Container Gardening Made Easy

How to Create a Beautiful Container Garden

(Even if You Don't Have a Green Thumb)

Hannah West

Copyright © 2012 by Tovuti Publishing. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Table of Contents

Introduction:  What is Container Gardening?

Choosing Plants & Vegetables

Starting Your Container Garden

Planting Your Container Garden

Providing Good Growing Conditions

Maintaining Your Container Garden

Keeping Your Plants Healthy

Conclusion

Also by the Author

Introduction:  What is Container Gardening?

You’ve got an itchy green thumb.  But maybe you just don’t have the space to do any gardening.  Perhaps your garden soil and other conditions are poor for growing. Maybe you don’t even have a yard. Or maybe you don’t really have the time.

Does this mean you should toss your gardening dreams out the window? 

Absolutely not!  Instead, all you have to do to satisfy your green thumb is take up container gardening.

Container gardening is just what it sounds like. Instead of putting your plants in a backyard garden, you put your flowers, herbs, vegetables and even ornamental grasses and trees into containers.  Here are the advantages of container gardening over traditional gardening:

•         You can maintain a garden indoors or out, even if you don’t have much space.

•         You can unleash your creativity by making use of decorative containers.

•         You can enjoy gardening again even if limited time, money or mobility has kept you away from the hobby.

But let me warn you…

You can’t just toss all your favorite plants into pots and expect great results.  Truth is, some plants don’t do well in containers. And in order to even start your garden, you need to know:

•         What kind of containers to use.  The size, material and even the color you choose for your containers matter.

•         What kind of soil to use. Hint: You can’t just dump regular potting soil or garden soil into your containers.

•         How to plant, water, weed and maintain your container garden to keep it beautiful and healthy all season long.

The good news is that you’ll discover all of these secrets and more inside this eye-opening guide, so read on…

Choosing Plants & Vegetables

As mentioned before, not all plants are suited to container gardening.  You’ll have better success if you focus on those that are known to do well in containers.  Here’s a starting point for you…

Herbs

A wide variety of herbs grow well in containers, which is great for the chefs who enjoy tossing fresh herbs into their recipes.  You might consider growing:

Basil

Borage

Catmint

Chervil

Chives

Coriander

Dill

Fennel

Garlic

Mint

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Summer savory

Tarragon

Thyme

Watercress

Winter savory

Vegetables

Yes, you can grow vegetables in containers. Sure, you won’t be able to plant a row of sweet corn, but you can certainly enjoy the produce from some of your other favorite veggies, including:

Beets

Bush beans

Cabbage

Carrots

Chard

Collards

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Lettuce

Onions

Peppers

Potatoes

Radishes

Spinach

Swiss chard

Summer squash

Tomatoes

Turnips

Fruits

You can also enjoy fruits picked fresh from your container gardening (especially berries):

Blackberries

Blueberries

Dwarf apples

Raspberries

Strawberries

Flowers & Other Plants

Finally, a wide variety of flowering plants, ornamental trees, shrubs and similar vegetation can grow well in containers. Here are some of the plants you might want to grow in your container garden:

Alyssum

Bachelor button

Begonia

Bird of paradise

Bougainvillea

Cactus

Canary creeper

Candytuft

Chrysanthemum

Coconut palm

Daffodil

Dahlia

Dusty miller

Elephant ears

Ficus

Flowering maple

Fuchsia

Geranium

Gladiolus

Hibiscus

Impatiens  

Iris

Lily

Lobelia

Lupine

Marigold

Morning glory

Pansy

Petunia

Roses

Shasta daisy

Snapdragon

Tulip

Yarrow

Yucca

Zinnia

You might also try ornamental grasses, trees and shrubs, with a focus on “dwarf” varieties.

Other Considerations

Before you start picking out what you’d like to plant in your container garden, first consider these two factors:

1.      What plants are native to your area?  Native plants are already suited to the climate, so they’ll generally do well.  This is especially true if you’re planting an outdoor container garden, where your plants will be exposed to the natural climate. 

If you’re not sure of the answer to this question, you can check with two local sources:

•         If you live in the United States, check with your local cooperative extension agency (or agriculture extension office).  This is a governmental organization that can give you plenty of information not only about native plants, but also pests, disease control other planting information.

•         Your local nursery. Generally, your local greenhouses will carry the varieties of plants which are best suited to growing in your area. So not only will you get your questions answered at the local nursery, but you can also buy your seeds and plants at the same time.

2.      Are you creating a decorative garden?  If you’re just planting a few herbs for kitchen use, then you might not be overly concerned with the design of your garden.  However, if you’d like an eye-catching flower garden, then you’ll want to consider when the flowers will bloom and how their colors will complement each other.

For example, you don’t want to plant a bunch of early-blooming spring flowers like tulips with very little else. Otherwise, your garden will hit its peak in the spring and then fade away quickly thereafter.

Secondly, you’ll want to take color into consideration.  If you plant flowers that are all one color, your garden is going to look flat. Generally, it’s much better to introduce a wide variety of colors. The great thing about a container garden is that you can always re-arrange the containers to display your variety of flowers in the best possible way.

TIP: Use a color wheel to help you design your garden. Generally, colors that are opposite of each other on the wheel tend to look great together, such as purple and yellow.

Go ahead and spend some time studying the above lists, learning about the different plants and then choosing the ones you’d like to plant. Then read on to find out how to get started growing your container garden…

Starting Your Container Garden

You’ve started picking out your plants. Now your next steps involve:

•         Choosing your containers.

•         Getting the right kind of growing media (usually a soilless mix).

•         Choosing your fertilizer.

•         Planting your garden.

•         Providing good growing conditions so your plants thrive.

Let’s look at each of these issues separately.

Selecting Your Containers

You may be tempted to just grab a bunch of containers and start planting your flowers, herbs and vegetables.  But don’t make a move until you take these six factors into consideration…

Start With “Healthy” Containers

If this is your first container garden, then you’re probably going to start with new containers – or at least containers that have never held plants before.  If so, you can move on to the next consideration in this list.

However, if you’re reusing containers, then make sure that you do NOT reuse containers which carried diseased plants.  It’s too easy for these diseases to spread from one plant to the next, even if you’ve washed out the containers between uses.

