ContainerGardening

UltimateBeginner’sGuide

QuickTipsThatCanGiveAnyoneaGreenThumb

TABLEOFCONTENTS

ContainerGardeningForTheBeginnerHaveYourOwnIndoorContainerGardenWhatTypeofIndoorGardentoHaveChoosingPlantsIndoorGardeningQuickTipsBuildYourOwnShelvingOutdoorContainerGardeningGrowingShrubsFactorstoConsiderwhenDecidingontheTypeofContainerGardenYou’llHavePreparingtheContainerPriortoPlantingMakeYourOwnPottingSoilforOutdoorPlantsMakeYourOwnOutdoorPlantFertilizerPruningandTrainingYourPlantsWeatherProtectionDryClimatePlantsEnding

CONTAINERGARDENINGFORTHEBEGINNER

So,ifyoupickedupthisbook,I’llbetyouhaveadmiredotherpeople’sgardensandthoughttoyourself,‘onedayI’mgoing tohaveagarden like that’.ANDNOW,you’re finallygoing tomake that thoughtareality,butyouneedalittleguidanceonhowtobeginyourveryowncontainergarden.Containergardeningisagreatwaytostart,whetheryouhavelimitedspace,funds,orwant tostartoutsmall.Containergardening isversatileandadaptable,offering theopportunity togrowplants;youmaynototherwisebeable togrowinyourclimate.This typeofgardeningmakes itpossible to tryoutnewplanttypes,oneatatime;movethemaroundtoseewheretheythrivebest.You will not get bored. Container gardening also allows you to be creative and accentuate certainspecialty plants thatmay otherwise get lost in themassiveness of a large garden of plants. You havevaryingstagingopportunitiestomakethatspecialplantthecenterofattention,orasubtleaccentofothers.Container gardening also allows you to grow a variety of plants year-round, and this is exciting,especiallywhenlivinginaclimatethathasashortoutdoorgrowingseason.Mostplantsthrivewell,bothindoorsandoutdoors,aslongastheyreceiveamplesunlight,moistureandroomfortherootstobreatheandgrow.Truly,yourimaginationcansoartonewheights!

HaveYourOwnIndoorContainerGardenBringthegardeninside!!!Whilethisisnotanewconcept,itcanbeintimidatingatfirst.Onecanquicklybecomeoverwhelmedwithallthe“what-if”questionsandthoughtslikewherewouldIputit…I’veneverbeenabletogrowanything,whatplantscanIgrow,andonandon.Containergardeninghasbeenaroundforcenturies.Don’tthinkfloristswerethefirstonestoputaprettyflowerinapotandenjoyitindoors!!!Iwouldliketothinkthatabloomingplant’sbeautywasadmiredlong before that! In recent years container gardening has become quite common. It allows you a greatamountofversatility.Thesize,thetypeofgardenyouchoose,theabilitytochangeplantsoutasoftenasyouwish.As longasyoucanprovideasunnyspot forgrowing(usuallyasouthorwest-facingarea,orartificiallight)andkeeptheplantswatered,asuccessfulindoorgardencanbeveryrewarding.Youwon’thavetoworryaboutfrost,highwindsorthoselittleoutdoorcreaturesthatmaydecidetoreapthebenefitsofyourhardwork,feastingonyourlovelyflowersordivingintothoseveggiesthatarereadyforpickin’.Andthebestthingaboutitisthatitallowsyoutogrowfreshflowersandveggiesyear-round.So, ifyou’rereadytogiveitawhirl,wearegoingtogiveyouthehoedownofhowtohaveyourownindoorgardenandmakeagreenthumboutofyouwithourquicktips.

WhatTypeofIndoorGardentoHaveSmallcontainergardeningissimple.Choosetheareainyourhomewhereyouplantostageyourindoorgarden.Whenmakingthisdecision,thereareafewdetailstoconsider:

Typeofgarden–flowers,vegetables,herbsTypesofcontainers–shelving,individualcontainers,makeyourown,findrecyclablesSpace–amountandlocationLighting–willyourelyonnaturalorwillyoualsosupplyartificiallightAvailabilitytoelectricaloutlets–thisisimportantifyouplantouseartificiallight

Thetypeofindoorgardenyouhaveisonlylimitedtotheavailablespaceandyourimagination.

