Container Gardening Complete

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

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 20 5/24/17 10:53 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 21 5/24/17 10:53 AM

STEP 7 After all the brackets are in place, mount the

gutters into them. Make sure the gutters overhang

the end mounting brackets by an equal amount on

each side—about 5 in. The method of attachment may

differ, depending on the type of gutter. Some will snap

down into the mounting brackets, while others may be

designed to screw in, and still others may simply rest

loosely in the brackets. Fill the gutters half-way with

the 50/50 blend of potting soil and compost.

STEP 8 Take the plants out of their pots and position

them in the gutters, taking your time to make sure

you’re happy with the layout. Then, fill in between the

plants with more potting soil mixture until the gutters

are almost filled. Be sure to leave a little headspace

between the top of the soil and the gutter’s edge to

keep irrigation water from running off.

STEP 9 Water the plants well. If you included herbs

or edible greens in your gutter garden, harvest them

regularly to keep them from growing too large for

the gutters. Keep your gutter garden well-watered

throughout the growing season as the small volume

of soil it holds will dry out more frequently than

larger containers.

NOTE: If you’re mounting your gutter garden on a brick

or concrete wall, you’ll need to adjust the bracket

mounting hardware. Instead of wood screws, use 2-in.

screws with masonry anchors. Drill a pilot hole for the

screw anchors at each of the marked locations using a

drill equipped with a masonry bit. Choose a bit that’s

appropriate for the size of the screw anchor you’re

using (this is often noted on the package they come in).

Then, insert a masonry anchor into each pre-drilled

pilot hole. Gently tap it with a hammer until the lip is

flush with the wall. Position a bracket over each of the

masonry anchors, lining the holes up, and use a drill

with a driving bit to screw the bracket into place.

9

7 8

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Getting Started 21

There are many qualities to consider when

deciding what type of pots to use in your

container garden. And, while physical appearance

is certainly a big part of the decision, there are

other, more important, factors to think about.

Let’s discuss each of them in turn.

Size

I’ll skip using the obvious cliché to stress the

importance of size when it comes to container

gardening, and instead, point out the reasons why

it matters so much. First, larger containers hold

more potting mix, and the greater the volume

of potting mix a particular container can hold,

the more root growth it’s able to support. A

happy, healthy containerized plant is one whose

roots reach deep to access nutrients and water,

spreading through the whole container with

plenty of room to spare. Plants with ample root

systems are less prone to stress and have better

overall health, making them less inviting to pests

and better able to fight off pathogens.

Plants whose roots are crowded and circling

around inside of the pot are called “pot-bound,”

and they’re more prone to suffer the ill effects

of root competition, drought, and nutritional

deficiencies. In other words, pot-bound plants are

under a lot of stress. Much like people, stressed

plants have weaker immune systems, making

them more susceptible to attacks from plant-

eating pests and disease-causing pathogens.

Choosing a container that holds enough soil

to support a year’s worth of root growth is the

easiest way to encourage healthy, productive

plants, no matter what you’re growing. Plants

grown in small containers often don’t reach their

full potential, but instead “max out” at a certain

height because their puny root system simply

can’t support any more top growth. In most cases,

vegetable yields are significantly reduced when

the plants are stuffed into pots that are too small.

There’s no doubt that containerized plants grown

in enough soil to fully support their root systems

perform the best.

Another big bonus of large containers is

the reduced need to water. Because bigger

containers hold more potting mix, they can also

absorb and hold a greater volume of water. This

The larger a container is, the more potting mix it can

hold and the more root growth it can support. Large-

statured plants require big containers.

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