TIP: If you do end up with diseased plants, the best way to dispose of them is by burning them. The absolute worst thing you can do is add them to a compost pile, because you’ll just end up infecting any other plants that come into contact with the compost.

Choose the Right Sized Container

The sizes of your plants are going to determine what size containers you need to use.  Here are the five points to consider:

The diameter of the container. You don’t want tiny plants in big containers, as you’re likely to have problems with root rot. That’s because small plants can’t take up all the moisture in the soil, which leaves the soil damp for an extended period of time.

On the flip side, you also don’t want to force big plants into small containers.  So be sure to find out how big your plants are going to get so that you can get an appropriately sized container.

The depth of the container.  Same applies here as above. Basically, bigger plants are going to need deeper containers, simply because they tend to have deeper roots.  But even some small plants are known for deep roots, so be sure to learn about root depth before planting any specific flower or vegetable.

The stability of the container.  Some containers look really nice with wide tops and narrow bottoms.  One such example is a traditional pot that sits on what amounts of a three-legged stool.  However, these types of pots are always easy to tip over, especially if you bump them accidentally while leaning over them.

Also, lightweight containers with tall plants in them are prone to tipping. This is especially true if they’re going to be outdoors, where the wind can easily blow them over.

The container’s thickness.  If you plan on having your plants out when it’s cool (such as in the spring or fall), then you’ll want to use thick containers. That’s because thick containers will help insulate the plants from frost and freeze.

The weight of the container.  Finally, if you intend to move a particular container around a lot (such as from the indoors to the outdoors), then you need to take into consideration how much it will weigh once it’s filled with soil. If you choose a large, heavy container, then you’ll need to plan on always having someone else help you move it.

Select the Right Material

Your next point of consideration is what your containers are made out of, such as wood, plastic, clay (terra cotta), metal, recycled materials or something else.

Generally, your best bet is to invest in clay pots or containers, especially if you’re using these containers outdoors.  That’s because containers made of other materials don’t withstand the elements as well.  For example:

•         Wooden containers tend to rot over time.

•         Metal containers rust.

•         Plastic containers which are exposed to the sun may crack.

If, however, you’re growing new plants in your containers from year to year (meaning they’re not occupied continuously), then you certainly can choose any type of container you desire.  For example, a wooden container isn’t likely to rot out completely over one summer (especially if you treat it so that it’s water resistant). 

Just check your containers at the beginning of each planting season to see if they’ll hold up for one more season.

Consider Color

Naturally, you’ll have your mind on the color of the container in terms of design. But if the container sits outside in the sun, then you’ll also need to think about whether it’s a good idea to have a dark-colored container. 

If you have plants that love heat (like tropical plants), then they’ll do just fine in a dark container. Otherwise, use light-colored containers outdoors.

Take Drainage Into Consideration

It’s absolutely essential that all your containers have holes in the bottom so that they drain well.  If you’re using unusual containers (like an old wooden barrel), then you can create the holes yourself.  Otherwise, be sure to purchase containers with pre-existing drainage holes.

Get Creative

So far, we’ve been talking about what types of containers you should choose in terms of function.  Now it’s time for you turn an eye towards form.  In other words, get creative and have fun.

For example:

•         Use an old wooden apple barrel as a container.

•         Use solid crates as containers.

•         Use an old wood-burning stove as a container.

•         Build a container out of an old tire.

•         Use antique clay pots as containers.

•         Use an antique kettle as a container.

•         Create a container out of a child’s wagon.

And the list goes on and on – just use your imagination!

TIP: Try going to garage sales or estate sales to find inexpensive containers for your plants.  You may even find some unusual or antique containers, such as hollow statues or traveling trunks.

Choosing a Soil Mix

The thing that surprises many people about container gardening is that you don’t put your plants in regular soil. That’s because regular soil tends to be too heavy, meaning that it holds the moisture.  And when it comes to container gardening, you’re looking for a growing medium that drains well.  That’s why you’re going to use is what’s called a soilless mix.

Let me make one note here…

Some experienced gardeners do use regular potting soil that they mix with other ingredients (like sand) to ensure that it’s aerated and drains well.  However, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this for a first-time container gardener.  Instead, I suggest you use one of the many commercial mixes available.

TIP: If you do decide to start creating your own soil mixes, I strongly advise that you do NOT use soil from your backyard in order to create this mix.  That’s because this soil is likely to carry pests and diseases.

Stop by your local nursery and you’ll discover that there are quite a few different soilless mixes available.  All you need to do is focus on the part of the label that tells you what the soilless mix is for, such as seed germination or general growth. If you’re starting from seeds, then you’ll want to choose a product which is labeled germination, plug or starter.

Most of these soilless mixes are formulated to retain some moisture while still allowing for aeration and drainage.  You’ll enjoy good results if you choose a soilless mixture that matches with the plants you’re growing. For example, if you’re growing plants that require more moisture (like tropical plants or big, leafy plants), then you should choose a soilless mix with a higher water-holding capacity.

Here then are the common ingredients you’ll find in these soilless mixes…

Peat. This ingredient tends to hold the water and make the soil “heavier” (less aerated). Soilless mixes with a higher peat content work well for tropical plants, those with heavy foliage and others requiring more moisture.

Coir fiber. These are ground coconut hulls that possess similar properties as peat in terms of retaining water. Thus you’ll see some soilless mixes that replace some of the peat with coir fiber.

Bark.  This ingredient tends to lower the ability of the soilless mix to hold water, yet it does help with aeration and drainage.  Avoid bark mixes if you’re looking for a seed germination mix.

TIP: Be sure to get your bark mixes from reputable companies only. That’s because a bark mix that hasn’t properly aged can leech nutrients out of the soil.  Worse yet, an untested bark mix can also introduce disease into your container.  On the other hand, using a good bark mix (from a reputable company) is thought to offer your plants some protection from disease.

Vermiculite. You’ll often find this ingredient in germination mixes, since it helps retain water.  If you’re making your own mix, you can add vermiculite to balance out soil that’s too sandy.  Just be sure to use horticulture-grade vermiculite (NOT construction grade).

