Container Gardening: Uncontained Possibilities!
By Kay DiVerde
Do you love to garden and grown fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, but feel you don't have the space to grow them? Container gardening may be the solution you have been looking for! Whether you're interested in growing annuals or bulb flowers, citrus trees or tomatoes, container gardens can be an excellent option when space is limited for gardening.
Once you have decided to start a container garden, you need to decide what type of containers to use-plastic and clay are the most common. Each has advantages. Plastic pots are light and hold in moisture best; thus, you won't need to water as often. If you happen to over water your plants, you'd better hope you chose a clay pot. Clay pots are made of a porous material which soaks up the water and spreads it over the entire surface of the pot, instead of holding it at the bottom. Air is better able to get in and out of clay pots. This is good for the plants, but it does dry out the soil faster and requires more frequent watering. The lightweight of plastic pots is good when you have a large pot filled with dirt and need to move it. Large clay pots are heavy, especially with dirt in them. An advantage of the clay pot's weight is they do not tip over in the wind as easily. Other types of pots are made of glazed ceramic, wood, straw, metal, etc. It doesn't really matter which type of container you use, as long as you take note of how well it will hold in moisture (if there is no drainage hole, place an inch or two of rocks on the bottom, and place a plastic or clay pot on top of the rocks. Excess water can drain into the rocks.).
After choosing what type of container you will use, you need to make sure the container is the right size for the plant(s) you choose. If the container is too small, the container will be filled with roots, and there won't be enough room for the soil or nutrients. If the pot is too large for the plant, water may collect around the roots. This can deprive them of air and kill them. In general, choose a container one inch wider than the plant's root ball.
Before placing plants into your containers (new or old), make sure the containers are clean. This is essential to get rid of diseased organisms. If you are reusing a pot, you must remove all dead leaves, fertilizer deposits and algae. Use soap, water and a mild chlorine-bleach solution (about 9 to 1) to disinfect your containers. Also, before planting into a clay pot, let the pot soak in water for a while. This will prevent the pot from soaking up all the moisture in the soil once your plant is in place.
Now, we can talk about the fun part...what to grow in the containers? Annual flowers are perfect plants for containers, especially in cool climates. Once the growing season is over, you don't have to worry about what to do with the plants-simply throw them out. If you have the space indoors, you can bring many annuals inside to grow during the cooler months. Good annuals to bring indoors include: Alyssum, Coleus, Geranium, Impatiens, Lantana, Nasturtium, Pansy, Petunia, Portulaca, Verbena and Wax Begonia.
Whiskey barrels with drainage holes drilled into the bottom make a great home for groupings of flowers. When planting groups of flowers, but sure to follow the spacing guidelines to allow room for growth. Hanging baskets filled with annuals add a beautiful touch to any porch, walkway or patio. With hanging baskets, be sure to think about how the extra water will be collected on the bottom. If you have enough space and light indoors, it's possible to save yourself some money and start your annuals by seed indoors in the late winter right in the pots you will use outdoors.
Flowers started from bulbs can also blossom beautifully in containers! And just about any type of bulb will do well in a container. Growing delicate summer bulbs in containers is especially advantageous in colder climates where the bulbs are very tender. It is easier to dig up the bulbs (the bulbs won't get lost amongst large plantings) for the cold season or to just move the whole pot into shelter. This type of gardening allows you to try bulbs that are tropical or semitropical and may not adapt well to growing in the ground in a cooler climate.
Just think how beautiful an orange, lemon or grapefruit tree would look on your terrace or patio-or even how refreshing it would look inside your sunroom during the winter. Some citrus trees on dwarfing rootstocks can grow well in containers, even in cooler climates. You can place the small tree's tub on your patio in the summer and then move it to a spacious, sunny spot indoors during the cooler months.
Some vegetables and herbs also grow well in containers. Tomatoes and peppers look great in containers on a patio, as do carrots, peas, beans, onions, etc. For onions, carrots and the like, be sure to allow enough depth for the vegetables to fully develop. Vegetables which grow on vines, such as cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, etc., aren't always easy to contain in pots. You can place the pot near a vine support or put one in the pot, but sometimes the vine expels so much energy supporting the vegetables and hanging on, that the size of the vegetable often remains small. Many vegetables can also be started by seeds indoors with adequate space and lighting. Be sure to follow the spacing specifications on the seed package or seedling marker when planting in pots. It is important to think of the long-term spacing requirements.
The possibilities for planting in containers is almost endless. There are many other ideas that aren't even mentioned in this article. Be creative and adventurous. Take the time to choose the right container for your plants' size. Work with whatever space you have, and you'll be amazed at the beauty and abundant harvest you will get from container gardening all around your yard and patio. It may be the garden you always wanted but never thought was possible!
Kay DiVerde is a freelance writer, horticultural researcher and consultant for Orchard's Edge. DiVerde also writes for a variety of newsletters and publications in the Midwest.
