SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Organic Gardening
Organic
Gardening Tips & Advice
Organic
Container Gardening: The Basics
Even in the tiniest backyard, roof garden,
paved patio or even a balcony, you can create a beautiful natural
space with organic container gardening. People who have a bigger
yard also use containers for sensitive plants that need to
be brought indoors in the winter. Container gardens are for
most everybody!
Containers have the advantage that they protect the plants
from many ground-based pests. Slugs who would be all over your
flowers in the garden beds are much less likely to climb up
into your container to reach them. Pests that attack the roots
are not likely to be found in your container either, if you
use organic potting soil. This is recommended because it is
better aerated than garden soil and has
all the nutrients that
container plants need.
When using organic
fertilizer and plant food on your organic
container plants, be careful not to use too much. It tends
to remain more concentrated in a container and it can burn
the roots if overused.
Another advantage of container planting is that you
can move your plants around. Young plants can be kept in sheltered spots
and moved to a more exposed part of the yard when they are
stronger. You may find that different parts of your garden
catch the sun at different times of year, and you can rearrange
your container garden accordingly.
You can also move plants around to provide a good display
visible from your windows at all times of year, and to create
a garden that is always well arranged with bigger plants at
the back. You will not have the problem of something that you
planted overshadowing everything else because it grew bigger
than you expected!
You can operate a container garden on a shoestring
budget.
Plants will grow in anything that can contain soil and has
drainage holes in the base. This can include wooden buckets
and tubs that you can drill holes in, barrels, rain water tubs,
and even old kitchen sinks, basins and bathtubs.
To keep your garden organic, you need to consider the material
that the containers are made from. Avoid the types of plastic
that may leak chemicals into the soil. Be sure that wooden
containers have not been weatherproofed with non-organic treatments.
It is important to choose the right
size of container for
each plant. A container should be about the same width as the
full-grown plant, and slightly taller than the length of its
roots. You can grow most vegetables in containers and also
many fruits including strawberries and tomatoes.
Plants in containers need more water than those that are planted
out in the garden. This is because they cannot draw water up
from deep in the ground. If you are away on vacation in summer,
it is best to have someone come and water your containers every
day.
Many people like to use hanging
containers too. This is great
if you have an overhanging outdoor porch, or if you can fix
extending hooks onto your walls. Hanging baskets provide excellent
drainage and the plants will get plenty of air to the roots.
Summer-flowering annuals with trailing flowers are ideally
suited to baskets.
If you are limited for space or want the flexibility that
containers offer for your organic vegetables, fruits and flowers,
organic container gardening is the perfect choice. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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