ChoosingPlantsMostanyoftheplantsgrownoutdoors,canbegrownindoors,takingsizeintoconsideration.However,itishighlyrecommendedtochooseplantsthathavesimilarcarerequirements,especiallywhenyou’refirststartingout. Ideally if you’re planning on having an indoor vegetable garden, then keep inmind someveggies thrivebetter incontainers, thanothers. Ifyouwant tokeep it simpleat first, considergrowingseveral types of the same vegetable. For instance, try a few different types of lettuce, but plan onsuccessionplanting.Thismeanssowtheseedsofthedifferentplantseveryweekortwo.Thiswillgiveyoucontinualharvest,soeverythingdoesn’tcome inallatonce. Ideally,vegetablesnamedasminiature,baby,orcherrywillthrivewell incontainersbecauseof theirsmallersize.Ifyoudesiremorevarietythanat theveryleastchooseplantswithsimilarwateringandsunlightrequirements.Some of the common indoor garden choices include the following plants: Vegetables: Bush beans,carrots,chard,kale,onions,peppers,saladgreens,andtomatoes(primarilycherry)Herbs:Basil,catmint,chives,cilantro, lavender,oregano,parsley, rosemaryFlowers:Alyssum,begonia, candytuft, geranium,marigold,pansy,petunia,roses,Shastadaisy,zinniaFruits:dwarfvarietiesofapples,citrus,blueberriesandstrawberries

IndoorGardeningQuickTipsPottingMixAfinepottingmixforindoorplantsisanaffordablechoice.Thismixturecanbepurchased inbagsofone to twenty-fivepoundsandgenerallyconsistsofonepartloam,onepart sand, twopartsgroundbarkor leafmold.Thismixture is fairly inexpensiveand ifyouhaveleftovers,itcanbestoredindefinitelyifplacedplasticoranairtightcontainer.

WaterWater your growing plants frequently. These container plants are completely dependent on you fornourishment.Sogginessaroundtherootsoraplantdryingoutcanbefatal.Keepitmoistbutnotsaturated.FertilizerUsefertilizertoboosthealthygrowth.Don’tfertilizeseedlings,astheyaretoofragileandthefertilizercanburnthem.Humidity As we’ve already stated, watering plants is crucial to good health for your plants. Indoorgardensoften lackhumidity,whichcanbeachallenge.Somesigns thatyourplantsare inanunhealthyamountofhumidityare:plantslosingleaves,witheringorturningbrown.Easywaystoincreasehumidityincludethesesuggestions:

PurchaseahumidifierfortheindoorgardenareaMist plants on a daily basis, excluding hairy-leaved plants, as these leaves tend to hang onto thewater,whichcanrapidlyresultindiseasedplants.Placeatrayofwaterneartheplantsandfillitwithlavarocks,whichwillincreasesurfaceareaforevaporation.

ProtectYourPlantsfromDustandPestsIndoorplantsthatarecoatedindustcannotgrownormally.Makeitahabitofcleaningtheleavesonceortwiceamonth.Thisalsopreventsinsectinfestation.Youcanuseasmallspraybottlethathasstrongspraysettingstowashthedustoffwhendustbeginstobuildupontheplantsleavesandflowers.

LightingOptionsWhenpreparing tohavean indoorgarden,keep inmind that therearedifferent typesofgrow lights tochoosefromanditcanquicklybecomeconfusing.Listedbelowareafewtypestochoosefrom.

FluorescentLightsareinexpensiveandeasytofindatyourlocalhardwarestore.Theseworkbestforgrowingherbsandotherplantsnotrequiringanexcessiveamountoflight.However,ifyouhaveplantsthatarebuddingorflowering,fluorescentisnottheidealformoflight,becauseitsimplydoesnotputoffamplelight.Compact Fluorescent System lighting – still fluorescent, but are much brighter than standardfluorescentlights.Being“compact”, theyarealsosmallerandburnmoreefficiently then theoldertypes.Becauseofthis,theyaremoresuitableforawidervarietyofplants.Anotherthingtokeepinmind with the Compact Fluorescent System lights, because they put off less heat than the HighIntensityDischargeBulbs,theycanbemountedmuchclosertotheplant.HighIntensityDischarge(HID)Bulbsarebyfarthebrightestandmostefficientlightingavailableforgrowinglights,butarealsopricey.TheseHIDlightbulbscanproducethesameamountoflightasfiftyfluorescentbulbsthathavea40-wattvalue.ThereareseveralformsofHIDbulbs,butonlytheHighPressureSodiumorMetalHalidebulbsaresuitableforindoorgardens.