Perlite. This ingredient improves drainage.  You’ll see formulations ranging from 25% perlite for plants needing more moisture up to 75% perlite for those plants that require a well-drained growing medium.

TIP: If you’re creating your own mix, then you can use builder’s sand in place of perlite.

Wetting agents. This is the ingredient that determines the ability of the soilless mix to absorb water from the bottom of the container.  The reason this is important is because some plants require that you water them from the bottom of the container in order to avoid diseases like mildew or rot.

You may also find other ingredients in these mixes which improve the nutrients or pH level of the mix, such as bone meal and limestone.

Choosing a Fertilizer

Your soil mix probably includes some fertilizer. However, because you need to water your plants frequently, the fertilizer and other nutrients tend to get washed away quite quickly. The exception is if the fertilizer is a “time release” fertilizer, where just a small bit of fertilizer is released every time you water the plants.  You can also buy a time-release fertilizer separately and add it to your growing media.

Another option is to use a liquid fertilizer.  You can use a liquid fertilizer as often as every other time you water your plants. However, be sure to cut the fertilizer with extra water so that you’re using a fertilizer that’s 25% to 50% as strong as the regular mix. 

TIP: I you’re using an artificial fertilizer, then make sure your growing medium is damp when you add the fertilizer.  This helps ensure that you don’t burn your plants.

In all cases, you’ll notice that fertilizers contain differing amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).  You’ll use different fertilizer concentrations depending on what you’re growing. You’ll also use different fertilizers at different growth stages.  The label on the fertilizer should tell you how and when to use the fertilizer.   However, here are the general guidelines:

•         Nitrogen helps promote good growth, especially for lush and leafy plants. Thus vegetables like lettuce and any heavy foliage plants will appreciate fertilizer mixes with higher nitrogen levels.

•         Phosphorous promotes healthy roots as well as aids in flowering and fruiting. Thus you’ll want to use blends containing higher amounts of phosphorous when you’re transplanting, when the plant is establishing its roots and just before a flower blooms or a plant grows fruit.

•         Potassium promotes overall plant health, though it’s particularly useful for aiding strong roots and stems.  Certain root crops (like carrots) benefit from fertilizer mixes with a higher potassium content.

Planting Your Container Garden

If you don’t yet have your seeds or transplants, your next stop is to go to your local nursery to buy them. 

Yes, you certainly can buy these seeds and transplants online, but the advantage of buying them locally is that you’ll get access to the plant varieties that grow best in your neighborhood. 

What’s more, your local greenhouse owner and staff are great sources of information – so feel free to ask your questions as well as ask for their recommendations.

TIP: If you already have seeds on hand from last year, just throw them away and start fresh. It’s much easier to start plants from fresh seeds.

Your next step is to wash out your pots and other containers using soap and water. This is especially true if you’re reusing any containers.  But again, do not reuse a container that you know carried a diseased plant.

Even if your containers are brand new, it still doesn’t hurt to wash them out. There may be little mites or fungus spores that you can’t see. Plus, washing out a terra cotta (clay) container is useful because it saturates the pot. This keeps the pot from absorbing the water away from the plant.

Your next step is to prepare the bottom of your pot or container. For starters, check the drainage holes to determine if your soil is going to dribble out the bottom. If so, you can put a coffee filter on the bottom of the container. This filter let the water drain while keeping the soil in your container.

If you have a deep container, then you can fill the bottom of the container with something other than your growing medium.  Doing so will help you save money, since you don’t need to fill the container completely with an expensive soilless mix. Instead, you can lay down a layer of something like packing peanuts on the bottom of your container, which allows for good drainage.

Your final preparation step is to add water to your growing medium. If you purchased a bag, you can add water right into the bag. You want the soil to be damp and moist, but not dripping.

Now you’re ready to plant your seeds or transplant your starts, depending on what you purchased. Let’s look at these processes separately…

Transplanting Starts

If you purchased seedlings (starts) from the nursery, then gently remove the start from the pot it came in. Be very careful at this stage, because you don’t want to damage the plant.  Don’t use a trowel to “dig” the plant out of the pot, as you’re likely to stab and damage the roots.

Instead, hold the plant in one hand while turning the pot over. Then you can separate the plant from the container without disturbing the roots by gently squeezing the container.

Take a moment to examine the roots.  If they’re all bound up together, gently straighten them out using your fingers.  If you don’t take this extra step, the plant roots may not grow deep – and this will affect the health of your plant.

If everything looks ok, then you can transplant the start into your container.  For best results, transplant it at the exact depth it was planted originally. For example: if the root ball was two inches below the soil level in the original container, then make sure it’s two inches below the soil level in the new container.

Since you’ve already “pre-watered” the soil or soilless mix, you shouldn’t need to water it again.  However, if your growing medium doesn’t include fertilizer, then be sure to add a little liquid fertilizer or compost tea.

Planting Seeds

The way you plant your seeds depends on what you’re planting.  Be sure to read the seed packet, because you should find the exact instructions on the label. Nonetheless, here are two general guidelines:

How deep should you plant the seeds? A general rule of thumb is to plant seeds from 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch deep. But again, this depends on the seeds, so read the label. 

How many seeds should you plant?  Your general guideline here is to plant more than you need.  For starters, not every seed will germinate. And secondly, not every plant that comes up will be healthy and strong. Thus you can watch your new plants for a few weeks to see which ones are healthiest. Then you can literally weed out the weakest plants.

For example, if you’re aiming for two plants in a particular container, you may plant double or even triple the number of seeds. If they all come up, then you can weed out the weakest plants, leaving the two strongest, healthiest starts.

Again, if you started by pre-moistening your growing medium, then you don’t need to water your seeds.  You may add a liquid fertilizer to the mix if the mix doesn’t include fertilizer.

Finally, if you have any of your soil or soilless mix left over, be sure to tie the bag up tight to keep it free of pests. Alternatively, you can put it in a clean container with a tight lid, like a five-gallon bucket.

