Container gardening

What vegetables grow well together in containers: Planting Vegetable in Container

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What vegetables grow well together in containers: Planting Vegetable in Container

What vegetables grow well together in containers: Planting Vegetable in Container

Container gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh produce year-round. If you don’t have the space for a full-sized garden, you may feel like your options are limited. However, with a little gardening knowledge and careful attention, many vegetables and herbs can be grown in a container and harvested right on the plate.

Some vegetables that grow well in containers are nightshades, such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Some plants such as peas, and lettuce are fast-growing and easy to grow in plants it will magnify the beauty of your garden. In general, use a good-quality organic potting with good drainage soil to fill your vegetable pot.

what vegetables grow well together in containers? In this article we try to answer this question. The container can vary in size depending on the type of vegetable you are harvesting. Some vegetables, such as leafy greens, have relatively shallow roots and do not require a deep container. But others, like potatoes, need deep soil for proper development. Some container garden ideas include using fabric pots that are lightweight to move when needed or planting a vertical garden with pots attached to a fence or wall.

Easy vegetables to grow in pots are listed in this article.

You can grow vegetables together in containers if they both have the same requirement for nutrition. For example, herbs and salad greens can often be grown together. If you’re peeking for ideas for vegetable containers, here are some vegetables that do well in containers on your verandah, terrace, or balcony, as long as they get adequate sun.

Vegetables combination ideas that well together in container gardening.

Here are more details about each of these pairs you can harvest in your little indoor garden.

Carrot and tomato growing together.

  • Tomatoes are suitable to plant with carrots, it gives them shade in your home. Tomatoes protect carrots from weeds, carrot flies, and pests as well.
  • Carrots give tomatoes soil to aerate. This ensures good moisture and nutrient circulation in the soil. Tomatoes and carrots grow well together in container its evident from these facts.
  • Leeks, Rosemary, Sage, and Chives can as well protect the tomato plants from weeds as well. You want to avoid growing plants like cilantro and dill near carrots, as they will slow their growth.

Basil and Chili plant are good for each other.

  • Basil is a good partner for chili plants as they help improve their growth and flavor in your home.
  • It can also prevent some harmful insects from entering your plants.
  • Basil also grows together with tomatoes, parsley, oregano, and rosemary. But it is not good to grow basil together with sage. Basil needs soil with a lot of moisture to grow well. But a sage prefers dry soil.

Vegetables that grow well together in containers - Basil and Chilli

Beans and Pumpkin grow well together

  • Beans and squash are three staple vegetables. This is a very common choice of staple veggies to grow together for a very long term. Although they often grow in containers, beans, and squash easily grow together in large pots. Zucchini also good to grow with beans in a container garden.
  • Beans are nitrogen fixers, which means they take nitrogen from the air and store it in the soil. This is useful for squash, which needs a lot of nitrogen to produce long vines and fruit.
  • Squash acts as a natural mulch for the beans, binding moisture and nutrients. Both beans and squash are available as vine and bush varieties. Choose one of each, such as beans, and a squash, such as a pumpkin. This way you benefit your container and cover space.

Okra, Lettuce vegetables, and Basil

  • If you live in the south or another warm climate, you should really try to grow okra in your container garden. It is a unique, highly productive addition to your other herbs and vegetables.
  • Lettuce and herbs like basil, and mint are good neighbors for long, shiny okra. Okra plants a long stem and grows up to 6 feet tall, providing partial shade for lettuce and basil.
  • They like the full sun, but in the hottest part of the summer, they can take a breather in the middle of the day.
  • Lettuce and basil have lower root systems that do not compete with okra. Basil, like other herbs, can repel many pests and is a good companion plant for many vegetables.

Vegetables that grow well together in containers - Okra, Lettuce, and Basil

Green beans and corn vegetables

  • Green beans grow well with them because they can be used as a grill. Green beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which is good for the plant.
  • Other useful companion plants for green beans are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, potatoes, and radishes.
  • You don’t want to grow beets or onions near green beans because they stunt growth.

Onions and carrots in containers

  • Onions grow well with carrots because they protect them from pests such as the carrot fly or aphids.
  •  Lettuce, Beetroot, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Cucumber, and Rosemary are also very suitable to grow together with them.
  • You want to keep bulbs away from plants like beans, peas, cucumber, and asparagus because they slow the growth of those plants.

Vegetables that grow well together in containers - Onions and carrots

Green beans and corn in pots

  • Green beans grow well with corn. Green beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which is good for the corn plant.
  • Other useful companion plants for green beans are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, peas, and potatoes.
  • You don’t want to grow beets or onions near green beans because they stunt growth.

Spinach and Peas (easy vegetable to grow in pots)

Peas are perfect for containers and small spaces. The grid behind the container gives the peas plenty of space. This leaves room in the rest of the dish for the legume lover, spinach.