Belowaregeneralwattagerecommendationsinareaswithzerotoverylimitednaturallight.

400Wattina6.5X6.5ft.area

600Wattina8.5X8.5ft.area

1000Wattina9.5X9.5ft.area

TemperatureMaintainingahealthytemperatureforyourindoorgardeniscrucialtothehealthoftheplant.Generallykeepingtheplantsenvironmentatastandardtemperaturebetween65-76degreesFahrenheitisideal,witha10-degreevarianceeitherway.Ifyourplantsareinanenvironmentthatistoocold,theleaveswillyellowandfalloff,whereasplantsinanareathatistoowarm,theendresultwillbesmallandweakplants.

BuildYourOwnShelvingIfyouhavemoreavailablewallspacethanfloorspace,thenasimpleversionofverticalgardeningusingshelving,mightappealtoyou.This canbeginwith themetal shelvingavailable atyour localhardware store,or ifyou’re abitmoreadventurous andwant tomake your own, there are free downloadable plans usingPVCpipe that costaround $170. No woodworking experience necessary. In contrast, commercial style shelving that hasbuilt-inlightingisalsoavailable,buttheycangetabitpricey(I’mtalkingupwards$600).

OutdoorContainerGardeningContainerGardening is an ever-growing formof bringing nature into our personal domains.Containergardeningcanbeasuccessfulalternativetoanytypeofgarden.Whetheryouprefervegetablesorflowers,youcanhaveyourownformofitinacontainer.Thisformofgardeningisagreatalternativetoenjoyinggreeneryandvegetation;whetheryourdecisiontogothisrouteistheresultofbudgetedfunds,lackofspaceduetosuburbanliving,orjustwanttopartakeinthesimplicityfactorandversatilityofit.

GrowingShrubsGrowing shrubs in pots rather than the ground generally requires nothing different; however, it isimportanttohavethecorrectsizepottoallowroomfortherootsgrowth.Additionally,repottingmaybeneededtoaccommodateforthegrowingplant.Ifyouwishfortheplanttoremainonasmallerscale,thenyoushouldprunetherootsandreplantinthesamepot.Thiswillkeeptheplantfromgrowinglarger.Containershrubsshouldbeaslowergrowingplant,toavoidfrequentrepotting.Somepopularsuggestionsforthiswouldincludemostevergreens,azaleas,rhododendrons,boxwood,hollyandjuniper.Proper watering and fertilization are important in maintaining a healthy plant, as well as adequatedrainage.Asimpleruleofthumbforhowoftentowatershrubs,istothoroughlysoakthemandthenallowthemtobecomedrytothetouchbeforewateringagain.