Providing Good Growing Conditions

Your starts or seeds are planted, watered and fertilized. Now the final thing you need to do is make sure they have access to enough light while being shielded from harsh growing conditions.  The steps you need to take vary depending on whether your container garden is indoors or outdoors. Read on…

Outdoor Gardens

If you’re growing your plants outdoors, then you need to pay attention to how much light the plants are getting and whether your plants are being exposed to harsh conditions.  Let’s look at these two issues separately…

1. How Much Light?

Your seed packets or transplant instructions will tell you whether your plants need full sun (12-16 hours), partial sun (six to eight hours) or if the plants prefer shade (four hours).  The advantage of growing your plants in containers is that you can move them around the patio or yard to give them more or less sun, as needed.

2. How to Protect Plants?

Obviously, your outdoor plants are going to be exposed to harsher conditions than your indoor plants.  Here’s how to protect these plants so they’ll thrive:

Protect your plants from freezing.  If there’s a chance of frost or freeze, then ideally you should bring your plants indoors. If that’s not possible, then at the very least you need to cover your plants during the night.  You can buy special covers for plants, but even an old sheet or light blanket will do.

“Harden off” your indoor plants. If you’re bringing tender plants from the indoors to the outdoors, then you’ll need to let them adjust for a few weeks by letting them spend part of the day outdoors. This is referred to as hardening off your plants. After a few weeks of being exposed to the elements, your plants can start living outdoors permanently.

Shield your plants from the wind. If you have strong winds in your area, and especially if your plants are young, then you may need to put them someplace where they’ll be shielded from the wind.  You can put them alongside a building, fence or even a row of hardened plants, shrubs or trees. Just be sure that these natural shields don’t also block the sun.

Indoor Gardens

If you’ve transplanted plants that are going to remain indoors, then you may be able to put it in a sunny place in your house, such as under a south-facing window. 

However, this really only works if you already have a robust, healthy plant. If you have a struggling seedling or you’re trying to get seeds to germinate, then even your south-facing window probably won’t provide enough light.  That’s why you may need to invest in artificial lighting.

You’ll quickly realize that there are plenty of lighting sources to choose from at your local gardening supplies store. These include:

Incandescent lighting.  You’ll see some of these bulbs labeled as “grow lights,” but these aren’t the best choice for your plants.  The light wave spectrum isn’t ideal for growth. Plus, the bulbs tend to throw off a lot of heat, so you can burn your plants.  If you do use incandescent lighting, perhaps for ornamental and highlighting purposes, be sure to place the bulbs at least two feet away from the plants.  You’ll also need to check growing plants regularly to make sure they’re not getting too close to the light bulbs.

Fluorescent lighting. One of the benefits of using fluorescent lighting is that the tubes remain relatively cool. In fact, you probably won’t burn a plant unless it’s touching the tube.  Nonetheless, keep the plants four or five inches from the light, and regularly check to make sure that your growing plants don’t reach up and touch the tube.

High-pressure sodium (high intensity discharge) lighting. HPS lighting is a pretty good choice for a grow light, with one exception: the plants tend to get bigger than they would under other lighting conditions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course. Indeed, plants do extremely well under these lights when the plants are flowering.

Metal hydride or HID (high intensity discharge) lighting.  Many gardeners prefer this type of lighting, simply because it produces plants that most closely resemble how the plant would grow in its natural climate and environment.

TIP: Some gardeners use metal-hydride lighting for seed germination and to initially grow a plant. Then they switch to high-pressure sodium lighting to help the plant fruit or flower.

Your seedlings will generally require up to 16 hours of light per day.  Many seedlings can sit under constant lighting without consequence, as can certain plants. However, most plants actually require darkness for at least part of the day.

How much light do your mature plants need? As usual, it depends on the plant. Check the instructions to see whether your plant needs full sun (12-16 hours), partial sun (six to eight hours daily) or shade (four hours of sun exposure daily).

TIP: Keep in mind, however, that shade plants growing in nature would continue to receive filtered light during the day, so don’t put your shade plants into darkness after four hours.  Rather, you can give them some access to natural light by putting them near a window.

There are two things you can do to make this artificial lighting process easier for you:

1.      Attach a timer to your grow lights.  Many grow lights some with timers. If not, it’s easy enough for you to get a separate timer for your lights so that you don’t have to worry about remembering to turn them on or off.  Just be sure to check the lights for the first few days to be sure they’re working properly on their timer.

2.      Mount your grow lights on an adjustable chain or wire. You’ll need to move your lights up as your plants grow, so make this easy on yourself by making your lights adjustable.

Finally, keep an eye on your plants. If it looks like they’re not thriving, then adjust the amount of light they get each day.  Usually, a plant isn’t thriving because it’s getting too LITTLE light (not too much).

Quick Recap

You’ve selected your plants, picked out your containers, and planted your garden.  If your seeds sprout and your seedlings thrive, you’ve won half the battle. But the other half of the equation is to take good care of your plants in terms of watering them, weeding them, keeping the pests out and otherwise keeping them healthy.  That’s what you’re going to discover how to do next…

Maintaining Your Container Garden

Maintenance.  Just reading that word makes some peoples’ eyes roll back. Designing a garden sounds fun, active and enjoyable. But “maintaining” a garden sounds like something they force prisoners to do on a chain gang.

Not true!  Because once you realize that maintenance makes the difference between having a lush, beautiful container garden and a scraggly, withered one that’s over-run by pests, you’ll learn to love maintaining your garden. 

You’ll start to look forward to the five or ten minutes you spend daily checking your garden for problems. You might even start talking to your plants (which is fine, as long as you don’t hear them talk back).

So let’s go over the basics of watering, weeding, pest control and other maintenance issues…

Watering

If you’ve looked around at any gardening-supplies stores, you may have noticed that you can go high-tech with just about any aspect of your garden, including watering.  That’s because there are water meters (AKA moisture sensors) that you can use to let you know when it’s time to water your plants.

But you know what? Nothing beats the old-fashioned way of looking at the plant and feeling the soil or soilless mix.  What you do NOT want to see are wilted plants. If the plants are starting to wilt, then they’re literally dying for a drink of water.  You’ve waited too long to water them.

Instead, put your finger into the container and feel the soil or soilless mix.  The very top of it may feel dry.  However, if you brush aside the top layer and feel that it’s also dry below the surface, then it’s time to water.

You’ll need to monitor your plants carefully and regularly (on a daily basis), because container gardens tend to dry out more quickly than a regular garden.  This happens because your soilless mix doesn’t tend to hold the water as well as the regular soil in your garden.