Spinach helps keep the soil moist thanks to its low-growing leaves. A tall pea trellis can also provide shade from the hot afternoon sun, something spinach needs to survive warmer weather.

Eggplant and paprika planting

  • Eggplant and paprika both belong to the night cream family. Because they belong to the same family, they have similar nutrient, pH, and sunlight requirements.
  • Planting them together can be beneficial and you don’t have to worry about them competing for nutrients or resources.

Cabbage and cauliflower vegetable container garden

Cabbage and cauliflower are both members of the Brassica family. When plants belong to the same family, it means that they have similar needs for nutrients, pH, and sunlight. So planting them together is a good way to make a good environment for them as there is no competition for resources.

Vegetables that grow well together in containers - Cabbage and cauliflower

Much of the success of your container garden depends on the growing medium you choose. Plants have very limited access to water or nutrients, so you have to choose substrate on the basis of its quality so that your vegetables can obtain their required nutrition.

When choosing a containers gardening, consider the following characteristics:

  • Does the soil hold adequate moisture and nutrient?
  • Does the soil have enough drainage and ventilation system?
  • If the soil has weeds and pests that can harm your vegetable?

For container garden, you can buy pre-mixed potting soil in bags. It is excellent if you are planting a few containers for your vegetables and watering them. However, if you intend to plant widely, it is more economical to mix the mixture yourself. Container gardens are the best gifts you can give to your family or friends.

Prepare soil for planting vegetables in container.

The garden soil or normal soil is not suitable for tools or products for container gardening. Most often, the garden soil in the containers becomes too dense, which prevents the growth of the plant. It also has a greater chance of becoming contaminated with weed seeds, diseases, and pests.

Don’t get disappointed because of the shortage of space. Container gardening is very useful for households, and it can help you to stay healthy as well. Just go for the combination of veggies you want to harvest.

Container Gardening Basics and Effective Container Gardening Tips to get started

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Container Gardening Basics and Effective Container Gardening Tips to get started

Container gardening is a great way to encourage your green thumb to flourish. Without an actual yard, you can start growing your plants such as ornamentals, vegetables, fruit trees, and herbs. This post has the most reliable and important information on container gardening basics that you ought to know to have the best gardening experience. In the coming sections, you will get to know about the benefits of container gardening, what kind of container to use, potting soil, and environmental factors that you need to consider before you begin. Beware! If done incorrectly, there’ll be problems with container gardening, such as losing plants, etc.

Benefits of Container Gardening And How to get started:

Starting your very first container garden is not a difficult thing to do. There are many types of plants that are suited for container gardening thus you have a wide variety of choices on which plants you can grow. Aside from being easy, there are many benefits to why you ought to start container gardening.

  • Fewer risks to soil-borne diseases. Container gardening ensures that your soil does not have any diseases that can affect the growth of plants thus you ensure that your plants will grow strong and healthy. Also, since the plants are separate in their exclusive containers, it is least likely that one diseased plant will contaminate other plants.
  • Easily control weed problems. One of the best things about container gardening is that you can easily remove the weeds from your plants. Moreover, weeds cannot easily take over pots unless you explicitly introduce them thus you can assure that your pots will remain weed-free.
  • Allows you to control the moisture, temperature, and sunlight. Growing a container garden gives you the advantage to control moisture, temperature, and sunlight. For instance, you can move your plants from a shaded area to full sun or you can put a planter coaster underneath the pot to collect water so that the plants have enough moisture to sustain them for a few days.
  • It is easy and can be done by anyone. Don’t have any experience in growing plants? Then container gardening is for you. It is a great place to start your love for gardening.
  • It is the most economical form of gardening. The thing about container gardening is that it is very economical. You don’t need to buy specialized pots because you can use virtually anything for a container such as old buckets, tin cans, car tires, empty cans, and bottled water. All you need to do is to put draining holes at the bottom and fill them with soil to start growing your plants. Aside from being able to use different planters, this type of gardening is also a space-saver. You can do gardening in even the smallest space that you have.
  • Liberate the geography in gardening. Even if you live in the heart of Alaska, you can still grow a cactus garden in your container thus giving you the freedom to liberate geography in gardening. The thing is that you are not limited to growing plants according to what your geography says you can.
  • Influence kids to start gardening. Gardening is a great skill children should learn and the best way to influence kids is to have them start a container garden. Your kids will never look at peas and carrots with disinterest if you have them grow their food inside containers.
  • Helps you outfox garden critters and pests. If your plants are being ravaged by insects and other animals, then container gardening is a great way to outfox them. All you need to do is to move the containers to a place where animals cannot reach them.

There are many benefits why you ought to start your container garden today and above are just some of the basic benefits that you can get from starting your little garden out of pots. Read on to know about how to start your container gardening journey.