FactorstoConsiderwhenDecidingontheTypeofContainerGardenYou’llHaveThingstoconsiderbeforechoosingpotsandcontainersforyourplants:Remember,plantsincontainers,tendtodryoutfaster,sotheywillneedfrequentwatering.Also,withtheabsenceofthenaturalinsulatingfactorsofthesoil,thepottedplantsaremoresusceptibletotemperaturechanges.Asitistruethatplantsneedtobeacertaindistanceapartfromeachotherintheground,thisisalsotrueforcontainergardens.Whileyoumaybe tempted tocrowd themtogether for that“full look”.This canstresstheplantsout.(Yes!Theyneedtheir“personalspace”too!).Regular fertilization for potted plants is particularly important because they don’t have the sameopportunitytoreceivethesenutrientsfromtheEarthnaturally.Time-releasefertilizersareagoodoptionforthis.Ifyouchoosetoaddthefertilizeryourself,thenplantodoiteveryfourthtimeyouwater.Whenchoosingyourplantsandpots,keepinmindthelargerthepot,thebetter.Thisprovidesmoreabilitytoretainmoisture,providemorenutrients, thusofferingamuchmorestableenvironment.Thissaid, thesmallerthecontainer,themorewateritwillneed.Thisisbecausetherootsaremoretightlypacked,sothere’slessroomforsoil.Choosing the Proper Pots and Containers: While the material that the pot is made from is not veryimportantas far as theplant is concerned;each typehas itsprosandcons in termsofcost,durability,weightandattractiveness.Choosingtheseitemsiswhereyourcreativitycanplayapart!Itisreallyfun.Ihaveseensmallflowersplanted in oldwork boots and hung on the side of a building for thatwhimsical touch. Some use oldwateringbarrels, tires,milk cans, andwagons.As long as the soil has the necessary nutrients, properdrainageandenoughmoisture–theonlylimitisyourbudgetandimagination!(Justanote,thatwhenusingmetalcontainers,keepinmindthatthesenaturallyabsorbheatandareeventuallysusceptibletorust–sodon’tputextremelyfragileplantsinthismaterial).Oftentimeslocalgrocerystorebakeriesoffericingbucketsforfree.These3-5gallonplasticcontainersarewonderful, economical planters!Any home and garden store offers awide range of choices also.Shipping Pallets or scrap wood can also make a wonderful and fun garden container…and you’rerecyclingintheprocess!WindowBoxes come in an assortment of materials, ranging fromwood, plastic, fiberglass, and terracotta.Justbesure,whatevertypeofwindowboxyouchoose,thatyousecureitfirmlywhenputtingitup.

PreparingtheContainerPriortoPlantingSoyou’vedecidedontheplantsyou’llgrowandyou’vechosenyourpotsorcontainersforyourgarden.You’realmostreadytobeginthefun…butdon’tgetintoobigofhurry.Itisessentialtothehealthofyourplants to properlyprepare the containers,whether oldor new.Follow the steps below to ensure yourplantsthrive.

Scrub thepotwell inwarmwater,withascraperorstiffbrush.Thiswillget ridofanypossibleinsecteggsorfungusspores.Soakyourcontainerwell.Becausemanypotsaremadeofporousmaterial,iffilledwithwaterpriortoplanting,itwillpreventthepotfromabsorbingwaterfromtherootballoftheplant.Besureyourpotshavedrainagehole.Thisallowsforproperdrainageofexcesswateraswellaslettingairintothesoil.Eventhoughthepotsneedadrainagehole, it is important tocover them.Thiscanbedonewithacurvedpieceofbrokenclaypotorevenbetter, apieceof screening,whichwillprevent slugsorotherpestsfromcrawlingin.

MakeYourOwnPottingSoilforOutdoorPlantsMakingagoodbasicpottingsoiliseasy.Thiscanbealteredtoyourspecificplantorregion.

1partall-purposepottingsoil

1partcompost(orcompostedcowmanure)

1partperlite

1partpeatmossasamoisture-retentivefillerYourpottingsoilshouldbelightandfluffy.Takenotethatifthesoilshrinksdown,ifthewaterrunsrightthrough,orifthewatertakestoolongtopercolate,itistimeto repot your plant. The general rule of thumb is to repot after a season, as container soils don’t lastforever–theycan’tnaturallyregeneratenecessarynutrientsastheEarth’ssoildoes.

MakeYourOwnOutdoorPlantFertilizerPlantfertilizersarereadilyavailableatanyofyourlocalhomesupplystores,butifyou’dliketotryyourhandatmakingyourown,thenherearejustafewsuggestions.Notonlyarethesefertilizerseasytomake,buttheycansaveyoumoneytoo.

Organic NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) Fertilizer: This is a general-purpose recipe thatprovidesabalancedsupplyofnutrientstoplants,ifyoublendallthreemixtures,orifyouaresearchingforaspecificone,thenusethemindividually.Nitrogen: 3 parts fish meal mixed with 2 parts blood meal Phosphorus: 6 parts colloidal phosphatephosphateorrockphosphatemixedwith3partsbonemealPotassium:6partsgreensandmixedwith1partkelpmeal

EpsomSaltFertilizer:Simply mix together the following ingredients for your solution and apply to your houseplants orvegetablegardenoncepermonth.1GallonWater1TBSP.EpsomSaltThissolutionworksbecausetheEpsomsaltiscomprisedofmagnesiumandsulfate.

