Container Preparation
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Since containers are heavy once they're filled with soil, decide where they will be located and move them into position before filling and planting. If keeping them watered during the day is a problem, look for sites that receive morning sun but get shaded during the hottest part of the day, even if you're growing plants for full sun. Afternoon shade will reduce the amount of moisture plants need.
While your containers must have drainage holes, it's not necessary to cover the holes with pot shards or gravel before you add potting mix. The covering won't improve drainage, and pot shards may actually block the holes. Instead, prevent soil from washing out by placing a layer of paper towel or newspaper over the holes before adding mix. If your container is too deep, you can put a layer of gravel or Styrofoam in the bottom to reduce the amount of potting soil required.
Plain garden soil is too dense for container gardening. For containers up to 1 gallon in size, use a houseplant soil mixture. For larger containers, use a relatively coarse soilless planting mixture to maintain the needed water and air balance.
Pre-moisten soil either by watering it before you fill containers or by flooding the containers with water several times and stirring. Be sure the soil is uniformly moist before planting.
If you are planting a mixed container, ignore spacing requirements and plant densely; you will need to prune plants once they fill in. For trees and shrubs, trim off any circling roots and cover the root ball to the same level as it was set at the nursery. Firm the planter mixture gently and settle by watering thoroughly. Don't fill pots level to the top with soil mixture — leave space for watering.
Our Best Container Gardening Ideas
Grasses and succulents have great textural contrast, so they make the perfect visual and textural combination for a container garden. Begin with something called 'Amazon Mist' sedge grass—which is not in fact actually a grass at all, but from a different plant family—which then combines wonderfully with creeping sedum and purple echeveria for a container planting that varies in shape, height, texture, and color. Here, the echeveria brings in tones of red, orange, as well as the purple, all of which pick up and play off of similar tones in the sedge. The succulents, low and full, also contrast the sedge's light, airy, and wavy texture.
Container Sizes
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Keep in mind that it's easier to grow plants in large containers than small ones. That's because large containers hold more soil, which stays moist longer and resists rapid temperature fluctuations. Small hanging baskets are especially prone to drying out, and during hot summer weather, you may have to water them twice a day to keep plants alive.
It's also important to decide what plant you want to grow in each container. Several factors help determine how large and deep the container must be. Consider the size and shape of a plant's root system; whether it is a perennial, annual, or shrub; and how rapidly it grows. Rootbound plants, which have filled up every square inch of the soil available, dry out rapidly and won't grow well. Choose a large pot or tub for a mixed planting, one that will offer enough root space for all the plants you want to grow. Light-colored containers keep the soil cooler than dark containers.
The maximum size (and weight) of a container is limited by how much room you have, what will support it, and whether or not you plan to move it. If your container garden is located on a balcony or deck, be sure to check how much weight the structure will safely hold.
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