Container Gardening By Eddie McKie South Region Ag Ed Office, Tifton, GA Modified by Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office June 2002

Container Gardening Excellent for a small area Gardens can be grown inside or outside. Offers endless opportunities to enhance our living environment. Offers creative opportunities. Provides you with a few options that are unavailable with permanent plantings. *Ability to move the container around.

Containers Need to include a drainage hole(s). Desired plant needs to match the container. *If the plant is tall, the container needs to be tall. *If the plant is short, the container needs to be short. Containers need to be coordinated with the plants to compliment surrounding décor or architecture. Old coffee cans, old buckets, wheelbarrows, homemade wooden boxes or plastic, glazed or terra-cotta pots can be used for containers.

Other types of Containers Pots Wastebaskets Aquariums Waterproof bushel baskets Washtubs Hollowed-out logs Crates with black plastic and holes for drainage Bowls Crocks Urns Tubs Barrels Cans Pans Chimney flues Baskets Cement blocks Old pair of work boots

If you build a wooden garden box, use rot- resistant cedar or redwood for the containers. *Do not use creosote or most other chemically preserved wood that might leach chemical into the growing media. -CCA treated wood is usually chemically stable. Terra-cotta pots are porous and can leach water. *Plastic is impermeable and therefore needs less watering. *Plastic is less expensive.

Eight Rules for Creative Container Gardens 1It’s your garden! Use any container you want or can find. There is nothing stop you from using anything you find. 2There are very few plants that can not be grown in a suitable container. This includes trees and shrubs, climbers, perennials, ferns, and bulbs as well as more commonly grown annuals and tender perennials

3Once you decide to grow plants in containers, you must never neglect them. You must give them the right conditions in the first place and continue to provide these throughout the life of the plant. 4Containers look better in a group. Unless your container is exceptionally decorative, a group of containers makes a far better feature than a single pot. Pots can be added and replaced as required, the group refreshed and new combinations can be tried when you get tired of seeing the same arrangement.

5Grow permanent plants in their own container but combine single season plants. Can be bent, but is worth remembering better to use one plant per pot and group the pots. 6Provide winter protection and guard against spring frosts. Even in a mild climate, you must be concerned about the container and roots freezing during the occasional cool spells.

7Don’t place permanent plants in overlarge containers. Put in smaller containers and move the plants up as they get larger 8Don’t be frightened of using containers extensively. Remember - It is your garden, you can do whatever you want.

Soil Types The choice of growing media is extremely important. It must have the capability of holding water, but it must be porous and drain easily. Ordinary garden soil is a poor type soil since frequent watering compacts it, restricting root development. Garden soil increases the risk of insect infestations and soil borne diseases and fungi.

The ideal growing media is a commercially prepared “soil-less” media. *Composed of the following materials: sphagnum or peat moss sand vermiculite and/or perlite lime minerals and nutrients *Light weight *Relatively expensive

Commercial potting soil is acceptable *Can be expensive also *Sterilized media *Heavier textured *Composed of the following: soil sand sphagnum peat moss compost perlite or vermiculite either chemical or organic fertilizer material

Cost can be a factor when needing a large amount of potting media. *Can be offset by filling the container about half full of styrofoam packaging P-nuts and filling the rest of the container with the potting medium. Container should be filled to within 2 inches of the top.

Choosing Your Plants Think about the situation. *Will the plant be ion the shade or in the sun? *Will the plant be exposed to the wind or will it be in a conservatory? *Choose a plant that is right for the environment in which it is to grow in. Low-growing plants are best for container gardening. *Less susceptible to wind damage. *Take up less space.

Planting Should be planted twice as thick as you would if you were planting in the open. *Will fill-in the container quicker *Must be intensively managed anyway (watering, fertilizing, etc..)

Your container will need at least five hours of direct light each day Light is critical to growth. *Short-day plants flower when there is only hours of light will not flower with excess light *Long day plants require at least 14, and preferably 18 hours of light to flower these plants are best frown under fluorescent light

Suitable Plants for Container Gardening

Suitable Vegetables for Container Gardening

Other Plants That Can Be Grown in Containers Impatiens Torenia Dusty Miller Caladium Hostas Lilies Liriope Astible Junipers Dwarf Hollies Viburnums Japanese Maples Birch Bracenas Scheffelera Hibiscus

Crotons Ficus Lilies Daffodils Iris Bougainvilla Mandevilla Almanda Ivy Clematis

Watering Plant’s in containers will dry out much sooner and need watering more often. In an exposed location, container plants lose moisture quickly. *Some plants will need to be watered daily especially during hot, dry weather Over-watering is the most common reason for container plants dying. *Do not water the plant if the soil media is moist

To determine when the plant needs watering, stick your finger down into the soil and if it is dry water the plant thoroughly. The best time to water plants is in the morning. *Allows leaves and soil to dry out, preventing diseases & viruses

Fertilizing Frequent watering will wash the plant food out of the soil and the plant will deplete the limited soil nutrients rapidly, so a regular feeding program should be established according to the type of plant. –During the growing season, either a slow release type plant food (osmocote) or a soluble complete fertilizer should be used every two weeks(Peter’s Special, Miracle-Gro., etc).