Container Gardening Complete

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

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 168 5/24/17 12:17 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 169 5/24/17 12:17 PM

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169

chapter 4

Troubleshooting

There will be times when things don’t go as

planned in your container garden. Plants might

not perform as well as you’d hoped, combinations

might look more gaudy than expected, or

vegetable plants might not produce a single edible

morsel. Don’t worry; it happens to everyone. Keep

growing and focus on the things that did work.

The goal of this chapter is to walk you through

some of the troublesome issues you may face in

your container garden, and provide you with all

the tools you’ll need to quickly overcome them.

First, I’ll introduce you to several of the

common pest insects you might encounter,

with physical descriptions and photographs of

each pest, along with multiple easy-to-employ

control tactics for dealing with them. But I’ve also

included photos and descriptions of some of the

good bugs you’re likely to find. These beneficial

insects play a huge role in the health of your

plants and should be encouraged. Next, I’ll cover

twelve of the more common plant pathogens

and ways to combat them, along with several

physiological disorders that are easily remedied by

tweaking the way you care for your containers.

Keep in mind that for new gardeners, one of

the easiest ways to limit potential problems is to

start small. Don’t plant forty containers your first

year, and don’t spend a ton of money on fancy

containers. Instead, focus on growing a handful

of plants in recycled containers. The beginner’s

project that follows is a great way to dip your toes

into the world of container gardening without

feeling overwhelmed.

Beautiful containers like this one are the result of

much trial and error. Sometimes things don’t go as

planned, but don’t let that stop you from trying to

grow the best container garden you can.

With any luck, you’ll discover far more pollinators, such

as this green metallic sweat bee, and other beneficial

insects in your container garden than you do pests.

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