How often you water your plants depends on several factors, including:

What type of plant it is.  Some plants just need more water than others.  For example, you’ll need to water tropical plants more often while watering a plant like a cactus much less often.  Check the instructions that came with your plant to get an idea of how much water it needs.

The growth stage of the plant.  Seedlings, big plants and those that are fruiting or in the process of developing big foliage often need more water than mature, smaller plants.

The conditions the plant is exposed to.  If your plants are sitting outside in hot and windy conditions, then they’ll need more moisture than those plants that aren’t exposed to such harsh, drying conditions.

TIP: If your plants are outdoors, try pushing them closer together to slow moisture loss. This works because the plants will help shade one another. Just be sure you don’t put tall plants in front of smaller plants in such a way that the small plants don’t get enough sun.

The growing media. As mentioned, a soilless mix has a tendency to dry out quickly as compared to regular soil.  You can slow down the drying somewhat if your soil includes a wetting agent or gel. These are typically crystal-like pieces in the soil that turn into gel when they get wet, thus trapping and holding some of the moisture.

Here are three points to keep in mind when you water your plants:

1.      Be careful about “top” watering. If your climate is somewhat cool and humid, then your plants are likely to stay moist for some time after you water them.  That’s why you want to be sure to put the water directly into the container, rather than letting the water spray over the plant’s leaves.  That’s because water that sits on your plant’s leaves can lead to problems like mildew.

2.      Water thoroughly. This means you can water the plant until you see the water draining out the bottom.  Not only does this help ensure that you’ve given the plant enough water, but it also “washes” the growing media.  Things like fertilizer can leave accumulated salts which may interfere with plant health, so it’s good to wash away the extra from time to time.

Which brings us to the next point…

3.      Apply fertilizer as needed.  As mentioned before, you can use a weakened liquid fertilizer as often as every time you water your plants or every other time you water them.

If you have your containers sitting in plates or saucers, be sure to pour the extra water out of these plates. That’s because your plants will likely get too much water if they’re immersed in standing water.

On the flip side, if your growing media has become too dry – to the point where it’s pulling away from the edge of the container – then you can help wet it again by immersing the bottom of the container in water.  Once you see the top of the soilless mix show signs of moisture, then you can remove it from the water.

Now let’s turn our attention towards another important maintenance task…

Weeding

One of the big advantages of having a container garden is that you’ll have very few problems with weeds. In fact, you probably won’t have ANY weed problems with your indoor plants, unless you’re re-using containers, re-using a growing medium that previously carried weeds or a similar situation where you accidentally introduce weeds.

Outside it’s a slightly different story, simply because birds, pests or the wind can carry weed seed into your containers.  Still, you’ll never have to worry about your garden getting overrun with weeds, simply because the problem literally will be contained to the individual containers.

Nonetheless, you should check all your containers regularly for signs of weeds.  This is particularly important when your seedlings are just getting started. You don’t want your young plants fighting against weeds for nutrients and moisture.  If you do find a weed, take it out by the roots. If you neglect to get the roots, it’s just going to come back up.

While you’re weeding your garden, you might also tidy it up by grooming your plants.  That’s our next maintenance topic…

Grooming Your Plants

In order to keep your container garden looking its best, you need to groom your plants. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: you need to trim them, toss out the dead parts and even occasionally wash your plants.

Truth is, plenty of gardeners neglect this task. Some of them neglect grooming simply because they think it’s not important. Still other gardeners neglect grooming because they’re scared to do it. They’re afraid of killing the plant.  If that sounds like you, relax. If you follow my instructions below, your plants will not only survive, they’ll actually thrive.

Basic Grooming & Maintenance

Most plants have a tendency to turn towards the sun.  So if you have containers sitting under windows, slowly but surely the plants in those containers are going to start leaning towards the window.  That’s why I suggest you give your containers a quarter turn every time you water them. This will keep them growing evenly and beautifully.

TIP: If you have large plants that are leaning because of their weight, then you should consider staking these plants. You can purchase stakes that blend in unnoticed into your container, yet it will leave your plant looking much more healthy and stable.

The next thing you want to pay attention to is whether you have any dead leaves or flowers sitting in the containers. If so, toss them out.  This dead vegetation can promote plant diseases, including carrying fungus and mold. Plus, it’s just not all that attractive to have dead leaves scattered about your plants.

It’s also not attractive to have dead vegetation still hanging to an otherwise healthy plant.  This includes dead leaves, but it especially includes dead flower heads.  You can cut these dead heads off (which is referred to as deadheading).  Not only does it make the plant look better, but it also helps conserve the plant’s energy. And that means your plant will remain healthy.

Another pruning task is referred to as “pinching” your plants. This is where you pinch off new growth between your fingers.  You can also use pruning shears if you prefer.  You’ll want to pinch those plants that have a tendency to get lanky and tall.  Pinching tends to make your plants more “bushy,” since you’ll usually get two new branches for every one that you pinch off.

Still another grooming task you’ll need to attend to is thinning out your plants.  You’ll recall earlier in this guide where I talked about planting more seeds than necessary so that you have more plants than you need. As your plants start to come up, you can pick the strongest, healthiest starts and pull up the rest.  This process virtually guarantees that you’ll end up with healthy, beautiful plants.

Finally, the last grooming task on your list is to check your plants for dust and dirt two or three times per year.  Yes, this grime is unattractive. But it’s also dangerous.  If it’s thick enough, it could be filtering the sunlight and affecting the health of your plant. But even a little dust or a cobweb can trap fungus, moisture or bacteria, all of which can lead to health problems for your plants.

All you have to do take a soft cloth and gently cleanse the leaves and stems with water. You can use a soapy mixture if you like, such as adding a bit of dish washing soap, but generally it’s not necessary. You’ll also see special “leaf polishers” at gardening supplies stores, but generally you should avoid these since some plants can’t handle the harsh chemicals.

TIP: For “hairy” leaves (like those on African violets) you might use a soft toothbrush to gently clean the plant.  Emphasis on the word gentle – don’t go scrubbing your plants like they’re made of granite.

