Category: Getting Started in Container Gardening

Everybody with children knows when the six weeks of summer holiday arrives, children will get easily bored with nothing to so. How do you entertain them on these long days, on weekends and on those long evenings? There is a way which could pique their interest, and that is container gardening, a hobby that can become a life passion.

Gardening is a fun activity for children as they can get their hands dirty, doing something which is not only educational but providing skills that are useful for the …

MAINTAINING PERMANENT PLANTS IN CONTAINERS

If you have plants that have been many years in pots and planters, they need various general maintenance procedures to be carried out. This is done in order for the plant to not only survive but flourish from one year to another. It is beneficial if these routine checks are carried out throughout the year, and especially spring which is an important time for which plants get the nutrients they require for the forthcoming growing season.

TOPDRESSING AND GENERAL FEEDING

As the compost …

MULCHING- KEEPING THE MOISTURE IN

Mulching is defined as covering the surface of the compost after planting as a means of preventing excessive moisture loss and as a means of improving the look at the top of the container.

Mulches can be divided into two categories. Category one is when the mulch will decompose over time and therefore need replacing frequently. These mulches will eventually rot into the compost and provide an additional source of feed. Category 2 mulches are more permanent and are more attractive to look …

In this article, the methodology of choosing plants will be discussed in terms of what to look for and how this can affect seasonal planting. Some plants fair better in containers than others. For example, yews hate being restricted in pots for any length of time, and it will never flourish. Some plants hate root disturbance and therefore must be planted with great care (with kid gloves).

Otherwise, they will not take root and you will have plenty of losses through the year. In this post, we discuss …

Once your containers have been filled with the right compost such as multipurpose, ericaceous, or a tub mix, within a short time of 4-6 weeks all the nutrients will be depleted. After this in order for the plants to flourish an additional feed is required at frequent intervals (once a week or fortnightly).

If plants are fed right at the right intervals they will reward you with plenty of blooms, bountiful fruits and vegetables, or lush leaves. Remember overfeeding can cause as much damage as underfeeding, as this …

In order to grow successfully in containers it is essential to have good drainage and soil structure so that a healthy root system can develop in the container. It is paramount that the right compost is used and matched to your plant requirements, so that acid loving plants are planted in ericaceous compost, and the rest is planted in multipurpose or sometimes specialised compost such a citrus compost if you are growing citrus fruit.

Most bedding plants, fruits, vegetables and bulbs can be planted in multipurpose compost which …

TYPES OF POTS AND PLANTERS THAT CAN BE USED

The choice of what container to use for what plant is very extensive as any visit to a garden centre will tell you, and anything can be used from Belfast sinks, bird baths, old baths, toilets, buckets, old recycling boxes, Wellington Boots and even old dustbins.

There is a container that is suitable for the design of your garden being contemporary or traditional, or somewhere between the two. Your choice will follow a theme, which can be carried out …

The main advantage of container gardening is that it is flexible.  You can choose anywhere you want to grow without being tied down to a fix garden bed, or poor soil growing conditions.

If your garden bed is not ideally situated, or maybe not getting enough sunlight or your garden, rooftop or balcony is not suitable to support a soil based fixed garden, then containers provide a means to plant almost anything you want in the desired position.

The attractiveness with containers is that they can be moved …