Thursday, January 15, 2015

A Guide To Container Vegetable Gardening

By Kristen Baird


As the world population rises by the day, there is increased pressure on food producers. The capacity to grow more food is reducing as a result of various reasons. These reasons include diminishing availability of arable land, soil pollution and poor weather conditions. The need to have food on the table has made people turn to container vegetable gardening to feed their families. This method of growing crops is ideal for those people living in urban centers where there is limited land for farming.

The biggest challenge encountered in container gardening in Elmira NY is watering. Potted soil dries out faster than the ground. To avoid or reduce this problem, make use of the largest pots you can find. Such large containers can be use to grow plants that do well in similar soil conditions. All the pots being used should have holes for drainage.

Have a plan for watering the plants. Some containers have reservoirs at the bottom that allow the roots to reach the water. This will eliminate the need for regular manual watering, but you will still be expected to fill the reservoir at the bottom of the pot. Make use of other methods of preventing water evaporation such as mulching.

It is advisable to start your container gardening by growing herbs. Herbs are easy to manage than other vegetables. Do not forget to grow each herb in its proper condition. This calls for you to research in order to find what is right for each plant you intend to grow. It is easy to get all the details of handling these plants.

The location of the pots is very important. Potted plants should not be exposed to very hot sunshine as they tend to wilt and dry faster than those growing on the ground. After identifying where to locate the pots, consider how much sunlight the place gets. If there is too much sun, consider putting a shade over your plants.

Unlike growing crops on the ground, you have control on the plants when using containers. In case the weather becomes frosty, you can move the crops indoors. If they appear not to be doing well in the current location, shift them to a more suitable place. Some crops can even be grown indoors if you have areas with bright sunshine.

You do not need to spend money buying containers. You can convert virtually everything around you for growing plants. Check out the items on sale in yards and other such places. There are very many things in the home that can be converted to vegetable growing. Put your creativity into use and you will have so many options.

Before considering growing any plants, it is important to understand its characteristics and ideal conditions for it. Consider the season in which these plants do well. If you plant in the wrong season, your entire crop will be destroyed. This can be frustrating and lead to loss of time and money. Where necessary, you can consult experts in this area for professional advice.




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