Container Gardening Tips

• Ceramic, plastic, wooden planters and window boxes are available. Also, galvanized buckets and tubs, whiskey barrels and moss-lined baskets, terra cotta. The general rule is to use the largest container possible. The more soil the better for the plants.
• Never use a container that may have contained anything toxic to people or plants.
• It must have drainage holes drilled into the bottom. Don't let your plants sit in water! After an hour empty drainage trays.
• Consider the size of your containers in relation to how often you will need to move them. Also make sure your porch, balcony, deck or rooftop can support the weight.
• Make sure the pot is large enough to hold a sufficient amount of soil without spilling over, and for the plants to reach maturity. A general rule is the container should be wider than it is deep.
• Soil
• Start with fresh soil each year to avoid disease or insect problems from the previous year.
• Do not use soil from your backyard. Garden soil is often too dense and can introduce unwanted disease and insect problems.
• It is essential to use a light, friable soil that will drain well and retain moisture. A proper mix also allows for air space in the container for proper root development.
• Soil should have enough organic matter to hold a sufficient amount of moisture, but not so much that the plant roots are sitting in a pool of water.
• Try to use equal parts topsoil, compost, and a soilless mix,
• Moisten the soil before filling the containers to within one inch of the top.
• At planting time add a granular fertilizer (10-20-10) along with a slow release fertilizer (14-14-14). When plants are well established, begin weekly feeding with an all purpose liquid fertilizer. This will give your plants a quick boost, especially if they have recently been cut back or look stressed.

• Consider your growing conditions. Start by thinking where the pots will be located and then find plants that will grow well in that location.
• Be creative! Try different plants together, varying textures, heights, leaf shape and sizes to give the containers a full lush look.
• Experiment with bold contrasting colors like burgundy and orange. Try a planter that uses only foliage plants like hosta, dracaena, grasses and ferns.
• Place plants with similar needs together; plants that need a lot of water and little sun should be in separate containers from plants with the opposite needs.
• You can mix herbs and flowers together, vegetables and flowers, flowers and small shrubs, etc.
  See the plant list for more ideas

• Check on the plants daily to make sure they are getting enough water.
• Don't let the plants dry out or get too soggy.
• Watering thoroughly as often as needed. Note: Most containers planted in the full sun will need daily watering.
• Water until the entire soil area is moist and water runs out of the drainage holes.
• Cluster your potted plants together to reduce moisture loss and increase humidity levels.

• Fertilizer can be purchased or made from composted organic matter from your garden or kitchen.
• An all purpose flower or vegetable fertilizer with a 10-20-10 formulation along with a slow release fertilizer 14-14-14 mixed into the soil at planting time works well.

• Remove spent flowers, yellowing leaves and pinch back leggy stems. When necessary replace tired plants with fresh annuals, especially late-season plants like flowering kale, pansies, and mums.
• Fertilize once a week with an all purpose liquid fertilizer
• Trim vining plants to keep them bushy and in proportion with your pot or window box.
• Give smaller pots a quarter turn every couple of weeks to ensure even growth.

• Inspect plants regularly to identify any problems before they get out of control.
• A safe herbicide-fungicide can be made from 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 4 tablespoons of Safer's soap (or 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap) mixed with 1 gallon of water. Spray infected plants in the evening after the sun goes down.

• Different plants need varying amounts of light.
• Most annuals can tolerate a full day of the blazing hot sun. They do well on a patio or deck.
• Other plants like ferns, tuberous begonias, or hostas grow best on a front porch or covered balcony where they can receive shade from the hot afternoon sun.