Friday, June 26, 2015

10 Tips for Container Gardening




Looking to brighten up your outdoor space? Want to have some fresh vegetables and herbs? Space can be short in apartment and condominium complexes, so container gardening might be for you! Check out these tips from Hudson Valley Seed Library and start growing you own container garden this weekend:

1. The bigger the plant, the bigger the pot should be.

2. The longer the plant takes to mature, the bigger the pot.


3. Fruiting plants (tomatoes, peppers etc.) need more soil and more nutrients than greens (lettuce, Tatsoi etc)


4. Don’t over crowd. You can plant varieties a bit closer than normal in a pot, but crowding leads to weak spindly plants. One tomato plant in a big pot will actually produce more tomatoes than 4 tomato plants in the same size pot.


5. Pots are thirsty. They dry out quickly. Keep pots evenly moist, trying not to let them dry out between watering or get too saturated.


6. Make sure there are drainage holes. (Some folks say gravel or sand at the bottom helps as well.)


7. Container plants still need lots of sun. If you have part shade stick to herbs and greens.


8. Rooftops can be windy. If you’re growing containers on the roof, consider setting up some kind of windbreak, like lattice, that won’t cast shade.


9. Use a light potting mix but make sure you have nutrient rich compost mixed in.


10. Succession sow. Since you are growing in a small space, plant some seeds, let them grow, eat your harvest, and plant some more. Just make sure to add compost and nutrients between sowings

No comments:

Post a Comment