Nothing beats fresh vegetables out of your very own garden. The taste of a recently picked tomato is downright heaven and digging your own new, red potatoes is so rewarding. What, no space for a garden? Not a problem, you can grow great vegetables in containers!
Many people think of container gardening as an easy method to grow beautiful flowers and accent patios and porches with color. People have been putting vegetables and herbs to their containers for years. It isn't hard to grow edible plants in containers, and the yummy produce is worth the effort! Peppers and small tomatoes grow wonderfully among flowers. Their bright fruit is a attractive attraction in the blooms. Put a couple of red potato starts in a large planter with a few flowers, the foliage of potato plants is very beautiful and you will also have a few little white flowers as well.
What about dedicating a few containers to only vegetables? One ideal case of the perfect produce container plant are strawberries. Strawberry plants spread by sending out runners that root down and start a new plant. When there is no more room for new plants, the strawberries start to develop fruit. Perfect, fresh strawberries ready for the picking!
Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when planning a container garden.
No matter what type of pot you choose, it needs to drain properly. If your container does not have drainage holes, either drill holes or create a drainage area by adding a layer of gravel at the bottom. Deep containers 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. You will need to make sure you have enough soil for a strong root system.
Never use garden soil in a planter. Average garden soil is heavy and is not ideal for container plants. For the best drainage, you need a good potting soil for your container garden. Mix regular potting soil with compost and peat moss to get a nourishing soil that is ideal for planters. 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.
When you are transplanting new plants, dig the hole about twice as large as the plant's root ball. Put a little loose soil in the bottom of the hole so the new roots can grab hold. Gently massage the roots to break them up before you plant the plant. If you look closely at a plant fresh from the store container, you will see that the roots are growing in a tight circle. This is because they have been contained and now they need to break free from that growing pattern.
Give your plants a nourishing start by using a root starting fertilizer as you are planting. Use the root starter and water mixture to water each plant as you plant it. By giving your plants a shot of root starter you can help deter transplant shock.
Be certain that you prune your plant. This is something that lots of gardeners don't like to do. No one wants to trim their lovely new plant. The cause for doing this is so they plant will put it's energy into growing healthy roots. This is hard if the plant is trying to maintain full blooms or large amounts of foliage as well. Generally you need to trim the plant back by two thirds. By cutting it back, the plant will grow back fuller and healthier.
Make sure you put plants with like requirements together. If a plant calls for full sun, don’t pair it up with a plant that needs in partial shade. For the greatest results, prepare your container garden by size and individual plant requirements.
Containers are a great way to have fresh produce all season long. A container garden can give your family healthy produce and a feeling of achievement. Container gardening is enjoyable and rewarding!
Author Resource:-
Piper is a self-employed author who loves exercise, good nutrition and the outdoors. She loves to write about subjects such as nature and health. She likes nature, good movies and cooking. She uses quite a lot of time doing research on the most effective gardening ideas and passing the information on to you.
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