Container Gardening

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.