How To Start a Container Garden

There’s nothing as satisfying as eating food from your garden or decorating your house with flowers from your balcony. Do you want to get into gardening but you don’t have a massive piece of land or any (if for example, you are living in an apartment). Don’t worry because you can still do it — the answer lies in container gardening and in this article, I’m going to take you through how to start a container garden.

The main things you need are containers, soil, water, and seedlings. We’ll talk about the rest as we go on. So, let’s get right into how to start a container garden?

Choosing the Right Materials for Container Gardening

Having the right materials will give you better results with container gardening. So, how do you select them?

1. Choosing the containers

Not all containers are suitable for gardening. For example, pots that lack holes at the bottom don’t allow excess moisture to escape, therefore, resulting in issues like the plant leaves dying, roots rotting or the plant being attacked by pests.

There are factors you need to consider to help you identify the most suitable pot for your container gardening needs. For example, if you want to have vegetables, herbs, or flowers that grow up to 18 inches or tall then you should opt for an 18 inches pot and not 12 inches.

If you want plants that need a lot of water then it’s wise to choose either plastic or ceramic pots because they retain water more compared to clay pots which dry out fast and require you to keep watering or else the plants dry out. If on the other hand, you’d like to grow plants like cactus that don’t require lots of water to thrive then clay pots will work well for you.

Your style, taste, and budget will guide you in choosing a pot because they come in various colors and designs. However, generally speaking, experts recommend getting containers that can comfortably accommodate what you want to grow, has proper drainage and is manufactured using safe materials (after all, you’ll consume the food grown in it.) You can even use materials around the home (such as plastic waste paper bins, whiskey barrels, plastic buck, and so on.

2. Choosing the right soil

Soil that drains fast (to avoid build-up of surplus moisture), and has enough nutrients to support plant growth is what you need when figuring out how to start a container garden.

I know you may be thinking it but you can't get the normal soil from outside and use it to grow plants in your pots. This is because it doesn’t have the ability to drain water as it should since the soil becomes compact when placed in containers. Additionally, you’ll constantly have weed problems. What works for container gardening is a specific potting mix.

Businesses that sell plants and gardening materials often have different types of soil mixes. Therefore, they can guide you on the best potting mix based on what you want to grow. What is perfect for growing flowers may not be suitable for planting edibles. However, there are things you can check before you buy soil mix to ensure you are getting quality. Examples include:

• It should be porous enough to allow water and air to travel to the roots.
• It should be lightweight.
• It should have good drainage (we’ve talked about the reasons why) but still have the capacity to keep some moisture.
• The soil mix shouldn’t have any type of small flies or bugs on it.

Soilless potting mixes are the best because they fit the criteria discussed above.

3. Choosing the right plants

Do you know what you’d like to plant in your container garden? If you haven’t thought about it, now is the time to do so.

Ask yourself if you want to start with something you can consume such as herbs and vegetables or something you’d like to use for decorative purposes like flowers. How big do you want them to be? What about their color? Do you prefer bright or dull colors.

Once you know the right plants for you, you will be able to give them what they need to do well. For example, if you go for edibles then you have to put them in an area that is exposed to sunlight for at least six hours a day. You’ll also know the size of pot and type of soil mix to buy.

It is advisable to pair plants that need the same amount of light or water. For example, ferns thrive with a lot of water while cactus do well with little water. So if you plant them in the same pot and constantly water, the cactus roots will die and if you don’t , the fern will wilt.

Tips on How to Start A Container Garden

Seeds or seedlings: Each of these options come with benefits. For example, you’ll spend less if you plant your own seeds but as a beginner, there are high chances they might not grow. Too much water will kill them, little water will make them dry out and less than 12 hours of sunlight daily will also kill them, not to mention lack of air circulation too. So, it’s a lot of work but you can save money if it works.

Buying seedlings is expensive but they have a higher chance of surviving because they’ve alaredy been given the expert care they need.

Water your garden properly: It is important to know your plant’s water needs so you don’t give them too little or too much. You can get this information from the garden center while buying the plants. Just ask how often you need to water. However, if you are confused and have no one to ask at the moment, stick your finger on the top part of the soil and if it is dry, give it some water. However, it is always good to know what works with your specific plant because this rule may not all to all.

Saturate the soil while watering: How do you know your plants have had enough water? Pour the water until surplus starts flowing from the bottom of the pot. That is why we’ve been talking about getting containers with good drainage. Your plants will have adequate water without drying out and won’t get damaged by excess water.

Give your plants fertilizer: If you bought soil that doesn’t have fertilizer, it is important to add it so your plants can thrive. You’ll follow the directions on the fertilizer label regarding the quantity to use and how often. You should do this for the entire growing season.

In Conclusion

The one thing that holds people back from exploring container gardening is they don’t have anyone to guide them through it. So the question of how to start a container garden is left unanswered. But as you can see from this discussion, it is possible. All you need to do is select the right materials for the job and keep a few tips in mind such as giving your plants the right water, light and the nutrients they need.