Resources for Container Gardening
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Pots/Containers- Types and Sizes
- nearly any container that will hold soil can be used to grow plants in- but always be sure that it has holes in the bottom for proper drainage
- for a rundown on commonly used pot types, click here: https://morningchores.com/container-gardening/
- different plants require different sized containers. For a chart of commonly grown vegetables/flowers and container sizes, click the link below:
- https://greyduckgarlic.com/Container_Gardens.html (scroll right to the bottom of the page)
Soil For Container Growing
- Do NOT use garden soil for containers- it will not drain properly. Instead use potting soil. For beginners, I’d highly recommend using a balanced Miracle-gro soil. I’ve found it very difficult to find a quality organic soil. Yes, we do grow all of our garden-ready vegetable plants and seedlings for the farm in organic soil. But we ended up mixing our own organic potting soil at one point, out of frustration with the inconsistent quality of commercially available organic mixes.
- You can also mix your own soil using compost, topsoil, perlite/vermiculite, lime, and bloodmeal
- Placing gravel in the bottom of your container before adding your soil can help with drainage, especially if you have a homemade mix a little on the heavy side
- If you are using your own compost to make a home made potting soil, be sure that it is fully composted (not heating anymore). This can help prevent issues such as damping off.
- Mulch can be used as a final layer on containers to help retain moisture
- Transplants (pre-grown seedlings) generally perform better than direct seeding into growing containers.