a few frosts and give you some wonderful tasting produce. Fall gardening gives you the chance to enjoy your vegetable garden for at least a little bit more time.

Not a member of Squidoo yet?