7 Crucial Tips to Consider For Container Gardening
Container gardening has significantly improved food security in the modern society. It is among the most recent trends used by many gardeners with minimal space or living in areas with limited space like the cities. Container gardening has grown rapidly in the recent past and has successfully worked for many families who currently produce their foods. In case you do not have enough room for a garden, or you only need to grow a few vegetables, container gardens are the best way to go. Save that one dollar, get some great hobby and enjoy your space.
Your plants are safe in a container garden as long as you take good care of them. All the plants need is enough space for their roots to grow and good drainage holes for draining out excess water correctly. To both the city dweller and anyone who cannot afford a big farm, container gardening is the best way to go. Here is the big secret to the success on container gardening.
Crucial Tips to Container Gardening
1. Choose the Right Container for Your Gardening
Before acquiring your container, get to know the amount of space available for the project. It will determine the sizes of container you will need for your garden, how it will look, and what kind of plants to grow. Where to place your container and how long you will need to keep the container with you before your plants are ready. The container is your land, your garden and holds the desired garden outcome. It is easy to get a container that meets your farming preferences and farming factors. Get a container that will guarantee you success by making the right choice.
2. Clean Your Container Frequently
Your containers will need thorough cleaning every so often to ensure they are pest-free and that your plants are safe from diseases. Just like the other gardens plants will be vulnerable to pests and diseases. All the same your containers will look appealing too if they are well cleaned, and you will feel, more motivated to take good care of your plants. It just requires a little extra care to keep your plants looking their best.
3. Choose the Right Plant
Different plants have different needs, and so they will need a different level of attention and care. Consider if the need of the plant you intend to grow. Can it survive well in the current climate, the soil and general condition at large? Again, you will not want to put incompatible plants together. Considering the available space will thus be necessary. It can always work, all you need to do is to identify the available space and all other factors then decide appropriately. The right choice of plants will increase your success chances to container gardening.
4. Use the Right Soil
Depending on the plants selected, fill in your containers with a good quality potting soil ready for planting. You should avoid collecting soil directly from the garden since, when it dries up it can be a threat to the plant growth. Quality potting soil should be readily available in most gardening stores. Different plants require different types of soils. To get the desired outcome from the container gardening ensure that the soil is fit for the crops planted. Inexpensive potting soils may not always be a bargain, so be careful to study the label before you purchase or use.
5. Choose Proper Drainage
You will need to water your plants frequently, and good drainage is crucial especially since your plants will depend on water supply. On the contrary, excess water and poor drainage can kill your plants. Provide a good drainage by placing containers on their feet and ensuring the bottom has a proper allowance to release excess water out. Do not under or over water your plants. Instead, use the two-knuckle test: Stick a finger in the soil to the depth of your second knuckle; if the soil feels dry, water.
6. Use Fertilizer on Your Plants
Every farmer desires to have flourishing results from his hard work. Here is a tip to reach you to enjoy the fruits of gardening. Fertilizers are essential for plant growth and survival. Container gardening thus requires frequent use of fertilizers. In this case, liquid fertilizers have a higher value due to their absorbing ability. Despite having slow-release fertilizer put in the soil, it is still important to have some extra fertilizer frequently added as you water the plants. Just as you require a balanced diet meal, vegetables and flowers will always do best with an added plant food dose. Different plants will require varying levels of fertilizers to make them more productive.
7. Consider Lighting Conditions
Lighting factor is crucial for plant survival. Though it may seem like an invisible aspect, it is vital for plant growth. Therefore, when selecting the plants to grow, conducting research on the plant specs will be important to know whether they grow best; in the sun or the shade. You will not want to mix the sun- and shade-loving plants in the same container otherwise one will die at the expense of the other. Some plants can grow and flourish indoors. As well, others work best at outdoors. When set in dull places they will strive for their right; right to light and if denied they will die. Gardening should not provide chances for losses; choose the right location for your container to ensure proper lighting too.
Conclusion
Container gardening has succeeded in many areas around the world and so yours too can. All you need is a little patience, diligence and determination at taking care of your plants. Research for on your choice of the plant before choosing it. You can grow anything you want in a container garden as long as you got the right information about the technique. Whether it’s a trees, flowers, passion fruits, strawberries, vegetables, name it. Anything is possible as long as you want it that bad. Most people around the world prefer to grow flowers and vegetables in their gardens however that should not limit you, get off the box and record all the best practices that are scalable to other areas. All I got to tell you is that the sky is your limit. Enjoy the journey, a mix of flowers at one corner and a vegetable container garden at the other will be a great blend.