Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 124 5/24/17 11:14 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 125 5/24/17 11:14 AM

Text Black Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete #175 Dtp: 229 Page: 124

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 124 5/24/17 1:07 PM

125

chapter 3

Caring for Your

Containers

One of the most important things to remember

about gardening in any form is that plants are

surprisingly forgiving. A rhododendron pruned

into a meatball shape will eventually outgrow

its odd form, a small tree with hacked branches

will look fine once it’s properly trimmed, and a

perennial that was aggressively cut back by an

overzealous gardener will quickly outgrow even

the worst “haircut.” There are very few mistakes

you can make in a garden that can’t be corrected.

In this chapter, I’m going to share many plant

care tips and maintenance techniques, but be

aware that not a single one of them is carved in

stone. Yes, completing every task outlined in this

chapter definitely results in a gorgeous, healthy,

and productive container garden, but skipping a

few of them from time to time is not going to spell

certain disaster. Care for your containers to the

best of your ability, make mistakes and learn from

them. When things go wrong, remember: you can

always try again next year.

But although you can skip some of the following

maintenance tasks from time to time, there is one

job you absolutely cannot forget when it comes to

container gardening. And, because this one core

duty is so critical, it’s the first thing we’ll talk about.

WATERING

The vast majority of failed container-grown plants

are the result of the gardener either failing to

water or watering improperly. There’s no doubt

about it: if you want a beautiful container garden,

you have to make sure the plants receive regular

and consistent moisture.

How Often?

The irrigation needs of a particular container

are directly related to the volume of potting soil

contained in it. Smaller containers need to be

watered more frequently—so frequently, in fact,

Little containers like this clay pot hold a small

volume of potting mix and need to be watered

more frequently.

To reduce watering needs, select larger containers

whenever possible and make smart plant choices.

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