Produce fresh from the garden tastes so good! The taste of a freshly picked tomato is pure heaven and digging your own new, red potatoes is so rewarding. You don't have room for a big garden? That's okay! You can grow a vegetable garden in a container!
Many people think of container gardening as a simple method to grow beautiful flowers and accent patios and porches with color. But have you ever experimented putting a few vegetables in with the flowers? Growing vegetables and herbs in containers is just as simple as growing flowers and you get delicious results! Cherry tomatoes are a terrific addition to container flowers. The bright red fruit looks gorgeous surrounded by the blooms. Garlic and onion starts add spiky foliage to your potted planters, plus garlic will help keep the pests away!
You can mix your flowers in with the produce, or you can dedicate a few just to fruits and vegetables. Strawberries often produce more fruit when planted in a container as they don’t have much room to spread. Strawberry plants spread by sending out runners that root down and start a new plant. When there is no more space for new plants, the strawberries start to bear fruit. How great to have fresh strawberries just outside your door!
You can undoubtedly grow your own vegetables in a container, just follow these easy suggestions.
Properly set up your container. Your pot will need good drainage so make sure it has drainage holes drilled in the bottom. Many planters have holes predrilled for drainage, however if your container doesn't have drain holes you can either add a layer of gravel or drain holes for drainage. Deep planters can get by with a layer of styrofoam at the bottom. This will help with drainage and reduce the amount of soil you use. This will also make the pot easier to move around. Make sure your have deep enough soil for the plants to develop a good root system.
Garden soil is not for planters. Typical garden soil is heavy and is not ideal for container plants. A container garden requires light soil that is rich in organic material for proper drainage. Mix standard potting soil with compost and peat moss to get a healthy soil that is ideal for containers. For season long fertilization, add a time release fertilizer to your soil as you mix it. This will feed your plants for about three months.
New plants need a hole about twice the size of their current root ball. Put a little loose soil in the bottom of the hole so the new roots can take hold. It is very crucial to knead the roots of the plant before you place it in the hole. The plant roots start growing in a pattern while they are in the pony pack, you will need to break that pattern so they can spread their roots and thrive in your container.
Give your plants a healthy start by using a root starting fertilizer as you are planting. Mix the root starter with water as directed and pour some in each hole as you plant. By giving your plants a shot of root starter you can help prevent transplant shock.
Be sure that you prune your plant. A lot of people have a hard time doing this. After all you just bought a beautiful, full plant at the store! You want the plant to develop a strong root system, so it needs to focus on that. This is difficult if the plant is trying to preserve full blooms or large amounts of foliage as well. Taking two thirds off the plant is typically the right amount to cut. You will have a fuller, healthier plant in the end if you cut it back now.
Be certain you put plants with similar requirements together. To put it another way, don't put a drought tolerant plant with one that has high water requirements. Careful planning will yield the greatest results in container gardening.
Containers are a wonderful way to have fresh produce all season long. You can make your container gardening a family garden by letting children lend a hand with the watering and harvest. Give container gardening a try, you will relish the outcome!
Author Resource:-
Piper is a self-employed writer who enjoys exercise, good nutrition and the outdoors. She loves to write about subjects like gardening and fitness. She enjoys nature, music and cooking. She spends a lot of time doing research on the top gardening tips and passing the information on to you.
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