The Best Vegetable Container Garden!
 (Read 500+ times)
By Piper Cox
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Nothing beats fresh vegetables out of your own garden. New, red potatoes are ideal for supper and fresh herbs from the garden is the ideal touch. You say you don't have room for a vegetable garden? Not a problem, you can grow great produce in containers!
Container gardening doesn't need to be limited to flowers. Adding a few vegetables and herbs to container gardens is becoming more common all the time. A lot of vegetables grow wonderful in containers. Peppers and cherry tomatoes grow great in the middle of flowers. Their brilliant fruit is a stunning attraction in the blooms. Put a couple of red potato starts in a large planter with a few flowers, the foliage of potato plants is very striking and you will also have a few little white flowers as well.
Not only can you mix your flowers with produce plants, but you can plant some containers with produce only. Strawberries often give more fruit when planted in a container since they don’t have much area to spread. By putting out runners, strawberries put out a lot of energy sprouting new plants. When there is no more space for new plants, the strawberries start to bear fruit. Fresh strawberries at any time you want them, what could be better?
Growing a container garden is simple, and here are a few recommendations to get you going.
Properly prepare your container. Your pot will need good drainage so make sure it has drainage holes drilled in the bottom. Many pots have holes predrilled for drainage, however if your container doesn't have drain holes you can either add a layer of gravel or drain holes for drainage. If your planter is deep, add styrofoam to the bottom for drainage and to reduce the need for extra soil. This will also make the pot easier to move around. Make sure your have deep enough soil for the plants to develop a good root system.
Garden soil is not for planters. Normal garden soil is heavy and is not best for container plants. You need to use a good potting soil that is rich in natural material for proper drainage. By mixing your typical potting soil with peat moss and compost you can make the perfect container garden mix. For summer long fertilization, add a time release fertilizer to your soil as you mix it. This will feed your plants for about three months.
Your new plants will want to stretch their roots, so dig a hole that is twice the size of their root ball. The tender roots need soft soil to take hold of, so make sure you back fill a little loose soil back into the hole. It is very vital to massage the roots of the plant before you place it in the hole. The plant roots have been confined to a small area while they are getting their start, but they need to break free and they need a little help from you to do that.
It is important to give your plants a little growing boost with root starter when you plant them. Use the root starter and water mixture to water each plant as you plant it. By giving your plants a shot of root starter you can help deter transplant shock.
Take the scissors to your new plant. This is a tough thing for most gardeners to do. After all you just got a beautiful, full plant at the store! You want the plant to develop a healthy root system, so it needs to focus on that. This is hard if the plant is trying to maintain full blooms or large amounts of foliage as well. Taking two thirds off the plant is generally the right amount to cut. By cutting it back, the plant will come back fuller and healthier.
Be certain you put plants with like needs together. In other words, don't put a drought tolerant plant with one that has high water needs. If you take some time to prepare your container you will be happier with the results.
With a container garden you can enjoy fresh produce all season long. What a great thing you will provide for your family, wholesome vegetables and a fun, family hobby. Try container gardening, you will enjoy the results!
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Author Bio Box: Piper Cox
Piper is a self-employed journalist who enjoys fitness, good food and the outdoors. She loves to write about subjects like nature and working out. She enjoys gardening, reading and baking. Take a look at her internet site, www.smallgardentiller.org to find out all about getting the best small tiller so you can have a delightful yard too!
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