Whenever you’re grooming your plants or otherwise attending to them, you should also keep your eye out for signs of trouble such as pests or disease. Which brings us to our next topic…

Getting Rid of Pests

If you have an indoor container garden, it’s pretty easy to keep pests under control.  If you’re diligent, you can get rid of the pests before one or two bugs turns into an infestation. This means, of course, that you’ll need to regularly check your plants for problems – preferably every day.  If not daily, then inspect them carefully every time you water them.

However, with outdoor gardens you’ll need to keep an even closer eye on your plants, just because pests can easily crawl or fly into your containers and start feasting.  Sometimes you’ll see the bugs themselves or even their eggs sitting on your plants.

In other cases, you may see signs that they’re invading your plants, such as chewed leaves, holes in your leaves, poor growth, leaves that are yellowing or turning brown, and other signs of poor health.

The types of pests you’ll deal with depends on what you’re growing and where you live.  I suggest you talk to your local gardening club (such as the Master Gardeners), the owner of a local nursery or even the cooperative extension agency if you live in the United States. 

If nothing else, talk to your neighbors whom are also gardeners. All of these experienced sources can tell you what types of pests you’re likely to encounter in your neighborhood. Then you can go online in order to get photos of these pests so that you know exactly what they look like.

Nonetheless, here are some possible pests that can wreak havoc with your container gardens (especially your outdoor gardens):

Aphids

Beetles (various)

Cabbage loopers

Cabbage moths

Caterpillars

Fungus gnats

Leafminers

Mealybugs

Moths (various)

Root mealybugs

Root thrips

Root worms

Scales

Slugs (unlikely, unless your containers are at the soil level).

Spider mites

Thrips

White flies

Worms (various)

TIP: Don’t forget about big pests. These include deer, rabbits, raccoons and even dogs and cats.  Generally you can keep these types of pests away with a good fence or by putting your containers out of reach.

Prevention is your first line of defense when it comes to keeping your pest problems under control. Let me share with you these tips for keeping the bad insects at bay:

Don’t re-use infested pots or soil. If you had any problems with your plants before, then you definitely shouldn’t reuse the growing media or pots. But even if you didn’t have problems, be sure to wash out the containers and be very cautious about reusing soil.  Remember that it’s quite easy for a pest to crawl into the drainage holes of pot and hide in the soil.

Do keep your unused soil in a tight container. If you didn’t use all your soilless mix at the beginning of the growing season, then make sure you keep it sealed up so pests can’t crawl in.

Do inspect all purchased plants. You should inspect these plants thoroughly before you leave the greenhouse so that you don’t have any unwanted hitchhikers coming home with you. Then do another inspection once you get home.

Do quarantine new plants.  You can keep them away from your other plants for about a month. That way, if there is a pest problem, you can keep these pests away from your other plants. If there are pests, be sure they are completely gone before you start putting your new and old plants next to each other.

Do keep your plants healthy.  This includes everything we’ve talked about, such as fertilizing, giving the plant light, watering it and weeding your garden. The healthier a plant is, the fewer problems it will have if pests do invade the plant.

Unless you put your plants in a sterile bubble (and you live in that same bubble), it’s likely that sooner or later you will have to deal with pests.  There are two main ways to eradicate or at least control them:

1.      Using chemical insecticides. These are the pesticides you can find at most gardening supplies stores. Unfortunately, these are harsh chemicals so they’re not good for the environment. If you have children, cats, dogs or other animals hanging around your garden, they could ingest some of these chemicals. And of course if you use these chemicals on herbs, fruits or vegetables, then you’re likely to ingest trace amounts of these toxins.

That’s why many people prefer the alternative…

2.      Using organic methods. These are natural methods for pest control that do not rely on toxic, harmful chemicals. 

Let’s have a look at some of the best organic methods for pest control…

Killing Insects Manually

Here’s the low-tech method that works great for indoor plants: when you see worms, aphids or other pests on your plants, pluck them off manually and kill them.  Sometimes you can stop a pest infestation before it starts simply by inspecting your plants daily and killing the pests when you spot them. 

Trapping Pests

Have you seen those fly strips with sticky substances that trap flying insects?  You can make something similar at home.  Simply cut a bright strip of yellow paper (which tends to attract insects) and smear a generous portion of petroleum jelly on it.

You can then hang these strips near your plants.  Keep in mind, however, that these only help control the mature, flying insects. You’ll still need to deal with the larvae that are likely already living on the plant.

Using Insecticidal Soaps, Oils & Sprays

There are a variety of soaps, sprays and oils you can use to help kill and control pests.  If you go this route, keep the following two points in mind:

1.      Most methods require direct contact.  That means you need to spray the pest directly in order to kill it.  When you use these methods, be sure to spray the plants thoroughly, including the underside of the leaves.

2.      These sprays, oils and sprays also kill beneficial insects.  As you’ll learn in just a few minutes, there are beneficial insects that prey on your pests.  Thus be very careful about using soaps, oils and spray outdoors where you’re likely to kill the friendly insects as well as the foes.

You can buy insecticidal sprays, oils and soaps at any organic gardening supplies store. However, you can make them at home just as easily. Here are the recipes for some of the more common pest sprays…

Alcohol Spray

Combine one to two cups of 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) for every quart of water.  Shake well before spraying.  Keep these tips in mind:

•         Alcohol can damage some plants, especially plants such as African violets.  Always be sure to test a small patch on the plant first. If you don’t see any burns or other damage after 36-48 hours, then you can spray the rest of the plant.

•         Never use alcohol without diluting it, as it will burn your plants.

•         Alcohol sprays work well for killing aphids, mealybugs and thrips.

Insecticidal Soap

Insecticidal soaps work in two ways. In some cases, the pest drowns. In other cases, the fatty acids in the soap dry out the pest’s body. This in turn kills pests like mites, aphids and white flies.

The recipe for insecticidal soap is one teaspoon of liquid soap (not detergent) per quart of water. Shake well and spray the entire plant. You may want to spray your plants first thing in the morning when it’s cool so that the spray doesn’t evaporate quite as quickly. Be sure to do a test patch on the plant first.

TIP: You can make your insecticidal spray even more powerful by replacing half of the water with the diluted alcohol spray mentioned above.

