Friday, 11 March 2011

Garden pots for those with limited space


Many people believe that their gardening days are over when they move into a flat or an apartment, but this may not be the case. Container gardening is for many people, a practical and stylish option- You can still grow pretty and useful plants if you opt for a container garden. There are a few rules you will want to abide by when starting out on your container garden adventure. The five elements that are crucial to your container garden are the Garden Pots (size for each individual plant), the soil, how much daylight your plants will need, watering requirements and fertilizer. Herbs, for instance do not require large pots but they do need at least six hours of sun everyday. Their fertilizing is minimal and they need good drainage in loose soil.
Choosing the right garden pot is very important for you and your plants. You will want to choose a container that is complementary to your home or outside patio and you also want to meet the needs of the plants. Wooden pots are usually not a viable option as they tend to rot and often are treated with harmful chemicals that tend to be detrimental to the good-health of your plants. Zinc planters are often quite good as they ofter a fair amount of style at relatively cheap prices- as well as having no real negative effects on your plants. My personal choice when picking Garden Planters is to go for fibreglass, preferably Terrazzo. They are lightweight, durable, weather resistant and provide a good look without cracking or deterioration.
As far as soil is concerned, it is generally dependent on what sort of plant you want to grow. Bear in mind you are going to be cultivating your garden your garden in small amount of space so make sure that the soil will drain sufficiently. The trick with this is to have a soil mixture that will retain moisture but with adequate drainage as not to drown the roots. If you look into the type of plant you are growing should quickly be able to find out about its specific requirements. For example, some plants may require a little sand be added into the mix. In container gardening getting all the components right is absolutely imperative for your success.
Another aspect of your research is to know how much daylight your plants need. All plants have different light levels. Impatiens’ for example, thrive in the shade while vegetables and flowers thrive in the sunlight.
Fertilizing is a most important aspect of garden pot gardening. When a plant is in a container it only has a small amount of soil to draw nutrients from, so you will have to give it a little help. To be consistent it is advised to fertilize on every other watering. Don't just use one fertilizer; a mix of nutrients will keep your plants happy and healthy.
Watering a container garden should be your utmost concern. It will take time to determine the right schedule for the individual plants since they all have different needs. If you are having a bout of extremely hot weather it may be necessary to water everyday.
You will be surprised how rewarding container gardening will be for you. It allows city dwellers to experience a bit of the outdoors in limited space. Once you have researched and decided what type of plants to grow your next step is to gather the necessary materials and plant your container garden. You will reap your rewards when you use your fresh herbs or vegetables in your next dish or you cut beautiful flowers to adorn your home.

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