Easy Container Gardening Tips for Beginners

Easy container gardening ideas may be just what you need to get started.  Container gardening is extremely popular these days as it allows every person to have a garden in their home, apartment, or even in an RV.

Whether you have space in your garden or not, whether you live in an apartment or you have a very small outdoor space. Also, container gardening is the way to go for growing plants, fruits, and vegetables. Hopefully, using this guide will entice you to try it.

Also, if the place where you live has soil that cannot be amended, then container gardening is an alternative option for planting in the ground. For instance, we live on top of a mountain ridge that is mostly rocks and we still can garden using containers.

Who Can Benefit From Container Gardening?

Please remember your elderly friends who can no longer garden. A container filled by you with plants, flowers, or vegetables will be a gift. This gift can last for many months and will most certainly bring them joy.

Children can also benefit from growing something they planted in a container garden. My son loved creating his container gardening in a coloring page chart he made and colored himself.

However, there are a number of things that you need to understand before beginning container gardening, and here is a guide for doing that.

What to Grow in a Container Garden?

This is a compact way of planting an adequate harvest. With container gardening, many people have a misconception that there are only a few options. As a matter of fact, you can grow a number of plants in a container garden, here is the list of most of them.

Beans	Blueberries	Broccoli	Carrots
Cucumber	Dwarf fruit trees	Eggplant	Herbs
Leeks	Lettuce	Onions	Peas
Peppers	Radishes	Some corn varieties	Tomatoes

NOTE: If you are a beginner in gardening, then you can start with lettuce or herbs in your container gardening.

The Appropriate Planters for Container Gardening

One of the main steps, when you start with container gardening, is to choose the right pot. The average size of the pots ranges from 10 to 24 inches in diameter. Larger pots are better for bigger vegetables, for example, use them for pepper plants or squash plants.

However, the smaller pots are best for plants of small sizes such as a small cabbage head or herbs. These examples will help you in choosing the pot size for each veggie.

Nevertheless, the type of pot is the consideration that you need to make after you decide what you will be planting. Here are some different types of pots.

Terracotta Pots for Growing Plants

Terracotta pots are the most common type of pot that most gardeners use. While being traditional, they also come with their downfalls.

Cons of Terracotta Pots

• They are expensive, especially the larger ones
• The pots are heavy even when empty
• These types of pots can be broken if not careful
• Cracking can occur if left out in the frost with soil in them

Plastic Planters for Container Gardening

Plastic is the best option if you are beginning your container garden with a budget because they are inexpensive and also durable. In addition to that, they are also easily moved if you want to shift the garden as per the sunlight needs.

Ceramic Containers for Plants

Some pots are glazed ceramics. Often, they are less expensive than the terracotta pots, however, they still have a costly price tag. Glazed ceramic is available in various colors and is also durable. The downfalls are the same as the terracotta ones.

Wooden Planters for Container Gardening

The wooden containers are loved by a number of people, due to their classic appearance. Wooden pots add a beautiful look to the garden, nevertheless, they can be difficult to move if they remain in the same location for a longer period of time.

An option would be to incorporate a movable plant stand with wheels. Wooden containers are natural and good for the environment.

Metal Planters for Container Gardening

Metal planters are also extremely gorgeous, they glorify our garden. Since metal conducts electricity, therefore the pots must be lined with plastic otherwise the roots of your plants will get cooked by the sun and heat during the summer.

Container Gardening with Concrete Planters

The concrete pots last for the longest period of time, therefore if you want a durable planter then concrete planters are the way to go. However, they cannot be moved once they are placed in a particular location because they would be too heavy.

We took down our container garden this year to add-on to our home. We have decided to build raised beds along the front of the house. The beds will be built from concrete blocks since they will need to be stepped down to match the terrain.

Window Boxes for Growing Plants

Lastly, window boxes are also one of the most beautiful containers to grow your garden. These can be attached to the window ledges. I love the look of window boxes on the chicken coop. Planting herbs they like also serves a dual purpose.