1. Choosing the Right Container

Container gardening would not be called such if containers weren’t used. Anything that can hold soil and has drainage holes can be used in container gardening. Containers should also provide adequate space for the roots to grow to give the plants vibrant growth. This section will cover the basics of the different types of containers that you should use in container gardening.

Choices for Container Materials

You can use many things as planters from different kinds of large containers to small ones based on the requirement and are not only restricted to terra cotta pots. The other materials that you can use to grow plants are as follows:

  • Artificial stone pots (Hypertufa): This type of planter is very lightweight and it provides additional beauty to your garden space.
  • Cast cement: You can make your container by using cast cement. Make sure to use an attractive mold to create the cast cement planter.
  • Metal: Metal planters add an attractive design to any container garden. The shiny metal planters make them very posh and clean.
  • Fiberglass: Planters made from fiberglass are lightweight and durable. They can withstand the elements thus they last for a long time.
  • Nylon stockings: Nylon stockings take shape of whatever shape you want them to conform with. Planters made from nylon stockings are great for making hanging container gardens which is very crucial if you want to utilize the vertical spaces in your area.
  • Peat pots: Pots made from peat moss add a great addition to your container garden. They are very attractive and also natural. The peat also slowly decomposes which provides nutrients to plants.
  • Ceramics and pottery: Ceramics and potteries are great container planters that add beauty to your container gardening. They come in different shapes, colors, sizes, and designs that will fit the décor of your home.
  • Stoneware: Stoneware planters add rustic elegance to your container garden as they look very natural. Unfortunately, stoneware planters are quite heavy thus avoid picking big planters if you plan to move your plants from one place to the other.
  • Wood: Wood planters can also be used to grow different plants. Examples of wood planters include boxes, tree bark, or hollowed stumps. This type of planter also decomposes slowly thus releasing the nutrients for the plant’s uptake.
  • Recycled materials: You don’t need to spend a lot of money to start your very own container garden. You can use old boots, wash tubs, furniture, empty bottles, tin cans, wagons, toys, and many others. If you use recycled containers, make sure that you clean them first especially if they used to contain household items like vinegar, sugar, or salt.

Things to Consider When Choosing Containers:

The type of material that you choose for your container gardening. Below are the things that you need to consider when choosing planters for your container gardening.

Is the material porous?

Is the material porous

The porosity of the planter will greatly affect the ability of the container to lose water thus affecting the health of your plants. If the material is made from clay, terra cotta, or peat pots, they are very porous thus they tend to lose water fast. If you opt for this container, line it with plastic to make it resistant to water loss.

Is the pot heavy or difficult to move?

Is the pot heavy or difficult to move

The advantage of container gardening is that you have the benefit to move the pots from one place to the other depending upon the requirements of the plants and cleaning purposes. Make sure that you choose planters that are not too heavy.

Will you have enough space in your house for a container garden to grow?

If you don’t have enough space in your house to plant a garden, it should not discourage growing a container garden. Instead, you can opt for a hanging container garden by using hanging baskets, window planters, or a mailbox. If you opt for these planters, make sure that you water them more often as they tend to dry out faster.

Will the materials fluctuate in soil temperature and ruin the plant’s health?

Soil temperature is the most important element that can affect your container garden. For instance, if you use a metal container, the temperature can fluctuate rapidly within the day. On the other hand, choosing planters with dark colors tend to absorb more heat which can kill the roots.

Will the material rot through time?

Will the material rot through time

Planters like peat moss and wood will rot over time. If you don’t want the material to rot fast, buy treated lumber. However, you need to be cautious when using treated lumber because it might contain harmful chemicals that will be absorbed by the plant.

How much will your planters cost?

You might need a lot of planters to start your container garden. Planters do not come cheap even if you decide to buy them in bulk. If you don’t have enough money to spend on planters, you can use recycled containers and decorate them according to the style and look that you want.

2. Potting Soil and Soil Mixes for Container Gardening

Well-prepared garden soil is crucial for growing plants. However, using ordinary soil is not appropriate for container gardening. Soils for container gardening should be well-draining and aerated but still retain enough moisture for the plants to grow.

  • Various recipes of postings mixes and soils are used in container gardening to ensure proper drainage as well as aeration.
    • Container soils are usually made from peat, bark, vermiculite, coir fiber, and compost.
    • Other materials for the potting soil include perlite and sand.
    • These soils are well draining but they also provide proper aeration to the soil.
  • When filling the pot with the soil do not fill the pot until the top. Make sure that you leave a one-inch space between the top and rim to make water easier and also to prevent the water from running over the edge.
  • Now if you are using a fairly large container, do not fill it with soil otherwise you will have to spend a lot of money.
    • To reduce the cost, you need to add filler at the bottom which includes crushed aluminum cans, packing peanuts, and crushed plastic milk jugs.
    • You can also use organic fillers but they decompose through time.