Oil Spray

One of the most popular oil sprays is a neem oil mixture, which kills some pests while repelling others.  You can make this spray at home by combining two tablespoons of neem oil to one gallon of water. Shake well before spraying and then cover the plants completely.  If you already have a pest problem, then reapply in one week. Otherwise, you can reapply for maintenance purposes in two weeks.

As usual, be sure to spray a small test patch on your various plants first before covering them completely with your neem oil spray.

TIP: Neem oil stays potent longer if it’s kept in the refrigerator or somewhere else cool.

Tomato Leaf Spray

Tomato plants are related to the nightshade family of plants, which are known for their lethal qualities.  The tomato leaf spray is deadly too, at least to aphids.

To make the spray, you’ll need to chop up two cups of tomato leaves and let them soak overnight in two cups of water.  In the morning, use cheesecloth or something similar to remove the leaves from the liquid. Add two more cups of water, shake well and apply thoroughly to your aphid-infested plants.

Herbal Spray

Just a bit later in this guide you’ll learn about companion planting, which is when you plant herbs and flowers that tend to repel certain pests. Along these same lines, you can spray your affected flowers, vegetables and other plants with these repellant herbs to ward off pests.  Depending on what pests you have, you might use garlic, thyme, rosemary, hyssop or sage sprays.

To make these sprays, add two cups of water to two cups of freshly crushed leaves. Leave this mixture to soak overnight. Then strain it through cheesecloth in order to remove the leaves from the liquid. Add an extra two cups of water to the liquid and shake well. Then apply liberally to your plants – you can even spray the containers themselves.

TIP: You may add a small amount of liquid soap (not detergent), which will help the spray adhere to the plants better.  As you already know, the soap will also kill any insects like aphids that come in contact with the spray.

Pyrethrin/Pyrethrum Spray

This deadly spray is made from the chrysanthemum family of flowers (the pyrethrum daisy), and it is effective against most insects (including your beneficial insects).  To make this spray, you need to pick the pyrethrum flower heads right when they’re at their peak bloom. Let these flower heads dry out completely and then crush them into a fine powder.

Some people dust their plants using this powder. However, most people create a spray by combining the crushed flowers with water. The only problem is that the amount of toxins in the flower heads isn’t standardized, so you need to do a bit of guesswork as to how much water to add.  You can start by mixing a tablespoon of crushed flowers with 24 ounces of water. Then you can adjust the water amount up or down, depending on whether your pests are dying when they come in contact with the spray.

Like many sprays, pyrethrum works on contact. This means you’ll need to cover the plants liberally, being sure to spray on the underside of the leaves.

As mentioned, many of these sprays, oils and soaps kill ALL insects – including the beneficial insects. And as you’ll discover in the next section, you want to be careful about destroying these friends…

Attracting or Introducing Beneficial Insects

Earlier I mentioned that not all insects are bad. Indeed, there are friendly insects that not only leave your plants alone, but they also prey on the bad insects.  That’s why you want to be careful that you don’t kill these beneficial insects when you’re getting rid of the pests.

Just who are these friendly insects?  Take a look:

Beneficial nematodes: These are soil-dwelling creatures that can help you control the small pests in the soil, including various pest larvae, fungus gnats and fleas.

Green and brown lacewings: These predatory insects are known for killing aphids.  The lacewing larvae do most of the pest-control work, as the adults tend to feed on other things like pollen.

Hoverflies: Both the flies and the fly larvae consume pests like mealybugs and aphids.

Ladybugs: These friendly insects consume a wide variety of pests, including white flies, mealybugs, mites, aphids and scale insects. Even though ladybug larvae can’t fly, they tend to consume more pests than the adult ladybugs. 

Minute pirate bugs: These guys are good for killing mites and thrips.

Tachninid fly: These beneficial flies tend to feed on various caterpillars, worms and loopers, as well as pest insect larvae such as stink bugs and beetles.

Trichogramma wasp: These parasitic insects reduce your pest population by destroying pests’ eggs, such as moth eggs.

Plenty of online and offline retailers sell these predatory insects.  However, if your outdoor garden wouldn’t naturally attract and support these predators, then they’re unlikely to thrive. And if these beneficial insects don’t have a food source (such as aphids or other pests), then they’re likely to move onto a place where there’s a better food supply.

Let’s assume your garden is a welcoming place for these predatory insects.  So how do you invite them into your garden to stay? Simple: you can do it by planting flowers that tend to attract beneficial insects.  Here are ten flowers and herbs that attract a wide variety of friendly insects:

•         Caraway attracts lacewings, beneficial wasps and hoverflies.

•         Coriander attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps.

•         Crimson thyme attracts hoverflies, tachinid flies and parasitic wasps.

•         Dill attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies and parasitic wasps.

•         Fennel attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and other beneficial bugs.

•         Fern-leaf yarrow attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies and parasitic wasps.

•         Golden marguerite attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, tachinid flies and parasitic wasps, among others.

•         Marigold attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and other beneficial insects such as big-eyed bugs.

•         Tansy attracts lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps and tachinid flies.

•         Queen Anne’s Lace attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps.

Planting flower and herbs that attract beneficial insects is one form of companion planting. But you can also plant herbs and flowers that repel certain pests. That’s our next topic…

Repelling Insects With Companion Planting

Companion planting can refer to several different organic strategies that benefit your container garden.  As mentioned above, you can plant herbs and flowers to attract good insects.

Another companion-planting strategy is to plant sacrificial plants, where you plant something the pests really love in hopes that they leave your favorite plants alone.  And still another strategy is to plant herbs and flowers that repel pests.  This last strategy is what I’d like to talk about here.

Below I’ve listed some of the more common pests (like aphids) along with the types of flowers and herbs you can plant to repel them.  You’ll note that some of the same plants that attract beneficial insects also repel certain pests.  So, depending on your pest problem, you may want to focus on planting the herbs that offer these dual benefits.

TIP: Now you can see one of the many advantages of having a container garden!  Since your garden is easy to arrange, you can move your repellant plants to surround any of your other plants at any time.

Here’s that list…

Repel aphids using chives, coriander, fennel, feverfew, garlic, marigold, mint, onions and oregano.

Repel cabbage loopers with dill, garlic, onion, pennyroyal, sage, spearmint and thyme.

