Hi all

With the ever increasing number of people choosing to live in apartments and condos, many believe the chance of growing beautiful and useful plants has finished.  Thankfully this really doesn’t have to be the case at all. The growing trend among those yard-less people is the option of container gardening.  There are five key elements that yo should keep in mind when growing your own container garden.  The type of containers used, what kind of growing mixture, exposure to sunlight, fertilizer, and watering habits are all aspects that need to be considered before starting your container paradise.

The container type is an important aspect of this style of gardening.  You will want your containers to enhance and match your outdoor patio, yard or  balcony area.   At the same time that environment should be healthy for the plants you want to grow.  Wood pots can be prone to rotting.  Cedar or redwood are rot resistant and can be used without staining.  If using wood pots, be sure that it is untreated wood to avoid any harmful chemicals polluting your plants.  Plastic pots deteriorate quickly in the sun and won’t last very long.  While they are pretty, terra cotta pots dry out fast making them prone to cracking and breaking.  Glazed ceramic pots are a good option for container gardening.  Just be sure there are sufficient drainage holes in the bottom.

Your growing mixture will mainly depend on the type of plants you decide to grow.  Due to the small space the plants have to thrive in, be sure to the mixture will allow proper drainage.  You want the soil to retain moisture, but also drain off to avoid over watering.  Check into the growing requirements of your plants to see if any sand should be added to the growing mixture.  The right mixture of soil and other components is extremely important in container gardening.

Once again, when trying to determine the amount of sunlight your container garden will need, check the requirements for the plants. This is especially true with flowers.  Vegetables tend to need an average of five hours of sunlight daily.

In container gardening, fertilizer is a vital element.  Since the plants only have a limited amount of soil to draw nutrients from it is necessary to help them along.  The recommended interval for fertilizing plants is every other time you water.  Liquid seaweed is an excellent plant booster, just be sure to provide the plants with a wide variety of nutrients for the best results.

You will discover with your container garden that watering is critically important.  It may take a little while to determine exactly how much and when to water.  All plants are different so it is very important to know what your plants need.  Especially when in very hot weather as you will find that plants may need to be watered daily. 

Container gardening is a very rewarding hobby that allows even apartment and city dwellers to enjoy a piece of the great outdoors.  Decide what types of plants you want to grow, have your materials ready, and be prepared to reap the rewards of your labor.