Steps to Plant in a Container Garden

Though you may have planted a normal in-ground garden, you may be a beginner at planting a container garden. So, here are the steps that you will need to follow:

Selecting the Accurate Pot

After considering what you want to plant in your garden, you’ll have to choose the right size of the pots as well as the appropriate type. Moreover, you’ll have to select the proper location for your container garden, where it can get the right amount of sunlight.

Don’t forget items you can recycle or repurpose as we did with these water troughs we picked up at a garage sale for $10 each!

Covering the Drainage Holes in Plant Containers

After selecting the appropriate pot as well as the location of the garden, you’ll need to assure that the pot has proper drainage holes. If the pot does not, use a drill to make the holes in the bottom. This will enable the plants to not be water-logged and will get rid of extra water that could drown the roots.

Also, don’t forget to put a wire mesh or a coffee filler at the bottom so that the water seeps out without taking the dirt with it.

Filling Containers with a Good Potting Mix

You’ll have to choose a quality of soil to fill the containers. The dirt has to be fluffy and rich. Fluffier soil is better aerated, which is important because it affects the ability of soil to drain.

Make sure to fill the pot only half full or three-quarters. Also, don’t forget to break the crumbles of dirt when filling the pots. Read the blog Vermiculite vs.Perlite to help make the soil superior.

Plant the Plants in the Container

Now is the time to plant your plants, herbs, or veggies. With your hands or a garden tool, make a hole in the soil that is larger and wider than the plant. Add the plant to the pot, there is no need to dig the plant into the dirt, you just have to place it in the soil.

Top-Off with More Soil

Fill the pot with the rest of the soil to the top and do not compress the dirt while doing so. Compressing will not help the plant instead it will decrease the ability of soil to drain well.

Press firmly, but not too firmly. Water well. Add more soil if holes appear as they will suffocate the plant if they get too much air.

Mulch the Plants

Lastly, when the pot is full of dirt, add a small layer of mulch around the plant. This will help it to retain moisture. We add natural untreated pine or cedar shavings. The same that we use to line our hen house and at the bottom of our inside birds’ cages.

You will surely love the way when small plants will grow in your house. It will help purify the air and make your home look attractive.

In Conclusion for Easy Container Gardening

Please comment on any tips or tricks that you have tried on container gardening, we would love to hear all about it!

Final note: PLEASE recycle your plastic plant containers. Check with Lowe’s and Home Depot as they will take back all your plastic pots and they will recycle them for you! Save the planet!

More Valuable Garden Links

It’s Springtime and you know what that means! Time to plant those seeds, and if you haven’t gotten your seeds yet, here is a tip! Dollar Tree is the best place you can go! 5 Shocking Reasons To Buy Dollar Tree Seeds will tell you exactly why they have the best seeds but have no fear! Once you get your seeds, let me help you with your Seed Organization In 6 Amazingly Simple Ways!

When you start your seed babies, make sure you read into it because let me tell you, Vermiculite Vs Perlite is a complete gardening game changer!

Interested in more gardening tips and tricks? Visit 12 Gardening Tips for Beginners to learn the basics needed to plant your own garden!

Vertical Gardens for Small Spaces is also beneficial, and gives you the opportunity to plant a garden with minimal space needed!

Want to learn how to make your own natural soil for your new garden? Check out Making Compost Naturally into Gardening Soil. Don’t know what you can compost? Many Incredible Uses for Eggshells will help start some ideas!

In my own garden, I only like to use my Manure Tea Recipe in my Hügelkultur Raised Beds, container gardening planters (which you can find in my Guide to Container Gardening post), and even in the Oya and Ollas that get the liquid fertilizer. I do like to switch out the manure tea every other week with my Fish Emulsion Fertilizer (read more about that).

Need some ideas on what to grow this year in your garden? 11 Great Plants to Regrow From Cuttings is all you need!

Now that you’ve grown your garden, a couple of key factors to make your bounty last longer that would be beneficial would be Methods of Drying Herbs and Dehydrate Food Naturally Using a Dehydrator. These methods allow you to keep what you have grown all year round for your enjoyment!

You’ve grown your garden, but did you grow your gourds? You should’ve! Growing Gourds for Birdhouses, in Containers and For-Profit, can show you the many different ideas that you can make with all different types of gourds! 

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