5 Container Gardening Tips for Beginners (+ Giveaway!)

Julie from homereadyhome.com just published a great article highlighting important Container Gardening Tips (for Beginners).  Click here to view the original post: http://homereadyhome.com/5-container-gardening-tips-for-beginners/ Here’s a quick preview of what she has has to say about container gardening:

1. Don’t “grow” overboard.  

“Container gardening requires a time commitment. You’ll need to be more hands-on (ie. watering and fertilizing) with plants in pots than plants in the ground. Your container garden will require daily attention so you want to make sure you don’t spread yourself too thin by having too many plants.” … read more

2. Choose the right container.

“Drainage holes are a must. Only consider pots with holes or pots you can drill holes into. Select a container with a broad surface area. Decide what you’ll grow and that will help you to determine how deep your container should be. Root vegetables (think: carrots) and tall plants (like, tomatoes, vines and fruit trees) do better in deep pots. Fast growing crops like herbs and leafy vegetables are fine in a shallow container.” … read more

3. Buy potting soil.

“You may be tempted to fill your container with the free dirt from your backyard, but don’t do it. Dirt from the ground doesn’t work well in containers because it’s dense and heavy. It turns into a hardened clump in your pot and your plants won’t do well. You need soil that is light, drains water quickly but also holds moisture at the same time.” … read more

4. Seek out sunlight.

“Many vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, so the more sun you can provide the better. If, like me, you have a lot of shade at your location, no worries. There are still some edibles you can grow. For example, chives, kale, leafy greens, lemon balm, mint, parsley, spinach, swiss chard, peas and radish all tolerate partial shade.” … read more

5. Water your plants.

“Avoid under-watering and be sure you aren’t over-watering your vegetables. How do can you be sure?  I usually wait for the plants to look slightly wilted, then I water. You can also stick your finger in the soil about an inch down and see how it feels. If it’s dry, it’s time to water. My favorite tools for watering my container garden are a watering can and my spray wand that attaches to the hose.  ” … read more