If you have little space for full-scale gardening, but you still want the rewards, the SAE container gardening is for you!

The advantages of growing plants in containers are many. If you have poor garden soil, growing in pots allows you to provide the perfect growing medium. Or maybe you live in an apartment where there is no soil at all, only a small patio or balcony to garden on, if that. Then gardening in containers is the perfect solution, indoors or out.

Almost any container of any size can be adapted for container gardening, but a few rules of thumb do apply. Select containers that suit your home. They should be made of material that will not rot, will hold soil, and have drain holes, and they should be light enough to move easily.

Almost any container of any size can be adapted for container gardening, but a few rules of thumb do apply. Select containers that suit your home. They should be made of material that will not rot, will hold soil, and have drain holes, and they should be light enough to move easily.

For best results, use potting soil specially formulated for container use, such as one with a mixture of peat, perlite and vermiculite. Never use top soil or common "backyard soil" that lack aeration, drainage and nutrient characteristics that are necessary for container plants

If you are repotting, or container gardening :

1. Select a pot or container with drain holes that is one or two sizes larger than the old one.
2. Remove the plant from the old pot. If the roots are tightly wound, gently slice the sides of the root ball in two or three places.
3. Add a layer of potting mix to the bottom of the new pot and insert the plant stem or root ball. Fill with more potting mix and press lightly. The plant should be at the same soil level as it was originally growing, and there should be ½ to 1 inch of space from the top of the mix to the lip of the pot.
4. Water to thoroughly soak the potting mix, then allow to drain.
5. Feed with a water-soluble plant food two weeks after repotting, or planting.

Plants grown in containers require more plant food and more water than plants grown in the ground. The root systems of potted plants can’t go searching for more water or more food. They are confined to the container and are at your mercy for these nutrients. It’s easy to feed and water your plants at the same time using water-soluble plant food mixed in your sprinkling can or hose-end feeder.

Keep in mind that it is easier to care for a few big pots than it is to care for several small ones. And, you can put a small shrub in the center of the pot as a backdrop for flowering bulbs or annuals. Many dwarf evergreens, azaleas, or rhododendrons are perfectly happy being confined to a pot for years and will look nice all winter, long after the flowers are gone.

For a home SAE interscape project,  you can place two matching pots on either side of the front door for a formal look. Hang a pot outside the kitchen window, so the blooming plant can be seen from inside and out. Line the driveway or walk with pots. Wherever you decide to put your container gardens, keep them close to where you will be able to enjoy them and see them often.

Written by Teri Hamlin, 2002

Here are some tips for keeping them healthy and happy.

Match plant and container. Just about any plant can be grown in containers, from flowering annuals to small trees. Of course, the bigger the plant is, the bigger the pot needs to be, but try to keep the two in proportion. A small plant in a big pot looks just as funny a huge plant in a small pot. Not to mention that a large plant in a small pot is almost impossible to keep healthy.

As plants grow, transplant them into gradually larger pots (in mild winter areas fall is the ideal time to transplant). Containers come in a myriad of styles and materials so you'll have plenty to choose from. Just make sure they have drainage holes in the bottom. Otherwise, roots will drown.

One of the most important thing is to be creative with your container gardens. There really is no limit to what can be done in a container, only the limits of your imagination.

Consider the following guidelines when choosing your container.

Avoid containers with narrow openings. Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes. Wooden containers are susceptible to rot. Redwood and cedar are relatively rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting. Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta or other toxic compounds since the vapors can damage the plants. One advantage of wooden containers is that they can be built to sizes and shapes that suit the location.

Use containers between 15 and 120 quarts capacity. Small pots restrict the root area and dry out very quickly. The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots. Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss. In hot climates use light-colored containers to lessen heat absorption and discourage uneven root growth. Set containers on bricks or blocks to allow free drainage. Line hanging baskets with sphagnum moss for water retention. Keep baskets away from afternoon sun. If you choose clay pots, remember that clay is porous and water is lost from the sides of the container. Plants in clay pots should be monitored closely for loss of moisture.

Ideas for plant in containers

 Since a container is designed as a focal point in the garden, this is a unique opportunity to make a bold statement and to use colors and combinations you might not ordinarily choose. A great start is to plant ornamental grass for height and foliage texture as a container focal point. Then surround it with traditional flowering perennials.

Choose a flowering plant for long-season color... perhaps a long blooming perennial such as Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam,’ or Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'. Select a plant with attractive foliage as an accent, such as a Hosta, or something with silver, burgundy, gold or variegated foliage.

Choose another plant with a different foliage texture from the first two, but perhaps with either a complimentary (i.e. similar and blending well) or a contrasting (i.e. shockingly the opposite) flower color. Finally, choose a selection for filler plants. These could be several trailing plants to spill over the sides, or perhaps something with a delicate, airy sort of habit. Grasses for containers: Use annual grasses that make a show in one year, such as purple fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum', that dark purple arching plant that gets about 4' tall with numerous long purple-pink slender "foxtails". It sets no seed and is killed with a hard frost, but it loves the heat and will do very well in a container on a sunny porch or patio.

Photos for Ideas on Container Gardening

 Books:

Gardening Without A Garden ~ Gay Search -- (Paperback - 13 April, 2000)

"Ground Force" Container Gardening ~ Charlie Dimmock -- (Paperback - 2 May, 2002)

DK Living: Container Gardening Through the Year ~ Malcolm Hillier -- (Paperback - 1998)

"Readers Digest" Container Gardening for All Seasons -- (Hardcover - 26 October, 2001)

Container Gardening Encyclopedia ~ Sue Phillips -- (Paperback - 15 July, 2002)

Websites:

Georgia Extension Service: Contanier Gardening : www.ces.uga.edu

www.my-container-garden.com : Learn the basics of container gardening. What types of containers should you use? What kind of soil is best? And what plants should you grow?

http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm : Here are the basics of container gardening from the resource libraries at GardenGuides. Includes lists of flowers and vegetables that can be grown in containers.

http://www.learnfree-home.com/container-gardening: Container gardens open the door to a world of horticultural possibilities. Get the right pots and plants and turn any spot around your home into a breathtaking exhibition of natural beauty.