Container Gardening Tips

The first thing you need to do when starting a container garden is to choose the right containers. You can use almost any type of container, as long as it's the right size for your plants.

Plastic pots are the least expensive type of pots you can buy. They may not last very long, but they're cheap enough to purchase more once they give out. Plastic is lightweight, which makes it easier to move plants if you need to. But it tends to break easily, and may crack during very cold weather.

Terra cotta pots can also be relatively inexpensive, but they tend to break very easily. They're good for beginners, because they are fairly cheap, but they probably won't last very long.

Wood is a great material for container gardening, but it can rot if it isn't treated. And treated wood can leech harmful chemicals into the soil that could hurt your plants or even make you sick if you eat the produce. if you're going to use wooden containers, you might opt for treated wood that will last a while, and that is lined with a material like plastic.

You can also use all sorts of containers you may already have lying around the house. Here are a few ideas:

• Empty 2 Liter soda bottles with drainage holes cut.
• Plastic trash cans with drainage holes.
• Plastic storage tubs with drainage holes.
• Plastic buckets with drainage holes.
• Old bath tubs.
• Used tires turned on their side.
• Margarine tubs with drainage holes.
• Old pots and pans with drainage holes.

Container plants are generally dwarf varieties or plants that grow well in smaller spaces. Most people don't grow corn in containers, for example, because it's so top-heavy that it would need a massive container to keep it from falling over.

Here are some tips for choosing plants for a container garden.

• Choose dwarf varieties of many types of plants.
• Choose varieties that aren't extremely top-heavy.
• Choose bush varieties rather than pole varities, when possible.
• Try to avoid plants that grow on large vines, such as melons and cucumbers.
• Choose plants that don't have very large root structures.

The type of soil you'll need for your container garden will depend on the type of plants you wish to grow. You should investigate the type of soil needed for a particular variety, because some will prefer sandier soil, and some will prefer rich, organic soil.

Most plants will want to have soil that is rich in organic material, and that holds some moisture but drains well. This means you should work toward providing a soil that is rich in organic compost, with some material that will encourage correct moisture balance such as peat moss.