Container Gardening Tips

By Richard Kitsmiller

Sometimes, there just isn't enough yard space to give your green thumb the workout it craves. Maybe you live in an apartment... or maybe your garden is full and you still want to plant more. If you have open patio space then fill it with lush foliage using container gardening.

If you have front or back patio space open container gardening can be the solution to a problem you did not know you had, Bare Patio Syndrome! Below, I've outlined tips gained from years of experience with container gardening.

• It makes sense to invest in quality high fired ceramic pots for your container garden as these do not absorb water and crack in winter. Alternative - the new fiberglass and plastic pots can work well if you chose high quality. These can be very light and tough and last for years.
• Smaller pots restrict root growth and provide little moisture reserve, be sure to match container size to your plants then go up a size or two, remember that plant will grow larger soon. Plan for size increase and be ahead of the problem many amateur container gardeners face.
• Drainage is very important. Drainage holes should be 1/2 inch or better in size. Using screen and a gravel layer at the bottom of your pot to prevent losing soil and improving drainage is always a good idea. I use coarse plastic screen designed for ponds. Bonsai pot screen also works well. Chose window screen last as holes are small and it clogs easily.
• Containers with lighter colors are preferable if you live in warmer clients and your containers will be in direct sun. Lighter colors reduce the amount of heat absorption. Roots can reach over 100 degrees in direct sun with the result being poor growth, accelerated dry out and dead plants.
• Place your containers up on bricks, wood strips or tiles. There are also wheeled stands available. This gives bugs no place to hide and helps improve drainage.
• Plants that grow taller, larger and spread out require a wide base for balance and stability in wind. Plan ahead keeping this in mind when choosing a container.
• The soil mix you use is important. Use high quality potting soil and stay away from regular garden soil. Chunky-style mix keeps the soil loose and well drained but can reduce water holding capacity requiring water more often.
• A note of caution gained from my experience - do not place un-composted wood chips in your container soil, they leach nitrogen as they degrade and stunt plan growth through reduction of nitrogen available to your plants. I learned this through years of poor growth for my own container garden.
• Research suitable container plants at your local nursery or online, those that can handle the heat, cold and possible dryness of growing in a container.
• A fine root structure is much better suited for long term container growth. Examples, the Japanese Maple, a plant with very fine roots, Oak tree - a plant with coarse roots and usually a long tap root. One does much better in containers then the other. If you are devoted and determined, you can grow most any plant in a container. Just visit a bonsai exhibition and you will believe this for sure. Bonsai can be alluring and will seduce you if you visit a bonsai show or exhibition. You are warned.
• Make sure to check your plants daily for enough moisture. Container plants need to be watered and monitored every day.
• Experts tip - get one of those water meter probes and use it for your containers and house plants. I turned my wife into an instant expert who no longer over watered her house plants with one of these. Best 10 bucks I ever spent.
• Use a water soluble fertilizer (I use miracle grow at half strength) every 3 weeks to keep the soil nutrient-rich for your plants. Alternative - slow release pellets good for 6 months of fertilizing with one application. I love this stuff, I use a low nitrogen type called dynamite from ether lowes or home depot. Dumb name but good stuff.

The Best possible tip I can give you for better container gardening

Incorporate your container garden into your automatic sprinkler system. Do this by adding one or two new circuits if needed to feed water to each of your containers using drip irrigation tubing. Some times you can just tap into an existing circuit quickly and easily but it should water ever day or every other day. However you chose to do it, just get this done.

Small diameter drip tubing can even be run up right through the bottom drain hole in your larger containers. I run my drip tubing this way on larger plants and then use 2, 4 or even 6 small drippers arranged in a circle in each container. Use a minimum of 2 drippers even on small containers. This way you have backup drippers in case one gets plugged.

I arrange the drippers on top of the soil then cover the drippers with a layer of colored gravel so all look very nice and no drippers can be seen. This keeps your beautiful containers pleasing to look at and also keeps the darn cat from thinking your large container plant is a cat box.

Experts tip from me after years of experience using drip irrigation, do not use a regular drip filter, buy a whole house filter designed for your home water system and run your water through this then on to your drip system. Yes, get a large expensive model but not one with a clear shell (algae grows in clear models), spend 50 bucks on it and smile as you walk out. You just did a very smart thing. Yes I know what you are thinking but your drippers will not clog due to water impurities saving hundreds of dollars in plant replacement cost over the years you will be container gardening.

Part 2 of this tip - replace all your drippers every 2 to 3 years. Drippers - a few bucks, large container plants - hundreds of bucks. You decide! Trust me, just do this - replace drippers as advised.

I could tell you tails of woe about losing plants and seeing my beloved 6 foot tall Japanese maples wither and almost die because I thought drippers should last forever and never need replacement. See, even if you did follow my advice about the home water filter used on your drip system there is another foe looming. Hard water can result in minerals building up and clogging your drippers. It happens, so replace those drippers as I advised. Life on your patio will be good for you and your plants.

Container Gardening - Just do it

Walking out to your patio and enjoying the lush foliage that was once only bare patio space is very rewarding. The only way to become a great container gardener is to get started right away. Use the space you have, the time you have and the knowledge you gain with every new container and plant. You and your friends will be amazed at what a little effort and a slightly green thumb will do to cure "Bare Patio Syndrome".

If you found this article useful why not visit the authors site http://www.maple-trees.com. Where you can find free hints and tips on Growing Red Maple Trees

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