3. Environmental factors that affect your plants

Environmental factors that affect your plants

Container gardening allows you to control the microenvironment of your garden. Several environmental factors will affect your container garden.

Light

Light and temperature are very important factors that can help you successfully grow plants in containers. The best thing about container gardening is that it offers convenience and portability. If you live in temperate regions, the light conditions change so make sure that you move your plants to get enough sunlight and avoid high temperatures.

Wind

The wind is considered a seasonal problem and if your area suffers from strong winds during the summer, the containers may tumble over especially if they are small. To prevent the wind from toppling over the pots, combine the weight of the container and soil with the upper portions of the plant for stable support. If your plants are blooming or have big leaves, relocate them if there is a strong wind.

Heat Absorption

Too much heat can kill your plants. However, it is important to take note that the type of material of your pot can affect greatly the heat absorption of your plant. If you only have dark-colored plants, you can type Mediterranean plants, herbs, and succulents that can withstand high heat temperatures.

Seasonal Changes

Seasons can affect the growth of your container plants. The best thing about container gardening is that the changes in the season do not have a big impact on the plants as you can relocate your plants to different places in your house where they will be safe.

Do you think keeping our basics strong is extremely important to do anything? Well, in the case of container gardening, we hope this guide with everything basic yet important from picking the right kind of container to understanding how various environmental factors affect your plants, could help you with starting your container gardening journey.

How to start Container Gardening – Useful Tools and Types of Container Gardening

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Starting Your Container Garden – How to start Container Gardening

Starting container gardening is a great idea if you are a beginner or if you do not have enough space in your area with good ground soil. The most convenient feature of container gardening is that growing plants in containers is easier for beginners. Well, that’s not the end of the story. Along with understanding basic things like gardening tools, potting soil, and potting mix pH, there are a few pointers that you need to consider knowing before you start your container garden. This post will guide you with in-depth information on how to start a container garden, types of container gardens, and also great garden ideas.

Pick the right plants and the right containers for your container garden

Usually, all types of plants can grow in a container. But as you narrow down your list of the different plants for your container garden, you need to understand that different plants will need to adapt to different environments. Thus before you start your garden, make sure you pick the right plants and the right containers for gardening. Below are the tips on how to pick the right plants and containers for your gardening journey.

Choose the Plant Shape and Texture

Choose the Plant Shape and Texture

Imagine that container gardens are like living floral or foliage arrangements. This means that you can place different types of plants that complement each other in terms of shape and texture in one corner or in one single large pot. Great container garden combinations often use three types of plant shapes such as thriller plants, mounding plants for fillers, and plants that hang over the side as spillers. This principle is applicable to ornamental and vegetable container gardening.

Choose Leaf Size, Texture, And Shape

Choose Leaf Size, Texture, And Shape

The shape of the foliage can also affect the aesthetics of your container garden. Experiment by putting plants with different types of foliage to improve the look and arrangement of your container garden.

Consider the Number of Your Plants

Consider the Number of Your Plants

Your containers can hold a limited number of plants so make sure that you grow only a few plants in your container. This is especially true if you are planning to grow vegetables that dislike sharing their pots with other plants.

Consider the Color of the Plants

Consider the Color of the Plants

For an attractive view or to showcase your container garden as a beautiful decor corner of your house, choose a color theme that will give your container gardener a complete look. When choosing the right tone of the plants choose those that will complement the color inside your home. Below are the types of colors that you can choose for your container garden.

  • Warm colors: Warm-colored plants include orange, red, apricot, and tangerine. You can use flowers with these colors but you can also use plants that has their foliage in these colors.
  • Cool colors: Cool-colored plants include those that are mostly purple, blue, orchid, magenta, and orchid. Cool-colored plants create the illusion of distance. They can be used on the patio and the sidewalk, or at home as natural decor.
  • Neutral colors: Neutral garden colors include those that come in tan, green, brown, cream, white, black, and gray which you can get from growing foliage and their branches.

Types of Container Gardening

You can grow almost any plant in a container garden. Aside from your usual ornamental plants, you can also grow different kinds of plants in your container garden. You also have the freedom to mix and match the different plants that you can grow in container gardening. Below are the types of plants that you can grow in container gardening.

Succulent Garden

Succulent Garden

A succulent garden is a type of garden wherein you specialize in growing ornamental cacti and heat-resistant plants. The great thing about growing a succulent container garden is that they require low maintenance and they also provide great texture in your garden.

Foliage Garden

Foliage Garden

A foliage garden is growing ornamental plants for their leaves. There are a lot of plants with colorful leaves such as coleus, sweet potatoes, elderberry, Japanese maple, dogwood, and Indian grass to name a few. You can experiment with different types of textures and colors to make your container garden very attractive.

