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There are countless advantages of raising your own vegetables and container gardening is a method that allows you to plant utilizing small area inside pots or containers. The gardening process works in a similar way as traditional gardening does, the only difference is that you grow vegetables in pots instead of your garden.
Container gardening is definitely an entertaining experience for gardening enthusiasts and provides a way to plant veggies within limited space.
Guidelines for starting a container garden:
Before you start off it is advisable to plan accurately. Here are few good tips for all garden fanatics. Selecting pots: You can pretty much make use of anything discarded from your kitchen with exception to metallic containers.
For instance, you may go for plastic trays, jars, boxes etc. Best pot material can be treated wood drums, baskets, gallon cans, clay pots and ceramic containers.
You can also buy many designer pots from garden centres, these range from small pots, trays, and hanging baskets, to huge man-sized pots that can hold a small tree.
Soil type and its consistency greatly affect your plants' growth. Research is good before you select the soil type. Each plant requires different kind of soil so make sure you select the right one. Soil should be light in weight and it should not allow weed growth. Use synthetic soil with suitable amount of nutrients and saw dust in it.
In container gardening, you may opt for soil-less planting like organic soup or fertilizer. It is useful as it is light in weight and allows easy drainage but contains lesser amount of nutrients. So if you decide to have soil-less gardening you have to check for nutrient balance on regular basis.
It is vital that you find a suitable area for gardening. For example, patios, hanging pots in porch, balconies etc are some of handy places. Ensure that pots are placed in area where they get sufficient sunlight. Mostly plant requires 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily.
The place must be easily reachable and not too high so that you can manage them. Also figure out whether you have enough space to rotate plants as some plants like spinach and cabbage grow in shades quite well. If you are planting indoors you have to leave the container in sun for sometime or you can place them near windows where they can get the required heat and sunlight.
For better growth you need to water the plants once or twice a day. Soil must be able to retain adequate amount of water in it. Make sure you do not over water them.
Making home-made organic nutrient for plants is a great idea and can be made very easily. It is very cheap and remarkably effective! All you need to do is collect vegetable and fruit scrap, add tea leaves, dry leaves and paper in it. Wash them with fresh water, do not use soap.
Now pour water in a discarded drum or bucket and add the scrap/leaves in it. Let it boil for about half an hour or until you see half of the water left in the bucket. Then separate the soup from ingredients and let it cool down. Your home-made organic soup is ready to be used.
Many different kinds of plants and even trees can be grown in containers. Plants like egg plants, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, radishes, peppers, lettuce and cherry can grow beautifully inside pots.
Lemon trees, pomegranate trees, orange trees and flower trees are best to be grown in containers. First you have to buy a tree, position a suitable sized pot for it, get the soil and plant it. These trees grow with very less care and give your home a fresh cool fragrance.
Use these techniques and your research to create a nice miniature container garden.
See also
Container gardening advice - images of pots