Whenever we think about gardening- flowers, fruits, vegetables, soil, fertilizers, these are the words that come into our minds. But what if you live in an urban area where you can only get the facilities of balconies or tiny backyard spaces? We have other options for you to keep your gardening desire alive. Container gardening is the best option for garden lovers who already know it will be impossible to prepare an actual garden in the city where they are currently residing.
Now many people may wonder what kind of concept container gardening is! It has become a trend nowadays where city people can embrace the idea of container gardening instead of having a landscape garden full of vegetables, fruits, and other plants to meet their gardening needs. The method of using different gardening containers for planting trees is called container gardening.
So if you are into gardening but don’t have the necessary space for a big one, then this is perfect for you to get your fingers into some soil.
Key takeaways
- Container gardening is convenient for those who are living in cities and have limitations on space.
- For selecting outdoor gardening containers, one can go to budget-friendly pots like- plastic, terra-cotta, and wood.
- Location impacts container gardening, where one needs to consider sunlight, air, and temperature.
- Pot preparation and choosing the plants are mandatory during the placement of plants.
- For container decoration, one can use elements like- colors, rope, sand, stone, etc.
Type of outdoor gardening containers
Before the modern era, containers were made from plain terra-cotta in a round shape. But gradually, people started using different materials to make gardening containers, such as metal, wood, fiberglass, stone, concrete, etc. We would like to name the types of gardening containers and details so that one can choose their required ones according to the features:
1. Plastic
If anyone is looking for the cheapest outdoor container, they can easily purchase plastic containers for planting. Initially, plastic containers will give you support, but if you want durability, we are probably afraid that you will not be able to use those plastic plants for that season. You can use uPVC-made plastic containers with no harmful chemicals for food growing.
2. Terra-Cotta
Terra-cotta pots are inexpensive, and anyone can attempt to make them in their places if they know the process. And about durability, you do not need to worry much about these pots as long as you can take care of them properly! The benefits of these plants are that they are breathable and UV resistant for plants.
3. Wood
Wooden containers are budget-friendly, but we cannot consider them cost-effective because of their less-durability features. These containers have molding and decaying issues. Despite that problem, these containers will save your plants from extreme temperatures.
4. Concrete
These containers are much too expensive. They are suitable for those people who like to have a luxurious outdoors. They are durable due to their heavy and hard features. These types of containers are always good for foliage.
5. Fiberglass
If you are thinking of getting yourself a kind of container for your garden that will be strong, flexible, and cheaper, we strongly suggest you get fiberglass containers. Even they are cheaper than wooden containers. But again, they are more expensive than plastic and terra-cotta. These containers have UV protections which will save your plants from harmful sunlight.
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Outdoor Container Gardening Plan
In our previous topic, we have already given an approximate idea of different outdoor gardening containers from which you can choose the best fit for your outdoor space. To plan your outdoor container gardening, the facts you need to focus on our outdoor location, placing your plants, and decorating them properly. Let us elaborate on this fact in detail:
1. Choose your outdoor location
You are thinking about your outdoor location that which place would be perfect for your outdoor container gardening! We are here to solve that issue also. To choose an outdoor location, we have divided the important factors into four parts:
Sunlight and Air
Sunlight is essential for plants. Plants need six to eight hours of light except for others which need partial shades. So you must choose an outdoor place where your containers get sunlight like a balcony or near the window.
Moreover, outdoor placement of containers also should be a place where you can save your plants from strong weather such as storms, gales, breezes, etc.
Temperature
Temperature is also an important factor to consider while selecting the locations. Too much cold or too much heat- both can be harmful to your container planting. Try to select such a place where the temperature may remain moderate and constant.
Height and measurements
Using a measuring tape can help you locate your containers outdoors. Always focus on the height while measuring the location because sometimes you can easily locate your plants in high places, whereas it might be difficult to place them on the floor or corner of your outdoors.
Place
If you have sorted out the factors mentioned above, you are almost there to finish choosing the location. You can locate your containers in a yard, patio, driveway, balcony, front spaces, doorways, etc.
2. Placing plants in containers
The next step is to choose your outdoor location. Now that you have selected the place for container gardening, you are ready to place your plants in containers. And now, for placements, we would like to describe three easy steps. Which are:
Preparing pots
To prepare your containers, you need to understand the importance of potting mix. For container gardening, you can go for these mixtures. Some may get confused between potting mix and potting soil. Let us clear the confusion! Potting mix is an entirely soil-less garden medium; on the other hand, potting soil could be completely dirt or mixed with other soil-less materials. So, you must use a potting mix to prepare your pot accurately.
Choosing and placing plants
Containers are the best fit for almost every type of plant, such as vegetables, flowers, herbs, shrubs, fruits, etc. You need to decide first which types of plants you want to plant in your containers.
If you are a fruit lover, you can plant fruit plants like apples, cherries, pears, and plums in containers. And if you like vegetables, you can plant cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, green beans, and peppers. Again if you are a flower lover, you can plant trees such as marigolds, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, hibiscus, etc.
Another concern may come during this process: the sizes and shapes of your containers while you are about to place your plants. Don’t forget to give your plants enough room they might need the most. Also, you should look at the drainage system of your containers.
Watering and fertilizing
Everyone knows how crucial it is to water your pot once you have prepared everything correctly. Too much water may make the soil sloppier, and it may harm the growth of some of your plants.
After watering, you need to consider fertilizing your containers. Unlike ground plants, pot plants get fewer nutrients; for that, you can use liquid fertilizer using a watering can. Also, you can use slow-release fertilizers to help your plants grow smoothly.
3. Decorating planted containers
What if we can give you some fantastic ideas for decorating your container plants? We would like to add some key points on how you can make your outdoor containers more luxurious by applying decorations:
Sketching and painting
You can sketch your pots using crayons or pencils. Even you can go for painting your pots with various colors. If you find sketching and painting a harder task, we suggest you use the dripping method, where you can drip your pots with so many colors simultaneously to get the emotional effect.
Rope and fabric
Wrapping your containers with rope or fabrics will give your container an aesthetic vibe. To be precise, the use of rope and fabrics will be best for terra-cotta planters!
Sand and stone
You can use colorful stones and a covering of sand on your flower pots to give them a refreshing look. These types of coverage are good for plastic pots because they can give weighted plastic pots a heavier look.
Care tips
We would like to add some tips that might help you during the maintenance of your outdoor container gardening:
- Never get too judgmental if you need to move your container locations! Better you go through some test days after placing them and then decide whether they need to relocate. In that case, give your utmost priority to the health of your plant’s growth always.
- Though you are doing container gardening, it does not mean you do not need any gardening tools. Keep all the necessary tools in your home, such as -gardening gloves, watering can, trowel, bypass pruner, etc.
- Soil and water- these two elements should get your extreme focus. Keep watering and test your soil on a weekly or monthly basis.
FAQs
For container gardening, you can add potting mix where you will find two organic components. One is leaf mold, and the other is compost.
The most important factor of container gardening is potting mix. Potting mix is an essential part of container gardening. Also, it needs water, fertilizer, and air to help the plants grow properly.
A hole at the bottom of the container is critical. It allows water in the soil to drain freely, making adequate air available for the roots.
Final Thoughts
Container gardening may sound troublesome for many people, but trust me; it is simpler than you think. Once you know the preparation and other caring tips, you can maintain your outdoor container gardening.
To sum up, for garden lovers, whatever space or species they can avail does not matter while gardening if you can manage everything properly. So, prepare, purchase, or recycle some of your containers to locate them in your house corners for outdoor gardening. Have a happy journey of gardening!
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