Growing Fruit Trees in Containers- There’s a Tree for You

It is always surprising the range of fruit trees that can be grown if you have no garden to plant in. Your first thought is that 7m cherry tree growing in a large orchard has put you off thinking of growing fruit trees.

Breeders have seen the opportunity and have developed techniques to minimize the height of trees. It is now possible to plant fruit trees in containers, and still get a decent harvest. The technique developed by free tree breeders is called ‘grafting’ in which the fruit producing section, technically called the ‘scion’, is joined to a different variety …

The Use of Leaves Plants for Containers- Add a Striking Focal Point

If you have a container garden, foliage adds a different dimension to your gardening display. The leaves add shape and form to a design, as well as to contrast any floral display. For example, ferns, heucheras and ivies adds texture to autumn or winter display of pansy and violas. If bronze sedges are set against bulb flowers, this will liven up any spring container.

Some leafy plants need no flower companions and will make a statement on its own, or with other plants in groups. Shrubs make excellent individual specimens, along with hosta as they produce a beautiful display of …

Garden Pots and Planters- Why use containers? The flexible choice

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 with ease to maximize the position so that the plants can obtain …

Rabbit and Deer Proofing your Container Garden- Stop Flower Heads Disappearing

Everybody remembers the story of Bambi, the young deer whose mother get shot dead by hunters, and his rabbit friend, Thumper. In Disney animation these creatures are fine but put Bambi and Thumper in your garden, and you wish that they were never born.

Plants can be devastated by rabbits and deers who have a large appetite for many plant varieties. It is a nightmare trying to come up with plants that are not favoured by deer and rabbits, and yet still attractive to have in the container garden.

DEERS AND RABBITS WILL EAT ANYTHING

In very harsh weather conditions, …

Diseases and Pests of Plants in Containers-What to Watch Out for?

Most diseases and pests that affect plants in containers, also commonly affect those that are found in gardens. These problems are often due to improper care, which can be often improved by better cultivation and maintenance of the plants in containers.

Chemical sprays are limited because of the vastly reduced numbers available, due to the number of chemical pesticides and fungicides that have been withdrawn that will tackle diseases and pests.

As consumers, we have become more environmentally friendly, and the effect pesticides have on our native species such as birds, bees, butterflies, and ladybirds are becoming better known. The …

Watering Spikes- 5 of the Best Reviewed

As said in previous posts watering of plants is extremely crucial in its survival, especially if the soil or compost is dry for long periods. Some plants like succulents can go without water for a long time, as they store water in their leaves.

Cactus can go months without water, but other plants do not seem to survive if the compost dries and the plant wilts. Once the plant wilts and it is not watered soon after, within a couple of days, the plant will die.

We all have busy lives, and gardeners are no different from anybody else. Gardeners …

PRUNING, TOPIARY AND GENERAL PLANT CARE- Why looking after long term plants in containers is very important?

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 ages, it starts to lose its vitality, in that the nutrients available …

Growing Magnolia Trees in Containers

When you think about magnolia trees, your first thought is of a majestic plant, growing in well-kept lawns or in large gardens, bearing large pink or white flowers in early spring. You see them in gardens but never in pots due to their large root system. Your second thought is that you want one but that I have no garden to put it in. This article is about the suitability of growing magnolia in containers.

If you are going to use a container, you will get a level of control that is not available to those who grow directly in …

Mulching and General Plant Care in Containers

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 at.

The key to good mulching is to match the planting style …

Choosing Plants and Seasonal Planting

 


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 what to look for when buying plants for containers, and the …