Organic Container Gardening Tips

Organic container gardening can be done even in the smallest apartment. Gardening in this way gives you a fresh supply of herbs that are chemical-free as well as decorating your apartment or patio.

You can control your herbs environment by moving the pots into the sun or shade whenever needed, giving you the chance to create perfect conditions for growing herbs even in poor climates.

Another advantage of organic container gardening is that you can give the herbs just the right soil and nutrients to thrive and do not have to depend on garden soil for a great harvest.

Potting Mix
Herbs do well in potting soil because it is free of insects and diseases that might be found in the regular garden soil. Garden outlets and landscape places sell organic mix, or you can mix your own soil. Just blend equal parts of:

– natural compost like dry cow or horse manure
– purchased organic potting soil
– washed coarse builders sand.

Containers
Next, in establishing your organic container gardening is to clean the pots with soapy water and rinse them out well as this minimizes any chance the pots become contaminated. Then line the bottom of the containers with pottery shards or small rocks and fill them 2/3 full with the soil. Allow some space for inserting the plants, then finish filling the pot with soil and remember to leave two inches of space under the rim of the pot for watering the herbs.

Pests and insects
One of the advantages of organic container gardening is that it attracts fewer insects than herbs grown in a conventional garden. If you do get insects however, spray them with some soapy water or some leftover black tea.

Favorite Herbs
Organic container gardening is easy and gives great results provided that the basic requirements are met. Some ideal herbs for organic container gardening are mint,oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram and basil, which grow well in pots.

Invasive herbs
Be careful not to grow the more invasive herbs together with slow growing herbs like sage. Mint is an example of an herb that should be grown in its own pot because it does eventually take over the space thus preventing the other plant to develop fully.

Organic container gardening takes only a little effort and in return it will beautify your home, provide a wonderful aroma and fresh healthy herbs to enjoy.

Herb Gardening Secrets
A powerful step-by-step guide to cultivating a successful herb garden the Right way.
Herb Gardening Secrets

Container Gardening

Container gardening is quick becoming a favorite with a lot of
gardeners. Generally you will find people living in apartments
and condos without any lawn area are container gardeners. You
will see flowers, tomatoes, lettuce and herbs spilling over the
railings of balconies. However, the popularity and ease of
container gardens has spilled over to homeowners.

Although the majority of container gardens are seen around
decks, patios and porches, you can have a container garden
anywhere, even spread among your yard based flower garden. Some
gardeners use container gardening to add accents to spots in
their garden that may be thin while awaiting perennials to
bloom. This is also a way to help achieve just the right color
scheme for your garden. Annuals in containers are a way to add
color to your perennial garden all season long.

A lot of people now seem to use their gardens as extensions of
their homes, adding garden ornaments and furniture, with some
people creating garden “rooms”. These gardeners are also finding
the variety, shapes, and sizes of containers helps them pull
together specific garden themes. Garden containers come in a
wide array of colors from unglazed orange clay to bright and
brilliant emerald and blue. There are containers that are made
from wood, metal, plastic or resin.

Using a container garden can also help you and your plants and
flowers co-exist happily together. With container gardening you
can see that each flower receives the correct amount of light,
or shade to make it thrive. It’s also easier to have greater
accuracy when watering as you do it dependent on the needs of
each plant. The rule is that you should first feel the soil, if
it’s dry, pour water into the container just until it starts to
come out of the bottom of the pot. Wait about one half hour then
dump the excess water out of the saucer.

At the end of the summer your favorite plants and flowers can be
brought inside to be enjoyed until they can be safely put out
for the next year

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Organic Container Gardening – Simple and Easy Ways to Grow Vegetables and Flowers in Pots

Organic container gardening is an excellent way to grow flowers and vegetables at home. It has removed the limit that associated home gardening with a large yard space. It makes possible for urban gardeners to grow plants in their high-rise apartments and compact condominium units. It is so space efficient and beneficial that even countryside gardeners still have some plants growing in pots despite owning a sizeable garden area.

The biggest and obvious difference is that instead of planting directly in the ground, you’ll be using containers to grow your plants. But using containers is where the added benefits come into play.

Containers double as barriers protecting plants from soil-born diseases and pests larvae that are present in the soil. It offers flexibility to move plants around as and when needed, to protect from unfavorable weather conditions such as hot summer and freezing winter days, for example. It allows for easier plantscaping, giving you more freedom to design a functional and attractive organic garden, as often as your whim dictates. Best of all, organic container gardening makes it possible to bring your garden indoors where you can enjoy the same benefit as you would outdoors.

