I hope to add a little more garden space to my yard this year, but with our permanence at this house being so up in the air, I have been a little hesitant to make any huge investments. Last year, I thought I was “settling” by having several containers on my back patio, in lieu of spending money on more garden boxes, but it turned out, it wasn’t settling at all. The containers did really, really well. I don’t know if it was just last year being unseasonably warm, or if the containers, protected a bit by the house, actually produced longer than my tradition garden. Either way, I plan to put the containers to the test again this year.
Container gardening really is the perfect solution if you want a small-scale garden with relatively little permanent commitment. It takes only the tiniest bit of knowledge for them to thrive and produce like mad.
First off, select your containers. If the container is going to be a focal point, you may want to splurge and get yourself something pretty to look at. Of course, you can also get pretty creative here and save quite a bit of money; large unused storage totes, buckets left over from planting large trees, cinder blocks filled with dirt will all do. The key, no matter what your container, is to make sure it has proper drainage.
If there is not drainage built in {even planters you buy at the store sometimes don’t come with enough drainage in my opinion}, you’ll need to get out the drill and get to making some holes. One single hole just ain’t gonna cut it. Put several on the bottom of the container {so long as the material you’re working with will allow}. While plants definitely need water, they don’t like “wet feet,” so taking the extra step to ensure drainage will prevent problems down the road.
Next, you’ll need to fill it with soil. Don’t be tempted to just toss regular old garden soil into your buckets. The type of soil is KEY. Soil specifically formulated as potting soil is really your best bet. It is designed to ensure proper drainage and aeration–without it, you’ll just suffocate your plants. You can buy commercially prepared potting soil or make your own. If you compost on any sort of regular basis, making your own may save you cash.
When I fill my large pots, I personally like to scavenge around for, old planting containers, river rocks, etc. and toss them in the bottom of the containers. It helps with drainage and saves me money on dirt, because I don’t have to use as much to fill the container. I avoid using smaller rocks, like gravel, because it can actually impede drainage, by causing water to back up in the soil–or so I have read. I will admit, I have always just followed the no-gravel advice, and have never really tested it personally.
Once your pots are full of dirt, water it in well, and get to planting. You want to put plants with similar watering needs and sunlight needs in the same pot. It will make your life a lot easier. If you are gardening in a location of your yard where you will need to “chase the sun” by moving your pots around, you may want to set your pots up on wheels. Plant spacing still applies, even in container gardening. I like to follow basic square foot gardening spacing when dealing with containers. I have found that it allows me to pack the plants in tight, but not so tight they suffocate each other out. It’s a happy compromise that seems to work.
Once you have planted your container garden, all you really have to do is maintain it. Weeding will probably not even be necessary {a MAJOR benefit to container gardening}, but you will have to pay attention to your watering schedule. The soil in containers dries out much, much faster than traditional bed gardening and/or raised bed gardening. So, you may have to water your containers more often than a traditional garden. Usually, you can get away with once a day {morning is best}, but in the dead heat of summer, you may want to check them twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Usually, you’ll be able to tell the plants could use a drink by simply by looking out the window. The plants in containers that have dried out will start to wilt almost immediately–it’s like they are hanging heads in disappointment at your neglect–it’s a plant guilt-trip.
Finally, while I don’t typically prescribe to the whole fertilizer thing {I like to just maintain healthy soil through crop rotation, cover crops, compost, etc.}, container gardening is a different animal altogether. The plants have a limited nutrient source, and once it is gone, they can’t draw from nearby soil. For highest yields/more blooms, you may want to consider a regular fertilizing schedule. You can find pretty effective organic fertilizers at your local nursery.
Even if you decide not to fertilize, you’ll want to replace the dirt in your containers yearly, for the same exact reason. To save a little cash, you can replace 1/3 to 1/2 of the potting soil with fresh on a yearly basis. Replacing at least some of the soil will provide your plants with the added nutrients that they likely sucked right out of the previous year’s soil.
I know that totally seems like a lot of steps, but really, once you have the right ingredients, it’s soil+sun+water=happy plants. So, what do you think, will you be doing any container gardening this year?
~Mavis
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Elise says
For the second year I will be planting about half of my garden in a modified version of the Alaska Grow Bucket system. (A bottom watering system that I have found really great for conserving water.) I live in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades and deal with elevation (2000 ft) and rocky ground so growing in buckets allows me more control over those issues. I was really pleased with last years garden and have learned so much about soil needs for containers (it is REALLY important) that I think this years will be even better.
Kathy says
Yes! I’m a big fan of container gardening. I’ve been browsing through all the local greenhouses in the last couple of weeks, plotting and planning. After a look at the 2 week forecast, I’m finally at ease with putting my plants out. I’ve been working on them this afternoon. I use the “thrill, fill, and spill” formula when choosing plants for my flower containers. It’s pretty foolproof. And I also used the recyclables trick for the the first time this year…got a weird look from my son as he saw me collecting plastic bottles out of the recycling bin and tossing them into the flower pot! HA! Another new thing I am doing this year is growing my “fill” plants from seed, alyssum is so easy to grow from seed and fills up the bare spots nicely. Much cheaper alternative!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Mavis, did you start your tomato plants from seeds? I think I am totally failing with my seeds, they look so scrawny compared to yours. I did go onto a couple of web sites that talked about where to place the grow lights…I think mine have been too far away. And I also haven’t re-potted my little seedlings. Any suggestions? Is it too late? Will I need to cave and go to the nursery????
Mavis says
I do grow mine from seeds. I usually start them in February, and I keep the grow light about 3″ from the top of the plant at all times {I just gradually move it up as necessary}. If they are looking leggy or spindly, they likely aren’t getting enough light. Move the grow light to within three inches of the top of the plant. I would still plant them even if they are scrawny–they will surprise you how they grow once they have been hardened off and planted in the garden.
Renay says
You can also put empty plastic water bottles (or Gatorade or something like that) in the pot to take up space AND BE REALLY LIGHT! Drainage is fabulous! This is a tip from Ciscoe, Northwest garden guru.
And I am over here in Bellevue and NOT putting out tomatoes… I used to work at a nursery and have a bit of experience with this. The tomatoes you are buying now have been grown in a wonderfully warm home. You bring them home and put them out in the elements and WHAMMO! It shocks them and can delay setting fruit.
I always wait until later May. Having said that, you can always cover them and that will help.
Hazel says
You can still use cover crops to keep container soil going and save the money on replacing it.
Alys Fowler (one of my favourite British gardeners and writers- she has a weekly column in The Guardian and I highly recommend any of her books- I have 3 of them) worked out how expensive her potatoes would be when grown in large pots, so she empties them to harvest, puts the top growth in the bottom of the pot and replaces the soil. You can get a quick crop of radishes or similar and then she sows a green compost like winter rye.
The soil gains nutrients and worms and the gardener saves a fortune 🙂
Linda S. says
My rental house of 12 years is up for sale & I haven’t found a new one yet so container gardening is all I will have this year. I’ve got a few started so wish me luck! New sub.