Vegetable Garden

Vegetable Garden

If you want to grow your food but your space is very limited, then creating your vegetable garden in containers is a great thing to do. What else is more satisfying than consuming home grown vegetables in your daily meals? You can plant different kinds of seeds and roots in a container garden, watch them grow, and eat them up too! Examples of vegetables that you can plant in your vegetable container garden are zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, eggplants, and beans.

Make sure that you place your vegetable container garden in an area with enough exposure to sunlight. You can also plant shade-loving plants and place them in the area of your garden that does not get a lot of hot sun during the day. Examples include parsley, ginger, and lettuce.

Herb Garden

Herb Garden

An herb garden is also another type of functional garden that also provides aesthetics in your space. You can grow them with good quality seeds and you can use those beautifully grown herbs in your kitchen as well as to improve the ambiance at your home. The best thing about planting herbs in containers is that they grow well even with limited space.

Vine Garden

Vine Garden

You can plant vines in your container garden. Vines like jasmine, jade plants, beans, and ivy are great climbing plants that you can grow. Just make sure that you provide a trellis where they can grow peacefully. For smaller vines, place sticks in the soil so that the plants grow straight.

Dwarf Trees Container Garden

Dwarf Trees Container Garden

Container gardening is not limited to growing herbs but also small shrubs and dwarf trees. You can grow dwarf fruit trees in larger pots. Examples of dwarf fruit trees that you can plant in the garden include citrus trees, mulberry, pomegranate, and many others.

Hanging Container Garden

Hanging Container Garden

This is a type of container gardening idea that you can use to plant small shrubs like strawberries, ornamental foliage, and flowering plants. Make sure that you keep the hanging container garden moist at all times to prevent the plants from drying out.

Topiary

Topiary

A topiary is a fanciful type of gardening that can also be applied to container gardens. Individual plants are trained to take form into fanciful figures by training the plants to loop around a particular shape made from wires. You can use it to add whimsical elegance to your container garden.

Container Gardening Landscape

The best thing about a container garden is that you can combine several pots to create portable landscaping in your area. You do this by putting the containers together as a group. With container gardening, you can create different looks with your landscaping every week because you have the access to move your pots around.

Tools Needed For Your Container Garden – Things to use for container gardening

Container gardening does not need you to invest in a lot of tools. You can do away with simple tools to start and maintain your garden. The best thing about container gardening is that you don’t need to dig hard in the ground to loosen the soil. Below are the must-have tools that you need to help you with container gardening.

Garden Gloves

Gloves are very necessary when you start a container garden. It helps you protect your hands from thorns and other sharp plant parts.

Watering Can

A watering can is very important because it mimics the trickle of rain thus preventing the plants from drowning. If you don’t have a watering can, you can take a milk jug and put holes underneath the bottom so that it becomes an alternative to a watering can. Make sure that you water directly the soil and not the leaves of the plant because the moisture collected on the leaves can increase the risk of fungal problems in plants.

Trowel

A trowel is a garden tool that can help you dig through dirt. If you are working with compacted dirt, then a trowel is the best tool to break the dirt up.

Pruners

You must prune your plants regularly from dead foliage to prevent diseases from spreading. Get pruners that can cleanly cut a plant stem.

String and Sticks

Strings and sticks are very important to provide full support to your garden plants. This is especially true if you are trying to grow tomatoes or beans because these plants need support to grow straight up.

Garden Wagon

Having a container garden requires you to move your plants around all the time. To ease this task, make sure that you invest in a sturdy garden wagon where you can place your pots, fertilizers, and tools while you work in the garden.

Gardening is a beautiful and therapeutic experience altogether. We hope this article on how to start your container garden and in depth information on useful tools and types of container gardening helped you moving forward in your container gardening journey.

8 Tips for Container Gardening – Container Garden Tips From Grooming to Fertilizing

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8 Tips for Container Gardening – Container Garden Tips From Grooming to Fertilizing

Tips for Container Gardening

How do you make a successful container garden? Well, we may think that anyone can become successful in container gardening. Many gardeners find it easy to start gardening. However, it is important for us to understand that we didn’t reach the finish line yet!

We must know the basics of container gardening, and some important gardening safety tips that we need to follow before starting our container gardening journey. Later comes the real deal, i.e; maintaining the plants, caring for them, and watching them thrive beautifully. This post will provide you with some of the most reliable and working container gardening tips from grooming to fertilizing. Happy reading and happy gardening to you!

Container Gardening Tips – From Grooming to Fertilizing!

Here are the container gardening tips from grooming to fertilizing. Read till the end to know the in-depth information on what type of fertilizer is good for which type of plants.

