Research

Too often plants are purchased before any thought has been given to the soil, sunlight, and drainage conditions of the patch. It is advisable to check what will grow in various sections of the land.

Soil Composition

Soil is made up of a combination of sand, silt and clay - sand having the largest particles and clay having the smallest (heaviest). The ideal proportions would be 40% Sand, 40% Silt and 20% Clay. By now you must be wondering how you will ever be able to find out what proportion your soil is made up of. Mr McGregor has this easy test. Dig a few holes and test the various soils by taking a fistful of soil. Squeeze the soil into a ball. If the soil is unable to hold its shape it is probably too high in sand. If it holds its shape, try pressing on it with your thumb. The ideal soil will break apart easily. If your soil doesn't do this, then it is probably too high in clay content. Solving inadequate soil composition is easy. Just add organic matter like egg shells, vegetable and fruit skins from your kitchen waste. If your soil is too high in sand or silt, you need to add a combination of compost, topsoil and peat moss. If your soil is too high in clay, add peat moss, compost and some sand (too much sand will spoil the soil). Sand used in addition to organic matter has the effect of breaking down clay soils allowing better drainage.

Sunlight:

We can control the quality of the soil and its moisture to a certain degree, however we can't influence the sunlight in certain sections of your garden. A garden on the south side of a building will remain in shade all year round, but luckily there are many great plants that will survive in such conditions. Choose carefully the suitable plants for the amount of sunlight reaching your patch. Plants that live under large deciduous trees only receive sparse sunlight. There are McGregor's seeds to suit any area. McGregor's Forget Me Not seeds will survive in conditions ranging from part shade to full sun. The packets will also display the correct season to plant - usually late spring, summer and early autumn. Seeds/Seedlings that require 'full sun' will require at least six hours of direct sunlight throughout the day. Look out for McGregor's vibrant marigolds and sunflowers which will grow wonderfully in these conditions and will add vibrant colour to your yard. Having a good idea of what sunlight reaches your garden is very important. Soil Moisture within a garden patch will depend on the climate, the area of the patch (e.g. bottom of a hill), and even within a patch there can be deviations in moisture levels. If an area of your section is wet you can make a raised plant box or you can fill the area with plants that thrive in wet areas. On the other hand, if there is a particularly dry area, select plants that will survive and thrive in those areas. A bad idea is to assume you will be able to compensate with frequent watering. Follow all the Garden Guru guides and you will find your new found hobby to be much more rewarding.

Watering

Rain water is great for the garden but during dry periods you will have to make sure you keep your garden well watered as water stress can quickly affect the health of your plants making them more susceptible to attacks by insect pests and diseases. Knowing when your garden needs watering can be a bit of an art, but generally if the top 15 -30mm of soil is dry then it is time to water. Avoid watering in the heat of the day. Early morning is ideal or in the evening. However, if you find a life or death situation then midday watering is better than having plants die. The McGregor’s range of watering products has a great selection of sprinklers, watering guns and wands to make watering your garden easier.

Planting

Proper planting and some common sense is paramount to the survival of new plants.
Preparation:

1. Dig a hole nearly twice the size of the plant's root structure. NB. For smaller plants such as perennials or bedding plants, use a trowel to create a small trench in which to place individual seedlings. 
2. Mix together some compost, peat moss with a bit of the removed soil. 
3. For large trees, generally don't correct the soil balance too much. This is because the roots of the tree will try fairly quickly to spread past the corrected area and, if the composition of this soil is significantly different from that of the surrounding area, the roots can have trouble getting past the barrier. For example in heavy clay soil the tree will eventually have difficulty once it reaches the clay after it has spread past the peat moss. Planting 
4. Place some soil at the bottom of your hole making a mound. You want the plant to be propped up slightly higher than the soil level as the plant will sink and compress after a few days of watering. 
5. Un-pot the plant by holding the top in place with one hand, turning it over and tapping the bottom of the tub to detach roots that may be stuck. If the roots had reached the wall of the tub they need to carefully loosened and nestled into the soil mound. 

Hint: As you fill the gap around the newly inserted plant, leave a moat around the edge of your hole. Fill the moat with water and after it has drained, fill it again several times. This helps the soil to settle, filling air pockets, and also dampens the roots.

Proper planting and some common sense is paramount to the survival of new plants. 

Preparation  

1. Dig a hole nearly twice the size of the plant's root structure. NB. For smaller plants such as perennials or bedding plants, use a trowel to create a small trench in which to place individual seedlings.  
   
   
2. Mix together some compost, peat moss with a bit of the removed soil.  
   
   
3. For large trees, generally don't correct the soil balance too much. This is because the roots of the tree will try fairly quickly to spread past the corrected area and, if the composition of this soil is significantly different from that of the surrounding area, the roots can have trouble getting past the barrier. For example in heavy clay soil the tree will eventually have difficulty once it reaches the clay after it has spread past the peat moss.
   
   Planting
   
   
4. Place some soil at the bottom of your hole making a mound. You want the plant to be propped up slightly higher than the soil level as the plant will sink and compress after a few days of watering.  
   
