CONTAINER GARDENING

  The origin of container gardening can be traced to China where Bonsai was started and it is also visible in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Containers used can be various shapes and sizes and could be made of metal, clay, wood etc.

BENEFITS OF CONTAINER GARDENING

CONVENIENCE Convenience of container gardening stems from the fact of being mobile and the person has easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

ECONOMY Initial investments may be high but once they are done with future costs in terms fertilizers, plants are minimal. Finally smaller spaces results in lower costs.

TIME With people getting busier day by day and gardening being a time consuming affair container gardening is a blessing in disguise. It reduces the time required to be spend looking after the plants.

DISPLAY Well planned and placed containers can also be used for the purpose of beautification of the house.

REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTAINER GARDENING

APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS Containers are available in various shapes and sizes. All containers should have appropriate number of holes for the purpose of proper drainage. The size of the container depends upon the plant selected. For e.g. shallow rooted crops like radish, pepper needs a container at least six inches in diameter with an eight inch soil depth.

FERTILIZERS Use appropriate amount of fertilizers as the soil is limited. Overdoing it will kill the plants.

LIGHT REQUIREMENTS The amount of light the container receives would determine which plants can be potted in the container. The amount of light available can be increased with the help of reflective materials such as placing marble chips, aluminum foils around the plants.

WATER REQUIREMNTS Special attention should be paid to watering the plants as the volume of soil is small and containers can dry out quickly. Watering may be necessary once or twice a day. Clay and other porous containers may need frequent watering as they allow additional evaporation from its sides.

MEDIA A lightweight soil mix is successful in container gardening. Soil picked up from gardens cannot be used as it is heavy and it uses too much moisture.

PLANT CATEGORIES USED IN CONTAINER GARDENING

EDIBLES

FRUITS

VEGETABLES

HERBS

ORNAMENTALS

BULBS

PERENNIAL FLOWERS

EXOTIC FOLIAGE

ANNUAL FLOWERS