Pinching

Pinching

Pinching plants refer to removing the growing tip of your plants. Once you pinch the tip, new shoots start to develop to fill the entire plant. This technique is very important if your plants get too tall than necessary. Pinching the tip of the plant results in a lowering of the plant’s height and makes the plant bushier. This technique also helps maintain a certain shape of the plant.

Deadheading

Deadheading

This term applies to all flowering plants. Once the plants have finished flowering and all that is left are dead flower heads, the plants look very unsightly. Moreover, the dead flower heads also promote diseases to develop and also make the plant flowerless. Once the flowers start to decline, cut the flower stalk out; however, some plants do not require deadheading including petunias, vinca, begonia, and hibiscus as they often have the mechanism to de-head themselves once their flowers mature.

Regular Clean up

Regular Clean up

This technique refers to the removal of leaves and flower parts that are affected by insects, diseases, or just by natural decline.

Keeping your container garden tidy is not as difficult as you think it would be. The most difficult part of this task is if you have a lot of container plants in your house that you need to take care of. If the number of plants in your area is too much to overwhelm you with the cleaning, what you can do is slowly take your time grooming your plants.

Trimming the climbers

Trimming the climbers

Well, we’re sure you do not want your sneaky neighbors to bother you all the time. So, why do that for plants? Make sure to trim the climber plants at regular intervals or whenever necessary if you see them clinging to other plants. This way, the climber plants will not climb over other plants and bother them. Also, you may use support sticks to let them grow in an even manner.

Move the containers

Yes, move them! By this, we do not mean that you make them dance across your container garden all the time. Different plants need different amounts of sunlight, air, and water. The air is a natural element and we will discuss the water part in the next section. In the case of sunlight, make sure to rotate or move the containers as and when necessary depending on the seasons so that every plant gets enough of it.

Water the plants thoroughly

Watering 

“Watering regularly” doesn’t mean drenching your plants with water all the time. Here’s a little catch! Unlike our regular garden, container plants will not be able to enjoy the benefits of the groundwater and moisture. Therefore, make sure to cover the soil with water thoroughly and check the water and drainage levels regularly in the case of water container plants.

Mulching

Mulching

Weather is not always the same. You may see a heavy storm or a downpour with heavy droplets or a little snow suddenly. In these cases, mulching is the savior for all container plants. Mulch your beautiful plants with beautiful things like pebbles, and moss, or with something like cedar bark. This can prevent damaging the roots due to rains, or drying up quickly due to excess drainage of water, etc.

Fertilizing Fertilizing

Fertilizing your container plants will always help them thrive free from pests. In the case of containers, we must understand that there is soil only up to a certain level and there is a constant need for water and a proper drainage mechanism at the same time. Therefore, providing the plants with enough nutrients from time to time is an important pointer that we need to keep in mind. Make sure to use good slow-release and water-soluble fertilizer in the potting mix and use it for the soil.

Types of fertilizers to use in container gardening

It is important to take note that most all-purpose potting mixes have low nutrients so you need to add fertilizers at some point. This is especially true if your plants are still starting to establish themselves or are already blooming.

Seaweed Extracts

Fertilizer recipes made from seaweed extracts contain a pretty good amount of auxins, alginic acid, and gibberellins which are necessary for the growth and development of plant shoots. Moreover, the addition of seaweed extracts can also improve the water-retaining abilities of soil.

Fish Emulsion

This type of fertilizer comes from fish processing waste. The fish parts are fermented in molasses for a week before applying a diluted solution of it. This type of fertilizer contains a lot of nitrogen which is perfect for improving the foliage of the plant. This works best for lettuce and similar container plants.

Flower Booster Fertilizers

This type of fertilizer is great for plants that are about to bloom. It is high in phosphorus and potassium to encourage the plants to bloom more. Apply the fertilizer as soon as you see the flower buds start forming.

Vitamin B

Do you know we humans and plants have something in common besides being alive or dead? Plants also need Vitamin B just like humans do. Fertilizer recipes with Vitamin B are good to ease transplantation shock for young plants transferred to a new and bigger pot.

Root stimulators

If you are trying to grow plants from seeds, then you need root stimulators to encourage the plants to root and grow properly. This type of fertilizer is also crucial if you are growing plants from cuttings.

Fertilizers are crucial for the success of your potted plants. Without them, your plants will appear stunted and lanky. Make sure that you know about the nutrient requirement of your plants so you do not overdose them with too much fertilizer input.

Along with following the list of container gardening tips discussed here, make sure to pick the right kind of container for the plants, share love and care for the container gardening plants, make sure to provide them with sufficient water and nutrients, and then you become a successful container gardener. We hope this post on gardening tips could help you become a successful container gardener.

Problems with Container Gardening: How to fix various issues with container gardens?

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Problems with Container Gardening: How to fix various issues with container gardens?

