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Container Gardening You've decided to add some spark to your backyard deck by making some gardening containers. But where do you begin? The first thing to think about is what kind of a container do you want. There are many to choose from, but you should examine these with some practical issues in mind. Try to stay away from cheap plastic posts, since they will deteriorate over time, and will eventually crack. Terracotta pots are a better choice than plastic, but they tend to dry out quickly. The best type of ceramic pot that you can get are glazed ones, provided that they have adequate drainage holes. Wooden containers are a popular choice, particularly those that are made of cedar or redwood. Stay with these types since they are fairly rot resistant. Stay away from using railroad ties since they are treated with creosote, and can harm plants with their toxins. The size of your plants and the number of plants that you use will determine the size of your planter. Allow adequate room for your plants to grow - both at the surface area, and depthwise. 15-20 quarts is about the smallest container size to use. Small pots will not allow your roots to grow deeply, and will require you to step up your pots more than you need to. Lots of container gardeners like using a soilless potting mix because of its great drainage properties. It is free from weed seeds and soil borne diseases, which may result from getting planting mixes in bulk. Compost is always a great potting soil mix, though you can easily create your own mix by mixing equal parts of sand, peat moss and loamy soil. I have seen some people use pebbles at the bottom of their pots. I would suppose they think that this helps drainage, but it's really your soil mix that determines how good the drainage is. Just remember to water your plants deeply, so that the roots are able to absorb nutrients from the soil. Increase your watering during warmer weather, and use a diluted liquid fertilizer every other watering. If frequent watering is a chore, you may want to consider implementing a automated drip system for your containers.
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