Mar 21st, 2010
How To Care For A Container Garden With Garden Pots
Ensure a successful container garden with some basic gardening skills. If you start with the containers, make sure any garden pots made from porous materials (such as wood or terracotta) are sealed with a quality water sealant on the inside of the pot. Otherwise, a lot of the water meant for your plants will be soaked up by the pots.
Water
Not over watering is just as important as it is not to underwater. Placing a bowl or saucer underneath your garden pots will catch any extra water and keep the water from rotting and staining your deck or patio. Filling the saucers up with water is the best way to water your container garden. By doing it this way, you avoid over watering and you keep the water from spilling over the top rim of the saucer. The water actually feeds the roots of your plants by seeping up through the garden pot’s hole in the bottom.
You can also choose to water your plants on the top surface. If so, make sure to fill it a little at a time (about a cup or so) and keep an eye on how much water ends up in the saucer. Its best not to overfill the saucer. Your plants will always welcome a fresh spray of water from a hand sprayer. If you have really hard water from your sink, use bottled or rain water so calcium won’t build up on the leaves.
Plant Food
Since pots are generally small, the nutrients in most potting soils don’t last much more than five or six weeks. Therefore, you will need to replenish the soil with vital nutrients. Plant food generally comes in liquid or granular forms. Slow-release granules are recommended as they last a long time and keep a steady supply of food going to the plants.
Pest Control
Systemic and Contact insecticides are the two main types. The first, systemic insecticide works by pouring it right onto the soil where it gets absorbed through to the root system of the plant. From here it goes right up the stalk and to the leaves where it is ingested by the bugs when they eat.
The other type, contact insecticide, is sprayed directly on the pests. You may need to repeat this method depending on how much infestation there is but contact insecticides work rather quickly.
With sufficient monitoring and loving care, you are sure to have a thriving container garden with satisfying results.
David Haines has been working in gardens since his early childhood. He has always been interested in learning new gardening and landscaping techniques and helping educate others. If you would like to know more about the subject of garden pots, visit AllGardenPots.com
