How To

How to Grow a Container Garden

Member
By pepper0617
User-Submitted Article
(11 Ratings)
Parks Seed Company Container Garden
Parks Seed Company Container Garden

You can grow a container garden even if you don't have alot of room. You can grow plants in pots, a plant box or containers on your patio. You can also start plants in windowsills. Hanging baskets are also a beautiful way to display plants, but their not just for flowers. You can come up with many growing pot ideas.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Suitable containers and pots.
  • Plants, potting soil, and fertilizer as needed.
  • Small stones for bottom of pots and containers for drainage.
  1. Step 1
    hanging basket
    hanging basket

    Patio Garden

    Even the smallest patio or porch can boast a crop of vegetables and make a patio garden. A container garden of flowers in planter boxes, clay pots, wooden barrels, hanging baskets and large flowerpots are just some of the containers that can be used for your summer garden or organic gardening. The container gardener is limited only by your imagination. Consider the following guidelines when choosing your container.

  2. Step 2

    Gardening Soil

    Make sure you have gardening soil that will drain well and keeps the moisture in so the roots will stay damp. You should use common compost or a good potting soil. Check requirements of plant you want to grow. If compost is unavailable use equal parts of sand, garden soil, and peat moss, you may want to add lime if you have clay gardening soil. Add soil to a container between the top of soil and container top, leave a 2 inch space. Add half inch much later on.

  3. Step 3
    container gardening on porch
    container gardening on porch

    Sunlight

    You will need at least 5 hours or more of garden sunlight daily to accommodate you container garden. Cabbage and lettuce tolerates shade more, beets and carrots need lots of sun. Tomatoes and cucumbers which are considered fruits need more sun, dependent on the variety.

  4. Step 4
    Potted plants
    Potted plants

    Fertilize and water potted plants

    Fertilize and water often, especially during hot weather. Fish fertilizer is excellent giving plant boosting capabilities, as well as balanced vitamins and nutrients solution for garden plants.

  5. Step 5
    Grow herb garden
    Grow herb garden

    Annual flowers

    You can grow a wide variety of annuals: Pansy plants, marigold flowers, Nasturtium flowers , snapdragon plants, periwinkle flowers, and lobelia flowers are just a few suitable to grow in your favorite plant box. You’ll be amazed at how much you can actually grow in containers even in the tightest areas. Start them indoors in grow kits or under a grow light.

  6. Step 6
    Indoor gardening
    Indoor gardening

    Container vegetable gardening

    Vegetables that mature early are ideal for plant containers are leafy lettuce, mustard cress or silver beets make the perfect summer salad. You can use 5 gallon containers for the vegetables that are going to be big or bulky, carrots, radishes or herbs can be grown in the window sill. With the right plan you may be able to have several crops from you container garden. Easy to grow in garden pots and to root are cherry tomatoes, peppers, baby carrots or spring onions. You can plant herbs around leafy lettuce and veggies which grow quickly in a garden container.

  7. Step 7
    Container vegetable garden
    Container vegetable garden

    Garden Seeds

    In conclusion, you can start a lot of flowers and vegetables from seed early, give them a head start. Remember you can save your garden seeds from flowers and vegetables to make an organic gardening or to use for next season. Even herb garden seed to start in the windowsill starting them in small milk cartons or in grow kits in your window sill. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are great for starting indoors. Be sure you don’t over water them, and put them in a sunny window.

Tips & Warnings
  • Plant your container garden in a sunny area.
  • Water frequently, but don't over water and remember to fertilize.
  • Save seeds for next seasons garden.
  • Keep plant insecticides away from children and pets.
  • Garden tools should be stored in a safe place.

Comments  

| View All 6 Comments

athlyn said

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on 10/1/2009 This is an excellent article and I love how you used pictures to illustrate each point. Very well done!

Jolocol said

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on 6/8/2009 Great ideas for gardening in small spaces!

annvans said

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on 4/27/2009 Great ideas for a container garden.

Merriment said

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on 4/25/2009 Great idea for those who have no or little yards to work with for creating gardens!

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on 2/13/2009 Having lived in apts

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