Container Gardening: Good for Flowers and Vegetables   

Container gardening is one of the most versatile and creative forms of gardening.  Almost anything can be grown in a container when proper growing conditions are provided.       

Generally, plants can be grown in anything that will hold soil and allow proper drainage. Gardeners don’t have to limit themselves to traditional containers such as terra cotta or plastic pots, hanging baskets lined with sphagnum moss or bushel baskets.  Be creative. Choose containers that fit the look you are trying to create.  Containers may be wooden wine crates, old tires, bathtubs or an old boot.

Keep these tips in mind when selecting containers.   

  • Containers must have a hole for adequate drainage.

  • Containers must be large enough to hold the minimum amount of soil required for the plant to grow.

  • Type of container used depends on the location and the plant selected

  • Avoid using black containers in full sun.

  • Terra cotta and other porous containers wick water away from plant.

  • Consider whether the plant will do well in a windy site.

  • Decide whether the container needs to be attractive.

  • Coordinate container color with plant materials. Containers can be painted for a different look or to create a cooler surface that will reflect heat.

  • Consider whether you want to move container to a different location. If so, keep the weight factor down. Styrofoam peanuts can be used in the bottom of the container rather than filling it fully with soil mix.

It is important to select a growing medium that drains well but that will also help keep plants from drying out between waterings.  Keeping container plants moist yet well drained is the most important key to successful container gardening.

The soil best used for a container garden is really not soil at all.  Some commercially prepared growing mixtures have an added wetting agent, which is great when it comes to planting and watering.  Consider adding water-absorbing polymers, which can absorb and retain up to 400 times their weight in water.  Polymers are nontoxic and last for a number of years before breaking down in the environment.

Most soil mixtures become compacted and root-bound over time.  It is best to replace container soils with fresh soil mix at least once a year or every other season.

Most vegetables can be grown in containers. The primary keys to successfully growing vegetables in containers are to put them in the proper size container and keep them watered.  Vegetables are about 99 percent water, therefore you must keep the soil moist. 

Container gardens can be, but do not have to be, limited to one type of plant.  Vegetables can be interplanted with herbs, bedding plants and some perennials.

Research has shown that interplanting and companion planting of plants interrupts disease cycles. The limiting factor on interplanting is that all plants must have the same requirements for light and drought tolerance.