Container gardening, if done incorrectly, may cause you to lose most of your plants. Let’s discuss problems that you will encounter in container gardening and how you can overcome them so that you will become a successful gardener. In this article, we will discuss various issues like various tools that are useful in container gardening, water and soil maintenance, tips for maintaining a disease free container garden, challenges in container gardening, different diseases, and how to fix them. Happy reading and happy gardening to you!

Container Gardening Tools – Things to use for container gardening

Well, gardening is definitely a therapeutic experience. However, container gardening isn’t going to be a cakewalk! To make it easier to an extent, having the right kind of container gardening resources is a must. As a gardening lover, you might already have a basic understanding of different gardening tools, let us understand a few important tools that are especially useful for container gardening.

Planter Caddy

Planter Caddy

The planter caddy is a savior if you have heavy container plants. These planter caddies come with wheels underneath a circular or rectangular sturdy platform that allows you to place the plant pots on them and move across your home or garden.

Soil Moisture Metre

Soil Moisture Metre

Due to lack of practice or experience, we usually tend to overwater or underwater the plants which may eventually lead to their death. You cannot kill a few plants for the practice of course! So we recommend that you buy yourself a soil moisture meter to save your plants from over-watering or under-watering. This little device will let you know the level of moisture in the soil, and you can water the plants accordingly.

Soil pH Metre

Soil pH Metre

Do you know that there are acidic soil loving plants and alkaline soil loving plants? The pH of the soil determines the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Okay if you think that’s too much science for you, let’s keep it simple. It is important to understand and maintain the pH levels of the soil to let the plants thrive. And a soil pH meter is the most important device to keep a check on it.

Self Watering Spikes

Self Watering Spikes

Ever wished for something that is more inexpensive than a fancy drip irrigation setup but something that works almost similarly? If you are someone who travels a lot or forgets to water your plants and feels sad about it later that your plants are wilting, these self-watering spikes are for you. You can use these spikes with a regular water bottle and place the bottle in your pots upside down.

Plant Labels

Plant Labels

Plant labels? One of the most important tools for container gardening? Well, don’t you think it is cute for you to name your plants and watch them thrive? On a serious note, these plant labels are especially useful when you have different varieties of the same plant as they help you keep a check on your plants in the right way.

Water And Soil Maintenance – How to choose a container for growing plants?

While container gardening is extremely advantageous, maintaining the moisture levels in the different types of plants that you have in your garden is of course a challenge. In the section below, we will be looking into the most reliable and working tips for water and soil maintenance in your container garden.

Water And Soil Maintenance in Container Gardens

  1. Make sure to use coated ceramic containers or good quality plastic containers over terra cotta or coir baskets that can make your plants go dry quickly.
  2. Use a soil moisture meter at regular intervals to check for moisture levels. Or the easiest way is to test the soil with your finger by sticking it as deep as you can into the soil.
  3. Make sure that the soil in the containers is thoroughly watered. To check if you have done that right, see if the draining holes of the pot are getting rid of excess water.
  4. Do not drench the leaves with water. Make sure to water only the soil and not the foliage.
  5. In some cases, you might not notice that the water is over flown but the soil is not watered properly. Do not let the soil dry completely.
  6. Use the right soil and potting mix as per the plants’ requirements.

Challenges in Maintaining Container Gardening

Challenges in Maintaining Container Gardening

Challenges are everywhere. And your garden maintenance is definitely not an exception. In this section, we will look into some of the most common challenges in maintaining container gardening and ways to deal with them.

Plants wilt even if you provide them with enough water. Caused by Insufficient aeration and drainage

  • Use a lighter and less compact soil mix.
  • Increase more drainage holes in the pot.
  • Use a soil with higher amount of organic matter.

Leaf edges burn or turn dry or brittle. Caused by High salt content.

  • Leach the container with fresh water at regular intervals until the water drains from the drainage holes.

Plants appear spindly and unproductive. Caused by Too much nitrogen and Not enough light.

  • Apply fertilizer at least once a week or less often and allow the water to drain from the drainage holes.
  • Relocate your plants to an area where they can receive more light.

Plants are yellowing from the bottom and leaves lack vigor and color. Caused by Soil not being fertile enough and too much water.

  • Use fertilizers that contain a lot of nutrients.
  • Waterless and check for good drainage

Plants have spots or powdery, rusty, and many old dead leaves. Caused by Low phosphate levels and Grown at a temperature that is too low.

  • Use fertilizers with a higher amount of phosphate.
  • Move your plants to a warmer area.

Best Practices for Disease Free Container Gardens

One of the most neglected container gardening mistakes is, we tend to overlook little things like cleanliness, proper watering, plants’ exposure to light, etc. In this section, we will discuss some of the most important and common container gardening practices that we need to follow for a disease-free container garden.

Maintain the health of your plants

In the case of container gardening, bear in mind that you need to pay attention to the amount of sunlight, the right quantities of fertilizers, and proper watering. Make sure that you are not under watering or over watering the plants.