Repel cabbage maggots with garlic, marigold and sage.

Repel cabbage moths with hyssop, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme.

Repel the Japanese beetle with begonia, catnip, chives, garlic, tansy and yew, among others.

Repel moths with lavender and wormwood.

Repel destructive nematodes with marigolds.

Repel potato bugs with flax and horseradish.

Repel spider mites with coriander.

Repel tomato hornworms with dill, borage, marigold and basil (opal basil).

Repel whiteflies with basil, marigold, oregano and thyme.

TIP: If you have a problem with bigger pests, then try the following:

•         Mice: Plant tansy and wormwood.

•         Moles: Plant castor beans.

•         Rabbits: Plant garlic and marigolds.

Obviously, keeping the pests away from your plants will go a long way in keeping your plants healthy. However, your final maintenance task is to help ward off disease.  That’s our next topic…

Keeping Your Plants Healthy

If you follow the maintenance tips I shared with you earlier in this guide, then your plants will be in a better position to fight off disease.  Nonetheless, you may notice problems with your plants, such as:

•         Wilting plants.

•         Yellow, brown, dying or dead leaves.

•         Yellow, brown, dying or dead branches, stem or flowers.

•         Plants which fail to flower or fruit. 

•         Plant growth is stunted, or it produces small flowers and fruit.

•         A white powdery substance on the plant (powdery mildew).

•         Fuzzy, grayish spots anywhere on the plant.

•         Discolored spots anywhere on the plant, including red, purple, brown, yellow, white or black spots.

Some of the above problems may be the result of the plant not getting what it needs. So the first thing you need to do is check (or double check) the following:

Is the plant getting enough sun or light?  Recheck the instructions to see if the plant needs full sun, partial sun or if it prefers shade. If you use growing lights, be sure the plants aren’t too close to the bulbs.

Is the plant getting some darkness? If you’re using grow lights, keep in mind that most plants prefer or even require cycles of light and dark.

Does the plant need water?  A plant will start to wilt if it needs water. When the problem becomes serious, the leaves will start to get discolored.  You can put your finger into the growing media – if it’s dry just below the surface, then it probably needs water. Of course this depends on the type of plant, so check the instructions.

Is the plant getting too much water? Usually this isn’t too much of a problem with container gardens, because the lightweight growing media and the drainage holes in the containers allow the excess water to drain out the bottom. However, if you’re top watering in cool, shady and/or humid conditions, then the moisture may get left sitting on the plant itself. And this can lead to problems with mildew, mold and fungus.

TIP: Don’t crowd your plants! Space them out so that air can circulate around them, which helps ensure that moisture doesn’t get left on the plants for an extended period.

Is the soil the right pH level for the plant? Most plants happily thrive in a soil or soil mix range that runs just slightly acidic (e.g., from a pH level of 5.5 to about 6.5).  However, different plants do have different preferences, so you may want to buy a pH testing kit to test your soil or soilless mix.  Then check the level against your specific plants’ preferences.

Is the plant getting enough nutrients? Remember, frequent watering tends to wash the nutrients out of your soilless mix. That’s why it’s a good idea to use a weakened liquid fertilizer about every other time you water your plants.  You can also get your soil or soilless mix tested to see what nutrients it contains, and then amend or fertilize the soil or soilless mix as needed.

Has the plant been exposed to harsh conditions? For example, did the plant experience frost or freeze? Was it exposed to a harsh wind that may have damaged the plant? Did it get left immersed in water, such as if its saucer filled with water and wasn’t dumped?

If you don’t see any problems with the plants conditions, then you need to consider that perhaps your plant has some sort of disease. The first thing you should do is isolate any diseased plant. That’s because an insect can easily carry the disease from plant to plant.

Secondly, be sure that you’re not accidentally infecting your plants.  If you use any gardening tools (like a small trowel), be sure to wash it thoroughly before using it on any other plants.

Your next step is to cut off the diseased portion of the plant.  If you catch the disease early, it may just be an isolated problem that’s treatable by removing the diseased leaves, flowers or other growth. Just be sure to cut generously so that you’re sure you’ve removed all of the diseased parts. Then burn these diseased plant parts to make sure they don’t infect any other vegetation.

Depending on the disease, merely removing what looks like the diseased part may not help. For example, if the disease originates in the roots, then it can turn the leaves yellow or brown. Obviously, removing the leaves won’t help since the problem is in the roots. In this case, you’ll probably need to destroy (burn) the entire plant. 

Quick Recap

You just learned all the important maintenance tasks you should do to keep your plants healthy and strong.  This includes grooming, weeding, watering, ridding them of pests and warding off disease. Remember, it only takes a couple minutes a day to keep your plants looking their best.

Now let’s wrap things up…

Conclusion

Congratulations – you made it through this crash course in container gardening!  Let’s quickly recap the highlights:

•         Choosing plants that thrive in containers.

•         Choosing containers, growing media and fertilizers that support your plants.

•         How to plant seedlings and seeds to give them a healthy start.

•         How to water, weed, fertilize, and groom your plants so they thrive.

•         How to control pests using organic methods such as organic sprays, companion planting and attracting beneficial insects.

•         How to recognize and prevent common plant diseases that can cripple your plants.

As you can see, you now know everything you need to know about creating a lush, beautiful container garden.  The only thing left for you to do is get started. And there’s no better time than right now to start planning your garden and picking out your containers. 

Begin today, and within a few days or couple weeks you could be nurturing and enjoying a wide variety of newly sprouted flowers, herbs, vegetables and other plants!

Also by the Author

    Here's what you'll learn in "Hydroponic Gardening: The Beginner's Guide" --

- The advantages of hydroponic gardening over outdoor gardening

- What's included in basic hydroponic kits

- Different types of hydroponic systems

- Nutrients your hydroponic plants will need

- Various growing mediums & benefits / drawbacks of each

- Light systems for your hydroponic garden

- Various plants to get started

- Troubleshooting tips

Check it out here

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is Container Gardening?

Choosing Plants & Vegetables

Starting Your Container Garden

Planting Your Container Garden

Providing Good Growing Conditions

Maintaining Your Container Garden

Keeping Your Plants Healthy

Conclusion

Also by the Author