And if that’s not enough, growing plants in pots is also fairly easy and requires no special effort. To illustrate the point, here are seven simple ways to grow vegetables and flowers in containers.

1. Choose the size of the container based on the size of the mature plant and its root system. Plants with expansive root system need large containers. The size and material of the container affects its ability to hold moisture. But moisture-retention capability can be improved through the soil or by lining pots with non-porous and non-absorbent materials. Choose decorative pots with provision for collecting drained water for indoor plants. Choose durable containers that can withstand the elements for outdoor gardening.

2. Ensure that containers are fitted with enough drainage holes to prevent standing water. Line the bottom of the container with coarse gravel to ensure proper drainage.

3. Start with a good standard potting soil mixture. Add compost to the potting mix to supply nutrient to the plant. Use organic liquid fertilizer to give your plants instant boost. Use slow-release fertilizers for a steady and longer nutrient supply.

4. Place plants in containers where they can enjoy adequate sun exposure everyday. Five to eight hours are recommended depending on the plant’s light requirement. Turn your plants regularly for equal exposure of all side to the sun.

5. During extremely hot days, move your plants under a shade to avoid wilting. Consequently, move them indoors to protect them from frost once winter sets in.

6. Water plants in containers more frequently than you would plants in the ground. Containers can only hold relatively small amount of soil and dry out quickly. Don’t water too often. Overwatering will suffocate the roots causing them to rot. Frequent watering also washes away the fertilizers in the soil. Don’t wait until your potted plants start to wilt before you water them.

7. Maintain 1:1 plant-container ratio for bushy flowering plants and vegetables. If you’re going to grow more than on plant in a container, make sure that they have the same sun, water and fertilizer requirement. Don’t have too many plants in a single container. Overcrowding impedes good air circulation that plants need.

How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

Crassula ovata or Jade plants are shrubby succulent plants that make excellent choices for dry gardens and container plants.  Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and succulent plants has become popular in dry areas or places where water conservation is a concern.  Jades have thick, deep green leaves sometimes tinged with red on the edges. The leaf shape, like the name ovata implies, are oval from 1 – 2 inches long.

Crassula ovata develop thick, fat trunks that have an aged look and will eventually grow up to 8 feet tall.  In late winter jade plants get 3 inch clusters of light pink to pale salmon flowers with five petals. These perennial plants are drought tolerant and only need water once a month or so.

Indoors, succulent jade plants make good houseplants in containers.  They prefer bright, indirect light and can take a few hours of direct sunlight but they are also adapted to low light.  In a pot, Jade stay small and can even be used for bonsai.  Crassula ovata is sometimes confused with Crassula argentia, which has a similar growth habit, but has silvery grey leaves.  Crassula are usually not bothered by insects or disease.  The biggest problem crassulas face may come from over watering.  This will result in a soggy brown, rotting trunk.

In the garden, drought tolerant jade plants will grow in light shade to full sun.  In hottest desert areas, crassula do better when they don’t have an entire day of full sun.  Crassula ovata are hardy to 41 degrees (5 degrees centigrade).  A light frost will show up at brown dots on leaves.  Overhead protection is usually enough to protect succulents during a light frost.  Heavy frost, or a deep freeze will turn leaves brown and shriveled.  Frozen leaves will fall off, or you can brush them off with your hands.  If the plant branch or trunk is not damaged, new sprouts should form in a few weeks.

Green jade plants are able to live off rainfall alone in many areas.  In my southern California garden, crassula are happily growing in both full sun and shade, in heavy alkaline, clay soil.  You can see photos of flowering jade plants at http://www.theGardenPages.com .

To root cuttings like jade plant or gollum jade, start with a 5 or 6 inch cutting.  Bury about half of the stalk in soil.  This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better.  Keep the soil moist (like a squeezed sponge).  After a month, cut back to monthly watering.  The leaves will probably shrivel a bit as the plant forms roots: it is living off the stored energy in its leaves.  This is normal.  You may also lose a few leaves, which is also normal.  The plant will start growing again and may even flower in a year.

Visit at http://www.theGardenPages.com to see crassula plant photos and read about more plants that are versatile and easy to grow.  Their winter bloom make jade plants a great addition to any garden or home.

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Planting Your Container Garden

There are so many horror stories from novice and experienced gardeners about using an incorrect soil mixture for their garden planters and containers.  Here is the best advice that we have culled from many sources, especially from those growers that specialize in container plants.