Burn the infected plants

Find the infected plants in your garden and get rid of them so that they do not contaminate other healthy plants. Make sure to burn them a little away from your garden.

Do not reuse the potting mix 

Do not reuse the potting mix if you do not want diseases in your container garden. This is especially important when the used potting is in contact with disease causing elements like fungus, viruses, etc.

Clean the containers

Make sure to clean the containers thoroughly before planting something in them. Also, it is important to scrape off the lumps of soil and algae, etc. formed due to excess moisture around the containers.

Choose healthy plants when buying

Let’s get back to what’s been taught in the school. Prevention is definitely better than cure! This is true especially when it comes to container gardening. Make sure to pick healthy and disease free plants while buying them.

Clean the garden area at regular intervals 

Cleaning the containers and planting healthy plants isn’t the end of your job. It is extremely important to clean the garden at regular intervals to avoid water stagnation and attracting diseases.

Diseases Common in Container Garden Plants

Botrytis

Container gardening plants are also prone to diseases. This section will discuss the common diseases that affect container garden plants.

Aster yellows

  • Caused by Phytoplasma (a bacteria), aster yellows cause stunting of leaves and the appearance of yellow-green foliage. This type of disease is carried by insects like leaf hoppers thus the disease is spread when insects feed on plants.
  • Destroy the infected plant by uprooting and burning it. The application of insecticides also helps.

Alternaria

  • Alternaria is a fungal attack common among Calendulas. It causes small red to purple spots that enlarge over time. The spotted leaves eventually turn yellow and drop. The fungal disease is common during the rainy season as fungi require moisture to spore.
  • Practice good sanitation within your garden. Moreover, boost the immune system of your plants by feeding with the right fertilizers.

Anthracnose

  • Anthracnose is another type of fungal infection that causes brown spots on the host plant. The spots can kill the entire leaf if left untreated.
  • The fungus is prolific in environments that are cool and with a lot of moisture thus growing plants in the sun is a great idea to treat container garden plants from anthracnose. You can also remove the affected part provided that you incinerate it to kill the fungus.

Botrytis

  • Also called Gray Mold, Botrytis is common among tulips and bromeliads. It eventually kills the plants as this is an invasive form of the pathogen for any kind of plant.
  • Implement proper sanitation within your container garden.
  • Make sure that the leaves do not collect moisture to deter the development of Botrytis.

Powdery Mildew

  • The white and powdery growth often affects the leaves, young stems as well as flowers.
  • Make sure that your container plants get proper air circulation to avoid humidity which encourages the growth of powdery mildew. Avoid placing plants that are susceptible to mildew in shaded areas. Also, practice good sanitation practices by removing dead and diseased leaves from the plant.

Root rot

  • Root rot is caused by fungi Pythium and Phytophthora that attach to the base and roots of the plant causing rot. Plants are infected by contaminated soil, water, and tools.
  • Ensure that the soil drains well. Also, avoid overwatering your plants.

Sooty mold

  • Sooty mold is caused by a fungus that is often introduced by the plant from the honeydew excreted by insects like scales and aphids. This particular fungal infection kills the foliage by reducing the access of chlorophyll to light which eventually kills the entire plant.
  • Eliminate the presence of scales or aphids by applying fungicide.

Fusarium wilt

  • Plants infected by Fusarium will show signs of poor health through wilting. The plant then turns yellow, followed by browning, and eventually dies.
  • If the plant shows early signs of wilting, avoid overwatering the plant. If the disease has progressed, uproot the plant and burn the affected plant to prevent the spread of the disease. Do not plant anything on the pot to naturally kill the bacteria as they no longer have food to sustain them.

Aphids

  • Aphids are insects that have sucking mouth parts and they can cause puckering or distortion on the plant tissue. Aphids are also vectors of different viral diseases in plants.
  • Introduce natural insect predators in your gardens such as ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps.

Mealybugs

  • Mealybugs are insects that are common in container gardens. Their population balloon out of proportion and they inflict damage to the plant while feeding.
  • Manually wash off mealy bugs from the plant by brushing them off or using a Q-tip rubbed in alcohol. Unfortunately, the waxy substance on the exoskeleton of mealy bugs makes them highly difficult to kill using pesticides.

White fly infestation

  • Severe infestation of white flies can cause mottling as well as yellowing of the leaves thus lowering the yields of your plant. This is a great concern for those who do vegetable container gardening.
  • Use a pesticide that is specific to white flies.

Container gardening is a fun and therapeutic activity that everyone can do. It does not limit your ability to grow many things despite the lack of space in your area. The best thing about container gardening is that it is one of the simplest types of gardening that you can do and all there is to get planting materials, some garden tools, a lot of passion for growing those beautiful beings, and watching them thrive!