Growing vegetables in containers, plants for showing off, or brightening a cold terrace with a selection of pots and containers filled with bright colorful flowers and trees.
It is providing an interesting hobby and form of relaxation for millions of people who have no room for a garden in their apartments and home units.
To grow plants of any variety pay attention to the specific needs of the plants.
Situation Place the chosen plants in containers in the site best suited to their needs.
The amount of sun a plant needs is very important most will need at least 4-6 hours of sunshine a day.
Vegetables for example do best in a sunny situation, as most plants do.
An apartment balcony that is windy exposed and on the cold side of a building is not going to be conducive to growing container plants.
Soil Garden soil is not suitable in most containers as it does not drain easily, and tends to go solid and hard over time.
Container plants need a mix that allows for free draining.
There is a wide selection of various mixes available that will suit the plant range considered.
Choose the best mix available as buying cheaply comes into "you get what you pay for" scenario.
Take the time to plan your plants and their needs properly.
Try not to be tempted into putting a small plant into a large pot, generally this does not work.
Plant into an appropriately sized pot, when the plant shows signs of roots coming out of the bottom drainage holes replant into a larger pot.
Watering Growing plants in containers requires attention from their keeper! The plants will need constant care particularly over the summer months.
Watering the containers is an essential as the plants roots are restricted by the pot, limiting their ability to take up water.
The usual way is watering daily during the summer ensuring the pots are well watered.
A large number of pots could be watered by an irrigation system.
Your local garden hardware shop would provide all that you need from advice to materials.
A guide is helpful, when planting in the containers leave half an inch to an inch from the top of the pot.
This allows you to water to the pot rim and watch it drain through the plant.
Feeding The porosity of the mix will mean that the plant will lose the nutrients required for growing every time the plant is watered.
There are a number of varieties of fertilizer available for use.
There is water soluble, controlled release, individual animals manures such as sheep or chicken available.
Read instructions thoroughly as container plants react very quickly to them, sometimes disastrously!