Bagged commercial potting mixes are the very best choice for filling containers.  These mixtures contain a variety of ingredients, including composted bark, sawdust, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or sometime real soil which is usually pasteurized.  Some container mixes also contain fertilizers, and if you wish your planters and pots to be organic, you will want to avoid those.  Although perfect loamy soil may be used as an ingredient for your homemade potting mix, most ordinary garden soil is not suitable.  It is too heavy and compacts easily in pots and planters and doesn’t drain properly.

Here are some suggestions if you wish to create your own container mixture – 100% compost, 100% soil-less mix, 25% garden soil with 75% compost or soil-less mix and we have also seen 50% soil-less mix and 50% compost.  There are a lot of variations; however, garden soil may contain weed seeds or pathogens that cause plant diseases.

Initially, you will need to purchase enough container soil to fill all your planters and urns, but you may cheat a little the next year and just replace half the soil from the previous year and top-up for the next year.  This may be false economy and it is very good practice to replace all the soil every year and then you know that you have the best conditions for your new plants.  Just add the spent soil to the compost pile or the “old” soil to pot up those plant sale donations.

Your very large planters and pots may be cumbersome to move around, so consider setting them in position before filling them with your potting mix.  Even with the lighter pots, it is often easier to fill them where they will eventually reside.  Just move around with your container mix and plants and fill up your planters with those flats of beautiful new flowers, herbs and perennials.

A long lasting container mixture is the perfect medium for long-term plants such as woody plants and perennials.  Use one part:  peat moss, composted bark, compost, sand and perlite.  If your compost is too heavy, just add more perlite to ensure good drainage.  You can use extra compost for mature plants; however, it may be too rich for young plants and could damage their delicate roots and stems.

If you are considering Cacti and Succulents for your planters and containers this year, they certainly use less water; this is a soil mixture that may be considered.  Start with five parts perlite, 4 parts bagged potting soil, 1 part coarse sand and a pinch of rock dust. Once your plants are in, just top dress with small rive rock, gravel, aquarium stone or a fine grade of gravel to keep the crowns of the plants from rotting.  To increase the acidity (succulents thrive in acid soil), add a tablespoon of white vinegar to 5 gallons of water when watering.

To sum up, always moisten potting mixture before filling containers.  Pre-moistening is essential, potting mix may be difficult to wet and you may end up with pockets of soil that stays dry.  This dry soil will just pull the water right out of the plant roots and damage them. Some gardeners even consider pre-soaking their plants before filling the pots and containers.

Learn Indoor Container Gardening Today!

If you are a garden lover, but have limited space for your gardening needs, don’t despair gardening shouldn’t be necessarily out of your reach. In the spare space of your flat say balcony, patio, deck, or sunny window, you can create an indoor container garden, which will not only bring you pleasure but also herbs. So, are you ready to start indoor container gardening yourself…

A long time ago, gardening was an exclusive realm of the yard owner. These days even the flat dweller can plant his dream garden without having much problems. One’s dream can be accomplished by container gardening, which means the gardening in a special container. This type of gardening gives you the joy of landscaping without weekly mowing. In the container, you can raise some perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees.

Don’t think container gardening can be achieved very easily? Then its best that you stop reading this article as you will have to do a little work. Container gardening requires adequate planning just like that of traditional gardening. Planning entails of researching information on the different plants, amount of daylight you are getting in your apartment, and also choosing your beloved plant variety.

It is usually advisable to purchase the plants from your nearest nursery unless you have the right conditions to go for indoor seedlings. You shouldn’t keep the tender plants of container gardening outside below a temperature of around 45° F or in strong winds.

There is a misleading belief that all plants grow in the ground and cannot survive in a container. This is incorrect. Also, any container with holes for drainage can be used for your container gardening. 

There are numerous pot growing vegetables varieties for container gardening. Providing sunlight and water can easily help you get succulent veggies for your ratatouille or salad. You can even get more satisfaction by serving these varieties nurtured by your own hands to your beloved friends.

Don’t worry if you do not have a balcony or deck. Get nod from your landlord for window boxes, a newer type of container for this type of gardening. It is highly possible to grow a variety of bloomy annuals year-round and indoor vegetables by your sunny window. There is another type of garden called community gardens, which will satisfy the city dwellers.

There is no reason to end your container gardening because you have entered autumn. You can continue your container gardening by planting the plants that are resistant to the cold. The common plant types that can survive the frost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc.,

In order to extend the life of your garden from late spring to early fall; you can replant to suite the conditions. You can also have healthy plants during winter if you have an indoor container garden!

