Organic gardening has been gaining in popularity, with people getting health conscious by the day. Organic gardening has been keeping pace with all the trends. One such trend that is gaining popularity is container gardening. Excellent for people who do not have a large area to spare on a garden, container gardening is also getting popular among those who have land to plan a garden. Because of the flexibility and creativity it offers gardening in planters is in-fashion now.
Following are the guidelines which you can follow to plan organic container gardens;
Picking Out the Right Container
You can easily find a wide range of containers in nurseries; but why not use some recycled cans or buckets so your venture can be strictly organic? Anything you can find around your house would be good for planning an organic container garden. Be careful to not use a can that is prone to rusting due to the weather conditions.
Make sure that your can or bucket has sufficient holes for drainage. If your container does not already have any holes, drill some. Plants start to wilt because of over exposure to water.
Organic Fertilizer
You can find off-the-shelf varieties of organic fertilizer in many stores or you can make your own organic fertilizer at home. Mix regular garden soil, sand and good quality compost in equal portions also add some nutrient rich
agents. Make sure that the pH level and nutrients are balanced in your fertilizer to maximize productivity.
The Right Plants
Most decorative plants prove to be ideal for organic container gardening. Vegetables and fruits can also be easily grown in pots and cans if the right conditions are provided for optimum growth. With 6-8 hours of sunlight, regular watering and maintenance almost any variety of plant can be grown in garden pots.
Planting Your Plants
When planting, mix some water with your home made or premixed potting soil in a bucket. Place your plants in the container and start filling your can or pot with soil. To avoid overflowing while watering, do not fill the soil up to the edges of your planters.
Watering
Plants in containers require more frequent watering as compared to those grown on the ground. During dry and hot phases you may have to water your plants a couple of times in a day. You can arrange a self-watering setup for your containers as well.
Pest Control
When applying commercially made organic pest mixtures, try to spray them on cool evenings instead of hot days. They can damage the delicate leaves of the plants in the process of killing pests. For a homemade pest prevention spray you can mix water with some detergent and spray the infested leaves and plants with it.
Maintenance
For maintaining a fresh look for your gardening container, regularly prune it and remove any roots and leaves that can harm your plant. If you think that a plant has no hope of getting better from a disease or pest attack, remove it and plant something else in its place.
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