LimeAlternative:AneconomicalsolutiontoLimeisusingeggshells,whicharerichincalciumbicarbonate.Saveyoureggshellsandallowthemtodry.Thenplacethedriedshellsintoablenderorfoodprocessoruntilpowderyfine,thensimplysprinkleonyourgarden.

PruningandTrainingYourPlantsThemain reason for pruning a potted plant is tomodify the growth of the plant to fit the size of yourchosencontainer.Everypottedplantwillrequirepruningatsometimetokeepit’ssizecontrolled.Anotherreasonforpruningisitwillencouragehigheryieldinplantsproducingfruitsandblooms.Also,thismethod canbeused to train your plants to grow in a particular direction, therebygiving it a newshape.Howtoknowwhattoprune:Priortopruningaplant,itisimportanttoknowaboutterminalbuds.Thesegrowontheendsofallbranches,addinglengthtothebranchesandusingviableenergyduringtheplantsgrowingseason.Itisimportantthatyoucutorpinchtheseterminalbudsoff,whichwillstopthelengthofthebranchgrowthandallowtheenergytocreatenewbranchesandbuds.Howtoshortenleafybranches:Ifyouwanttoshortenleafybranches,makeacutabovethebudorleafofthebranch.Besuretousesharpprunersthatprovideacleancutandneverleaveastubofanylength.Thiswillcausetheexcesswoodtowitherandrot,resultinginahomeforunwantedpestsordecay.

WeatherProtectionAcontainer exposesplants to a large surface area inwhichwind circulates.Thismakes potted plantsmoresensitive to temperaturechangesandhighwinds.Ifyoulive inaregionwithfrequenthighwindsthen it will be necessary to take extra care of your container plants. Also, make sure your pots areanchoreddown.Youdon’twantyourveggiestobecomedangerousprojectiles.Ifyouuseheavypotssuchas terra cotta, and the plant is large enough, then anchoringmay not be necessary.Wind is also verydrying,sobeawareofthesoilmoisture.Besuretoprotectyourplantfromextremetemperatures.Moveplantstoashelteredareaorrelocatethemto indoors, ifpossible.Alsobeaware that reflectiveheat frompavementorwalls canquicklyharmaplant.Toprotectplants thatare toolargetomovefromthecold,besuretocoverwithplasticorburlap,andavoidallowingthematerialtotouchtheplantifpossible.Thispointofcontactwillcausetheplanttolosepreciousheat.Onethetemperaturerisesabovefreezing,besuretouncovertheplants.Ifanunexpectedcoldfrontcausesyourplantstofreeze,relocatetheportableonesinagarageorlightedcellarwheretheairiscold,butnotfreezing.Thiswillallowtheplantstothawoutslowly,resultinginlessdamage.Whenthecoldweathercomes,youneedtoprotectyourinvestment.Somepotsareparticularlysensitivetofreezingandthawing.Plasticbecomesbrittle,clayandcementpotscrack.Sothisissomethingelsetoconsiderwhenpurchasingyourpots.Asfarastheplantsareconcerned:perennialswillbealrightinanunheatedgarageorshed,aslongastemperaturesdonotgetbelow32degreesfahrenheit.Youwillstillneed to check the soil during this time to keep itMOIST…notwet, as this can promote root rot andsuffocatetheroots.If you have extra large pots or containers, these can usually be left outside, as their mass serves asinsualtion. If youhaveplanted annuals, then emptyout the pots andbring them inside, so theywill bepreservedforthenextgrowingseason.

DryClimatePlantsIfyouliveinaregionwheretheclimatetendstobedry,oryouwon’tbeavailabletokeepaneyeonyourplants,thenconsidergoingforplantsthatcanstillthriveundertheseconditions.Someexamplesinclude:shrubhoneylocust,rugosarose,juniper,barberry,mossmulleinandherbaceousperennials.

HappyGardening!Sowhetheryou’vedecidedonanindoororoutdoorcontainergarden,orperhapsevenacombination,youarenowwellonyourwaytohavingthatgardenyou’vealwaysdreamedof.Goodluckandhappygardening!-Judy