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Container Gardening For Those On A budget

Like any other hobby, container gardening can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be and during times of financial hardships could be a good alternative for those on a budget. For those who like to get their hands dirty but don’t want to spend a fortune, container gardening is the best option.

Container gardening can be enjoyed by everyone no matter how old you are, no matter how much you know about gardening or whether or not you have a garden or just a window box to cultivate.

This sort of gardening has become a very fashionable American hobby, for some even a passion. As they are not only easy to manage but also they create excitement in your garden decor. They can also create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies.

With just a few container gardening tips you can have great success both enjoying a most pleasurable pastime and reaping great rewards with little effort.

The main focus of any container gardening at first is choosing the type of container to use. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and practically anything can be used including, tubs, buckets, old sinks, shoes, and even barrels cut in half.

When beginning to plant up garden containers and gardening pots make sure your soil is perfect for the plants you choose to grow. Remember to use a soil based compost when planting into containers and to keep your containers from accumulating moisture in the bottom, drill at least one hole. Once the container is set up, maintenance is the next important step in container gardening. Remember that a box garden, or container garden, may need more water than a garden, as they can dry out very quickly especially in direct sunlight or on hot days.

Container gardening makes it possible to position your plants in areas where they can receive the best possible growing conditions. Again check what sort of conditions your plants like the most; some prefer shade whereas other thrive in direct sunlight.

There are so many different plants suitable for container gardening that I would need a complete book to name them all. But herb growing is a favourite amongst container gardeners as it not only provides an attractive display but also delicious food to eat. Smaller containers are ideal for cultivating herb container gardens. Some suggests for your container herb garden are

Chives – Like moist, rich soil and plenty of sun
Basil – Likes moist soil and grows quickly and easily in warm soil.
Thyme – Likes warm and fairly dry soil.
Mint – Likes moist soil and shade.

You could use a very big container for a several different herbs or choose individual pots to plant herbs separately. 

Some strawberry varieties can also be grown inside and if planted in a pot with small holes evenly distributed over the pot, can make a dramatic container gardening flower visual. If you are growing strawberries inside remember that your containers will need a reservoir tray, as they like to be well watered. 

Container gardens can also be given as great and inexpensive gifts to family and friends. Decorate your own container and grow them some herbs or plant a few vegetables for them. It not only makes an inexpensive gift but is a rather novel idea, one which will surprise and delight your friends. You could even make up a small attractive basket or box of gardening items, such as gardening gloves, kneepads or even a shady hat, all available from dollar and pound shops.

Container gardening is a very versatile, fun, easy way to get into gardening and growing your own food, especially for those on a budget.

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Container Herb Gardens – A Great Way To Grow Herbs

Herb gardens are so useful, versatile and easy to grow that they make an excellent addition to any home. Unfortunately not everyone has access to a spacious garden to grow their herbs in. This is where container herb gardens come in. They are great because you just need enough space for a few containers, and you can grow the most wonderful herb garden! What’s more, if you ever decide to move house, you can simply take your container herb garden with you!

So where do you start? Well, the first thing you need to do is consider what sort of herbs you would like to plant. To help you decide this, you might want to think about what sort of dishes you like to cook or what you will be using your herbs for. To give you some ideas, the following is a list of commonly used herbs in the kitchen:

Rosemary – Very fragrant and flavoursome herb that goes well with meat dishes. Can also be used to flavour oils.

Basil – Great with tomatoes and often used in pasta dishes. Also commonly used in Thai dishes.

Mint – Very aromatic herb. The leaves of this plant can be dried and used to make refreshing mint tea.

Chives – Especially good sprinkled raw over salads and over roasted potatoes.

After deciding what herbs you would like to plant, you want to go and get the following supplies:

• Container/s
• Potting Mix / Soil
• Seeds and/or herb seedlings
• Spade
• Watering can
• Fertilizer

If you are just starting out, you might want to use herb seedlings as they require less work than growing your herbs from seeds.

Once you have gathered all your supplies together, it’s time to start creating your container herb garden!

Fill your container with soil and add a little fertilizer to prime the soil and enhance the growing environment. (Note: If you have purchased liquid fertilizer then you can just add it to the watering water later on.). The amount of soil you put in depends on whether you use seeds or seedling to plant your herb garden. In general, if you are using seeds, fill your container to about 1 inch from the rim so that you will have room to cover your seeds with a little additional soil.

