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.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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