Why Grow Plants in a Container Garden?
Container gardening has so many benefits, it’s hard to believe more people aren’t doing it.
Container gardening is a great way to make the most of the limited space you have. Lots of people have houses or apartments with limited yard space. But with container gardening, they can enjoy plants virtually anywhere from their porch to inside their homes.
Many people have small container gardens in a sunny windowsill in their kitchen, or in a sunroom or spare bedroom. Some people even grow plants in a closet by using a grow light.
Being able to move your plants around is a real benefit of growing your garden in containers. When bad weather comes, you can move your plants indoors where they’ll be safe. Your plants can be moved with just a little effort if they are getting too much or not enough sunlight, or if you think they’d look better elsewhere.
Plants grown in containers don’t have the same issues with diseases that traditionally-grown plants have. Although some container-grown plants do get diseases, it is far less likely than it would be if those plants were grown directly in the soil. Potting soil is generally free of disease-causing organisms, so your plants will be safer.
Keeping your plants well-fed is also easier when they’re grown in containers. It’s much easier to ensure the fertilizer you use gets to your plants if they’re confined to a small area of soil. When you fertilize plants that are growing directly in the soil, the fertilizer may drain away or be absorbed by other nearby plants. This is not as likely when plants are grown in containers.
Of course, when the soil area is relatively small, there is a chance the fertilizer can be washed out of the soil faster. Because of this, you do need to fertilize more often than you would a traditional garden. But you can rest assured that your plants are probably getting more of the fertilizer before it does wash away than they would if they were in the ground.
You’ll also be able to extend the growing season of your plants when you have them all in containers. You can wrap the pots that your plants are in with blankets or other materials for insulation that will help keep them warm. This way you can easily start plants inside and then move them outside when it gets a bit warmer.
You can also use careful insulation to continue to grow plants after the first frost, and you can even bring plants indoors once it becomes too cold to keep them outside even if insulated.
One of the biggest benefits of growing your plants in containers is the fact that it makes gardening accessible to almost anyone. Handicapped individuals find growing their plants in containers makes it easier to locate plants where they can easily reach them. Many people in wheelchairs like to place their pots on a low table to make them more accessible. Elderly people who can’t work traditional gardens may find container gardening to be an excellent way to once again enjoy their favorite hobby.
Even small children find container gardening to be fun and easy, since they don’t have to have someone till the soil and there isn’t raking, weeding, and hoeing to worry about.
If your space is limited for gardening in a traditional landscape, then using pots instead is a great alternative to allow you to enjoy your plants.
August 06 2008 | Gardening | No Comments »