Always check the instructions on the seed packet as they will usually give you more detail on how best to plant your seeds. If you are using seedlings on the other hand, you want to cover the base of your container with only a few inches of soil so that you can fit the seedlings in. When you have arranged all your seedlings in the container you can fill the spaces around them with more soil.

As with seeds, you also want to follow the instructions that accompany your seedlings. If your seedlings to do come supplies with instructions, you can try looking up the information on the internet. These instructions are important for telling you the best growing conditions for your herbs. You might need to move your containers around to give them access to sufficient sunlight to help them grow.

Finally when you are done, give your containers a good water! And of course do not forget to water your herb garden over the coming days.

Follow these step and it shouldn’t be long before you have beautiful and bountiful container herb gardens just brimming with delicious fresh herbs!

Organic Container Gardening

Organic container gardening is really not as difficult as it sounds—you simply have to make sure that the herbs, vegetables, fruits or flowers you plant are not infected by toxins or pesticides, and choosing an organic seed variety is one of the best ways to do that. Here are some tips for organic container gardening that will help you to plant your own healthy container garden.

One of the first things you should do when you’re considering container gardening the organic way, is the soil. The soil is the foundation of a good garden, so it should be high-quality soil or possibly organic soil. Feeding soil with a compost mixture is also a great way to make sure you are creating lush green plants that you can be proud of. Things like fish heads, dried leaves and grass can go into the soil to provide additional nutrients and to make your crops healthier. This way, your plants will grow without being stunted by chemicals and you won’t have to re-plant your crops due to contamination.

You also have to choose a healthy plant or plant groups to start your organic container gardening with. The quality of the nursery where you purchase the plant from, as well as any evidence of stem damage will help you determine the quality of the plant. Also, this will give you an idea of what you can expect once the flowers or herbs you are tending to are full-grown. You should also check the plant for weeds—even if you are moving the plant to a new pot for container gardening purposes, you should keep in mind that the weeds are fighting with the plant for soil nutrients and this makes the plant weaker.

Finally, guarding your plants against pests and impurities is also another important part of organic container gardening. Even though your flower seeds may be of good quality, you’ll need to set up barriers so that insects can not eat away at the plant while it is growing, or lay eggs in the soil that will stunt the growth of the plant. Organic pesticides will work in some cases, but you can also use things like foil collars around the container garden pots to keep worms out, or placing the containers around places where ladybugs live, since they will eat the harmful pests that come near the plants. Sticky traps will also help you to catch flying insects and prevent them from eating the leaves in your organic container gardening masterpiece.

Find More Organic Container Gardening Articles

Vegetable Container Gardening – Can You Grow Just Any Vegetables in Containers?

Vegetable container gardening is a fast-rising trend, particularly among vegetable growers that do not enjoy the luxury of big backyard spaces. And if you’ve had some success with container growing, you can’t help but wonder: Is it possible to grow any vegetable in containers?

Technically speaking, it is possible as long as you provide them with the basic conditions for growing plants. But vegetables are grown not for their beauty, scent or medicinal application. They are grown to be eaten. And as with any type of food, we always prefer the bigger, tastier and healthier (although not always) variety. So the underlying question should be: Is it possible to grow any vegetable in containers that will yield big, great-tasting produce?

The answer is most likely but can be very difficult at some extent. Why? Because not all vegetable are suitable for container gardening. Some can be easily grown in pots while others, although possible, will require too much effort and yield very little success. Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, peppers, beans, eggplants, radishes, lettuce, and zucchinis are among the best plants for pot growing. Vegetables with large produce such as squash, pumpkins, corns and melons are better left planted in the ground than in containers.

If you’re really bent on growing vegetables in containers, you must always consider the size of the root system and how much space they will need, and how much the plant will grow upon maturity. These things can help greatly in determining what type and how big your container should be. And since they do not have more soil to grow on, you must also compensate for the other things that they need such as nutrients and water. Potted plants, especially vegetables usually require twice as much as fertilizer and water than they would if they were planted in the ground.

But in general, most vegetables do well in organic container gardening. Miniature or dwarf varieties are instant favorites but regular plant breeds are also favored because they produce bigger crops. Tall and viny vegetables like some indeterminate type of tomatoes and beans, must be fitted with stakes to support their height or placed near a vertical structure where they can climb. Crops that develop in the roots like carrots and radishes must be planted in deep containers. Vegetables that bear “fruits” such as cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants should be grown alone in their containers.

Vegetables container gardening is not nearly rocket science. If you’ve grown some plants and vegetables, you’ll probably do well growing vegetables in container. But you must also remember that some plants are more suitable to grow in the ground than in pots.