Limited space? Plant a container garden!

You don’t need a big garden or a yard to have a beautiful green space in your home. In fact, you can plant flowers and vegetables in small containers and watch them grow in a matter of a few months.

And it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of containers this spring since we really don’t have space for the third bed I really want.

Truth is, container gardening is as simple as it sounds. And growing plants in a container is a great way to start gardening because it is less effort.

Containers

Choosing the right container can be tricky, especially for beginners. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up on finding the perfect container. The right container depends on what kind of vegetables or plants you are going to grow.

For starting a garden, you can select any container that fulfills the following conditions:

1. Big enough for all the seeds you are going to grow
2. Has good drainage
3. Material is safe for seeds and plants

And don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to containers. An old dresser drawer is perfect for herbs. If it’s a big enough drawer, you could plant collards, kale, and lettuce. Just make sure all the paint and lacquer has been removed.

You can even purchase grow bags in a variety of sizes. You can grow root vegetables such as onions and potatoes or do as one urban gardener did and plant corn!

Soil

For vegetables or plants that you want to grow, using high-quality potting soil is non-negotiable. Don’t compromise on the soil. Using ordinary soil from your garden could turn out to be bad as it’s not suitable for the containers in terms of water drainage and plant growth. Often, there are certain diseases and weed plants in the garden soil as well.

Get a quality potting soil that is suitable for the veggies or plants you desire to grow.

Watering

Some plants need more water than others. But none of them need to be drowned. The kind of plants you are going to grow will require a different watering schedule, but the perfect cue is to keep the soil moist but not soaking.

If you are growing vegetables like tomatoes, you will need to water every day in summers and weekly in winters.

Important tips

Here are a few essential tips that will help you in planting a container garden.

1. Providing the most suitable light and temperature will make your plants thrive. See what kind of light and temperature requirements your plants have and place them accordingly.
2. Add nutrition and fertilizers to the soil, if there are not already mixed.
3. Opt for additional help such as self-watering containers.
4. If you are a beginner, opt for low-maintenance seeds.

Planting a container garden can be a little touch-and-go at first, but it becomes fulfilling very quickly. Once you see your plants coming to life, there are few better sights than that.

Happy container gardening!