CONTAINER GARDENING

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CONTAINER GARDENING

• A Passion for Pots
• Elaine Dill, Master Gardner
• Lakeway Garden Club

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Why Garden in Containers?

• No yard? No soil? Pets?
• Portability
• Neatness
• Accessibility
• No weeding
• Attractive
• Highlight or mitigate home or yard elements

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Selecting A Container

• Large enough for root mass of selected plants
• Good drainage
• Clay, wood, concrete, fiberglass, plastic,
  polycarbonate, styrofoam, hypertufa
• Use pot feet or other material to elevate pot off
  the ground
• Unusual containers

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Placement

• Sun or shade according to plant needs, avoid full
  sun
• Container size, weight, color design
• Single pot or grouping
• Raise pot if necessary for visibility
• Accessibility of water
• Consider weight and drip pattern for hanging
  baskets

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Minimizing Water Loss Heat Gain

• Use plant saucer to retain water, pebbles
• Mulch
• Light colored pots
• Clay, wood, fiber baskets hold less heat than
  ceramic or metal
• Insert one pot inside another
• Group containers so lower plants shade pots above

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Growing Medium

• Not garden soil!
• Drainage aeration
• Hold moisture nutrients
• Weed/pest free
• Lightweight
• Appropriate environment for different plant types

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Plant Selection

• Annuals begonia, coleus, geranium, impatiens,
  nasturtium, pansy, pentas, petunia, zinnia, vines
• Perennials daylily, dianthus, ferns, ornamental
  grasses, salvia, lantana, plumbago, verbena,
  roses, ivy
• Bulbs canna, caladium, narcissus, elephant ears

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Plant Selection continued

• Herbs chives, sage, mint, oregano, marjoram,
  parsley, thyme, basil
• Trees fruit or ornamental, dwarf, slow-growing
• Succulents agave, aloe, euphorbia, sanseviera,
  hens chicks

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Vegetables

• Light requirements leafy greens need less
  sunlight than root or fruiting plants.
• Pot size minimum for tomatoes is a 5-gallon pot
  (with attention to appropriate application of
  water fertilizer), preferably larger.
• Plants which mature quickly make good container
  candidates.
• Combine vegetables and ornamentals.

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Maturity Dates

• Radish 21-24 days
• Mustard greens 30-35 days
• Lettuce 40-50 days
• Green onions 45-50 days
• Spinach 45-50 days
• Turnip greens 40-50 days
• Summer squash 45-55 days
• Kale/collards 50-60 days

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Suitability Scale

• Excellent beets, carrots, cucumber, lettuce,
  mustard greens, green onions, pepper, radish,
  tomato
• Good broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage,
  cauliflower, eggplant, potato, kale/collards,
  sweet potato, spinach, summer squash, swiss
  chard, turnip

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Design Elements

• Thriller centerpiece, tall, season-long
  interest, sets tone for composition
• Filler billowy, adds mass, grouping of 3,
  coordinates color texture, hides bare knees of
  thriller
• Spiller graceful droopers, softens edges, roots
  container to site, last piece of the puzzle

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Potting

• Cover drainage hole(s) with broken pot pieces.
  Do not add a layer or rocks or other medium.
• Mix pelletized time-release fertilizer at root
  zone in planting medium.
• Fill pot halfway with potting medium and add
  plants from the middle out.
• Fill in with potting medium to 1 from top of pot
  so that plants are at same level as in original
  pot.
• Water well mulch if desired.

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Watering

• Amount depends on container, potting medium,
  temperature, wind.
• Use water wand or attachment on hose to soften
  impact cover all surface area.
• Water from top of pot until water runs out bottom
  of pot.
• Frequency check soil moisture (not just
  surface) before watering.
• Timing early morning is best in evening dont
  wet foliage
• Drip irrigation individual pot emitters
• Dont use water from a water softener.

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Fertilizing

• At planting time add timed-release pellets to
  planting medium.
• Use higher nitrogen (211) initially to promote
  foliage growth.
• Maintain with lower nitrogen (121 or 122)
  water-soluble formula for flowering or fruiting
  plants. Dont use dry granulated fertilizer
  which can burn plant roots.

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Fertilizing continued

• Organic nutrients seaweed, fish emulsion,
  compost tea
• Foliar feed or drench
• Make concentrated stock to keep on hand.
• Water first dont add dry fertilizer to dry
  potting mix.
• Dont foliar feed in hot sun or late evening.

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Maintenance

• Check containers frequently for soil moisture
  drainage, weeds, pests, or diseases.
• Prune deadhead plants appropriately to contain
  growth or promote flowering.
• Clean previously used containers with soap
  water before replanting.

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Winter Care

• Wet pots can crack or chip in freezing weather.
• Roots can freeze even if plants are considered
  hardy when planted in the ground.
• Cover plants entire pot with blankets or towels
  (plastic only second layer, no lollipops).
• Plants need less water fertilizer.

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References

• Debra Lee Baldwin Succulent Container Gardens
• Sam Cotner Container Vegetables The Easy Way
  to Garden
• Rob Proctor Herbs in Pots, The Indoor Potted
  Bulb, The Outdoor Potted Bulb
• Sydney Eddison Gardens to Go
• Joyce Fingerut Rex Murfitt Creating and
  Planting Garden Troughs
• Fine Gardening Magazine Special Publications
• Byron Martin Laurelyn Martin Logees
  Greenhouses Spectacular Container Plants
• Ray Rogers Pots in the Garden Expert Design
  and Planting Techniques
• Paul Williams Container Gardening Creative
  Combinations for Real Gardeners
• Jim Wilson Landscaping with Container Plants

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• Travis County Master Gardeners Association
• Help Desk 512-854-9600
• www.tcmastergardeners.org
• Daphne Richards
• Travis County Extension Agent - Horticulture