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20. Container Plants In General
When you decide that you want to create a container garden there are a few things that you will have to consider before actually choosing your containers and your plants. You will need to decide whether you are going to create hanging containers or large planters for use on the ground. You will also need to learn more about what types of plants you want to grow when you are choosing your containers. Some plants will need lots of dirt, while others will require very little, which will help you choose the size and type of container that you need.
Another consideration that you will want to look at when you are choosing your containers is that: will the container leak on the flooring? If you have a wood porch or a special tile you may not want the water stains on the flooring, but if you have concrete or stone it might not bother you to let water drip out of the planter.
Along with the thought about water dripping out of the container, will the plants receive the light they need where you are placing it? If you are buying a full sun plant and placing it on the porch you may get half sun and half shade where the plant will not thrive as you would like it to. There are also full sun plants that will need at least seven to eight hours of sun a day which is something you must find out before purchasing a particular plant.
First time container gardeners must learn not to over water container plants. If the soil is still damp or moist, wait another day or two before watering this particular plant. The majority of failed container gardens come from over watering of the plants. Unless you are planting in soil taken from your yard, and the soil in very poor, you shouldn’t have to use fertilizers for the first year. Most often you will find that potting soil, manure mixtures and peat moss will have the nutrients that a plant needs to survive for the first year in a container. The second growing season is more important for fertilizers and added nutrients for container plants.
Learning more about your favorite plants needs will help you choose the container that is just right to maintain a healthy and beautiful flower or vegetable garden close to your home!
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