TIP 1– Soft, pouch-type containers are best for shallow roots like herbs, onions and succulents. Plants such as strawberries, lettuces and bushy veggies such as peppers like a larger, more rigid container. Tomatoes do best in large pots with some kind of support, like a cage.
TIP 2– Some kits have self-watering systems, but Forster just uses a “cute little watering can” to keep her patio garden hydrated. Don’t let your plants sit too long in standing water — that can suffocate the roots — but do find a way to contain the runoff from your plants so you don’t make a mess or drip on the balcony downstairs. Giving plants a little elevation, by perching it up on bricks or rocks inside a tray, would do the trick.
TIP 3– Use a good quality potting soil so roots can stretch and breath and make the most of their container. “‘Fluffy’ soils are best,” she said, “with stuff like peat moss, perlite and compost.”
Read MORE ways you can GROW VERTICALLY, HERE: “LATimes.com“
