Container Gardening Tips and Techniques

CONTAINER gardening is a great way to grow flowers, succulents, vegetables, shrubs and even small trees all year. Almost any plant that grows in the ground in our area can be grown in a container with the right attention to its specific requirements.
Plants
Before selecting your plants or container consider the growing needs of the plants. Ensure that your plan includes the right size container, and that you will be able to place the container in the right lighting and space. How deep the roots will grow and how large the plant will get are important to know before making your selection. Consider combining plants of different heights, textures, and colors in the came container in order to create interest. Select a “thrillers” (tall plants for the center), “spillers” (plants that will spill over the side of the container and “fillers” (plants to put in between in order to fill in the container). The plants that you select for your container should have similar water and light requirements.
Containers
Be creative and have fun. You do not have to purchase special pots or invest a lot of money. Anything that can hold soil can be used as a contain to grow plants – look for unique things around your house, attic, or garage and re-purpose them. An old tire painted a bright color, wagon, wheel barrel, basket – the possibilities are limitless. If you use old pots be sure to clean them with a diluted solution of 10% bleach (one part bleach to nine parts of water) before potting. Ensure that your container has a drainage hole in the bottom, and block the hole with a piece of screen or broken crockery so that the soil does not drain out. If you are planting a container that will be on the ground it is a good idea to place it on a caddy so that air can circulate underneath the pot.
Soil and Fertilizer
Use good quality potting soil, not top soil from your yard. Potting soils blended for the type of plants that you have selected are available at local nurseries. Check the label to determine if there is fertilizer in the mix. You may need to add slow release fertilize to the mix when planting, or during the growing season. Be sure to wet the plants and the soil before potting. Gently pack the soil in the bottom of the container, then put in your plants, filing around them with soil. Leave space between the top of the soil and the rim of the container so that you can water without the water spilling out of the container. Use mulch, decorative rocks, or Spanish moss to cover exposed soil. This will help retain moisture and give your container a finished look.
Watering
Check the soil for level of dryness before watering by feeling the soil with your finger or by using a water meter. Plants in containers need to be watered more frequently than those in the ground. Water deeply so that the water gets to the roots of the plants but avoid overwatering which will cause the roots to rot.
Benefits to container gardening are you may grow wonderful plants in small spaces, containers can be made so that they are light enough to move around, and weeding is rarely
a problem.
Cindy Day is a Santa Clara County University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener. Visit the website at mastergardeners.org or call the Hotline (408) 282-3105 for gardening and pest management information.