Container gardening 101 where should I start?

13 years ago

Ive decided to try my hand at container gardening with perennials (and maybe the occasional tomato or bell pepper). I could really use some advice, tips and/or warnings before I get started.

Right now, my dilemma is choosing the correct container size. I have a lot of cheapie, clay-colored, plastic pots that I can start in. There are 6-six inch, 3-eight inch, 2-twelve inch, 1-fifteen inch and 1-twentyfour inch window box (which is much bigger than I thought, once I started filling it with soil). I like to "watch things grow" so I purchased several 4-pack cells and a couple 4inch starter plant and plan to repot them. Problem is, I donÂt know which size pot to put them into once I buy them. I want to give them "enough" room to grow but not too much that it becomes a waste of space. Any suggestions on what to use as a rule of thumb for choosing the right size container for the right size plant? The plants Ive purchased so far areÂ.

Hens & Chicks

Pachysandra Terminalis

Japanese Painted Fern

Moonbeam Coreopsis

Plantain Lily Hosta (aureomarginata)

Sentimental Blue Balloon Flower

Bath's Pink Dianthus

Palace Purple Coral Bells

Autumn Joy Stonecrop

Sweet Woodruff

Ajuga (a purple leaved variety & one with more greenish brown leaves)

I had planned on using the soil from my yard as a potting medium. I had it tested so I know what the pH, available nutrients and %clay/sand/loam is but does knowing that info even matter in container gardening? Is using turf soil a bad idea? If so, what should I look for in a potting soil? Also, any suggestions or "veteran" advice on things I want to keep in mind for the future? Thanks in advance :-)

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Comments (5)

meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
Welcome

I left you a link at the bottom of the page you might want to read before you use soil in your container...:-)

Just to "keep in mind for the future"..

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: A soil discussion
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
What Mike said.

Al
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First of all... wonderful pictures, everyone! Thank you for sharing them all! Beautiful trees, flowers, and other living things! I love it! Second... why do I plant my bulbs as shallowly as I do? Because there's no reason to bury the entire bulb when it's in the controlled environment of a container. The important plant to medium contact point is the basal plate, from whence the roots grow, and that part of the bulb is sufficiently buried. I like to keep the majority of my amaryllids planted shallowly for a few reasons... some amaryllids actually grow more as epiphytes in their natural habitat, I like to see what's happening to my bulbs, and having them above the surface level a bit allows for ease in keeping them groomed. Most bulbs settle in once planted, and either draw themselves down or lift themselves up a bit as their roots grow, to suit their growth habits. It's more of a habit for me to place them rather shallowly, mainly because of past experiences with saturated bagged soils and a propensity for Hippeastrums to rot in excess moisture. So, there are many reasons why I tend to plant amaryllids shallowly in pots. If I could grow them in the gardens, I'd place them deeper... well, most of them.
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Hi, MD! The zone you list is usually published by the USDA or other agencies and refers to frost dates and other weather conditions in your part of the US. It isn't a Burpee thing, and all of us live in various US zones. Since you're in California, you need to Google "California planting guide". You should find several sites online that give approximate planting dates for what you're interested in growing. Then for each plant you're interested in, Google "Growing tomatoes", etc. You can also search GardenWeb for information about growing specific vegetables -- there's tons of information here, too. But maybe most important, since you need to grow things in containers, you should go to the GW forum linked below. Read those posts if they seem relevant. The kind of growing soil you use is critical to success as well as the kind and size of containers for various plants. The weather and exposure of the plants to the sun is important, too. I'd start small and keep notes. You have too many questions to answer all at once, but that's okay! Maybe somebody can suggest a good book on growing vegetables in containers, too. Good luck and have fun! Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
13 years ago
And once you've got the soils figured out (ditto the need for fertilizing and attention to watering), then I'd suggest you check out some books on container gardening at your local library or one of the many special interest magazines on the market devoted to container gardening. Half the fun of gardening in containers is combining plants to make an attractive design - just ajuga or pachysandra in a container can make for a rather boring display but pairing up the hosta, the painted fern and the ajuga or the sedum and the hens and chicks together will increase the interest considerably. An added aspect is matching up the plants to an appropriate container that accents their habits and growth patterns - like a flatter dished container for the low, spreading hens and chicks or any other suucculent type plants you might want to include.
Do some research on the plants you plan to pot up and learn how big they are likely to get, how they grow and what type of conditions they prefer (sun/shade, moist/dry) and then select an appropriate container size and suitable plant partners.
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dtownjbrown
Original Author
13 years ago
MeyerMike - Thanks for the heads up on choosing the right soil (wow that's some heavy reading). The plants I purchased were starting to look sad so I rushed out late last night and purchased some "professional" potting mix from one of my local dollar stores. The ingredients list on the back of the bag says: Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Organic Compost (from wood fiber), Pine Fines, Perlite and Dolomitic Limestone. I havent fertilized any of them yet because Im afraid I'll burn them or something. Any suggestions on a goof proof fertilizer?

GardenGal - I really appreciate the library tip. Thanks a million. I picked up the only three books that were available on the subject at the library across the street from my house (how convenient, right?)...and boy, do I have my work cut out for me. The reason I considered container gardening in the first place was because I havent been having any real success with my flower beds. I didnt realize the whole "design" element to container gardening....but I love it!!! Im planning to hit the yard sales and thrift stores today so I can find some neat things to use as containers (Ive already drilled some holes into several tupperware chip & dip bowls that I think will work well for the hens & chicks). Any suggestions for other uncommon items that would make for "interesting" containers?

Also, while reading one of my books, my interest was piqued regarding the layering technique used for spring bulbs. I have a huge ceramic pot on my front porch that I currently use for storing large garden tools. Its ridiculously heavy (even empty) so it sits hidden in a corner behind a burning bush and thus gets NO direct sun. Any idea what bulbs I can plant in it that would still bloom under such shady conditions?
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Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
13 years ago
Check out the Hypertufa forum here. You can make your own "designer," containers any size you wish. Here is a video on the subject!

Here is a link that might be useful: Video on making Hypertufa Pots
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Container gardening 101 where should I start?

Comments (5)

meyermike_1micha

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Container gardening 101 where should I start?

Comments (5)

meyermike_1micha

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

Related Discussions

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

dtownjbrownOriginal Author

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dtownjbrown
Original Author