   
5. Unpot the plant by holding the top in place with one hand, turning it over and tapping the bottom of the tub to detach roots that may be stuck. If the roots had reached the wall of the tub they need to carefully loosened and nestled into the soil mound. Hint: As you fill the gap around the newly inserted plant, leave a moat around the edge of your hole. Fill the moat with water and after it has drained, fill it again several times. This helps the soil to settle, filling air pockets, and also dampens the roots.

Rain water is great for the garden but during dry periods you will have to make sure you keep your garden well watered as water stress can quickly affect the health of your plants making them more susceptible to attacks by insect pests and diseases. Knowing when your garden needs watering can be a bit of an art, but generally if the top 15 -30mm of soil is dry then it is time to water. Avoid watering in the heat of the day. Early morning is ideal or in the evening. However, if you find a life or death situation then midday watering is better than having plants die. The McGregor’s range of watering products has a great selection of sprinklers, watering guns and wands to make watering your garden easier.

Getting started with container gardening can seem difficult but it doesn't need to be complicated. In a nutshell all you need for SUCCESSFUL container gardening is; plants or seeds, a container, some good potting soil, plant food, plenty of sun and water. Container gardening doesn't need to take a lot of time, but it does require that you pay a certain amount of attention to your plants, on a regular basis.

Advantages of Container Gardening

For people with limited outdoor space, growing vegetables in containers may be the only way to go, but even people with a backyard the size of a football field should consider container gardening. There’s no weeding, less chance of soil-borne plant diseases and critters are less likely to be able to eat your vegetables.

Container gardening can be hugely rewarding. There is nothing more flavoursome or nutritious than picking your own fresh home grown veges or herbs.

There are a few basics to container gardening worth considering before you get started.

Style of Garden and Location: You shouldn’t be limited in what you want to grow. Maybe you want some colour on your patio or deck. Maybe you want to be able to pick fresh herbs to liven up your cooking, or maybe you want to go organic and grow most of the veges for the daily meals. Whatever you decide, work to your space and environment. When I decide on what to plant I think about what I like to eat and go from there. Having said that, corn or watermelon on a small deck may not be the best choice. If you’re short on ideas or not sure what grows where or when, check out the McGregor’s Seed Range there are lots of ideas to get you excited.

Types of Containers

A container for planting can be almost anything as long as it will contain the soil, drain freely and be able to move if need be. It will pay to get the right container for your plant choice, i.e Tomatoes are big feeders and may need staking so a larger container would be more suitable. Some ideas for containers may include; flower pots, buckets or pails, wooden boxes, wire baskets, larger food cans, wine barrels, plastic bags or even the old washing machine tub. Let your imagination go wild. My favourite for ease and versatility is the McGregor’s Pop-Up Bag. It is a good size to have a range of veges in one container, is free draining so you don’t need to put holes in the bottom and has carry handles to move it around.

Soil for Container Pots

There are a lot of potting mixes on the market which can be confusing when it comes to what is most suitable for container gardening. A couple of basic rules can be applied here which can help you choose.  Firstly plants need a soil mix which is reasonably PH neutral  and is free draining. Plants will thrive best if their roots can get enough air and water. Secondly the soil should be relatively sterile to reduce any unwanted soil-borne plant diseases and have a mixture of organic material to improve the soil fertility. A mix of one part compost to two parts potting mix is best for this. There are also vegetable potting mixes on the market which contain dolomite lime, blood and bone and sheep pellets to promote robust green growth.

Let’s get Planting

This is the fun part. You get to choose what veges you want to plant and before you know it you will be eating fresh from your container garden. Today there is an amazing range of vegetables available and many come in bush or dwarf varieties and can be easily adapted to growing in containers. There some straight forward options here when it comes to planting; seeds or plants? There are advantages to both but I prefer seeds as they are cheaper, you get a wider range of varieties and your will get to see the growing process from beginning to end. Kids love planting seeds and watching them pop up. The McGregor’s Gourmet Seed Range has some wonderful new varieties that will make your vege garden a talking point as well as a more tasty crop. You might like to try the McGregor’s Seed Mats and Tapes which are ideal for container growing. They come in various sizes and lengths. The seeds are spaced uniformly to enhance plant growth conditions and it eliminates the need to thin out plants. It is important to space your seeds or plants, I recommend 3 - 5cm apart depending on the variety. Check the McGregor’s seed section on the website for more planting information.

Maintenance and Growing Tips

Plants love water, but not too much. One of the issues with container growing is that they tend to dry out faster than in a regular garden environment, particularly during summer and in sunny locations. Plant soil needs to breathe and over watering will hinder this. The soil needs to be consistently moist so regular attention is needed to maintain this. Smaller amounts regularly will help. It is also recommended, to feed your young plants to help their early growth. McGregor’s has a range of both liquid and controlled plant food options that will make this easy. See the section on plant food for more information.

Tips and Tricks

Below are some added tips that I found useful when growing in:

 - If your soil is not draining well put some polystyrene chips in the bottom of your container before adding soil.

- Slugs and Snails love container veges as much as those grown in the garden and will even hide under your containers during the day. So make sure you spread some McGregor’s Snail bait around your pots to alleviate the problem.