Container Gardening Complete

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

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 46 6/5/17 2:46 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 47 6/5/17 2:47 PM

46 chapter 1

A Word on

Self-Watering Planters

For gardeners who want extremely low

maintenance, or whose lives are so busy they’re

afraid they won’t have time to water their plants,

self-watering containers are an excellent option.

Self-watering containers, also called subirrigated

planters, have a water reservoir beneath the

planting area. Water is drawn out of the reservoir

and into the potting soil through capillary action.

As the plants suck water up out of the soil, more

water is drawn up from the reservoir to keep the

soil moisture levels optimum without letting the

roots sit in water.

There are several brands of self-watering

containers on today’s market, with the EarthBox®^

being among the most popular. Irrigating plants via

this underground wicking action, rather than by

watering from the top, helps keep foliage dry and

can suppress certain fungal diseases. Though they

aren’t truly self-watering (you still have to keep the

reservoir full), using self-watering containers does

indeed significantly cut down on irrigation chores.

The only downside to these containers is their

cost. In Chapter 3, you’ll find step-by-step plans for

making an inexpensive DIY self-watering planter.

The EarthBox is one brand of self-watering planters

designed to cut down on watering chores. As long as

there’s water in the reservoir in the bottom of the pot,

the soil moisture level stays at the optimum level.

POTTING MIX FOR

YOUR CONTAINERS

The second pillar comprising the foundation

of a successful container garden is the growing

medium that fills the containers and supports the

plants. Potting mix, also called potting soil, is a

soilless blend of ingredients used to grow plants.

Often containing a combination of peat moss,

coir fiber, vermiculite, sand, perlite, pine bark,

compost, and other ingredients (but no “real” soil),

there are dozens of brands of commercial potting

mix on the market.

All good-quality potting mixes share the

following characteristics: they’re well-draining,

lightweight, and easy to handle. But each potting

mix definitely has its own distinct traits. There is

a wide variation in texture, nutritional content,

density, and water-holding capacity among

different potting mixtures, and some mixes are

better than others.

Which Potting Mix

is Right for You?

Before selecting a particular potting mix, spend

some time reading labels. Look first for an

indication that the soil mix was created for a

specific purpose. For example, lighter, finer-

textured mixes are best for use in seed starting;

mixes containing a high percentage of coarse sand

or pine bark are best for potted trees and shrubs;

and mixes with a sandy or gravely texture are

formulated for cactus growing. There are dozens

of specialized potting soil mixes like these, each

tailored to the needs of a particular group of

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Getting Started 47

plants, but for most container gardeners, the best

fit is a general, all-purpose potting mix.

Once you’ve read the label and made sure a

particular potting mix isn’t overly specialized,

delve a little deeper into the ingredient list.

Commercial potting mixes can be excellent, but

sometimes they are quite poor. You may open the

bag to discover the mix is too dense or too light;

or that the bag is filled with chunks of bark, or

that it’s a wet, smelly mess. Each brand has its

own formula, but most consist of a blend of the

following ingredients.

Sphagnum peat moss. The primary ingredient

in most commercial potting soils is sphagnum

peat moss. A very stable material, peat takes a

long time to break down and is widely available

and inexpensive. It bulks up potting mixes

without adding a lot of weight, and once wet it

holds water fairly well. Before blending it with

other ingredients, peat is typically treated with a

wetting agent to help it absorb water. Sphagnum

peat moss is well-draining and well-aerated, but

it’s very low in available nutrients and it has an

acidic pH, typically ranging between 3.5 and 4.5.

Limestone is often added to peat-based potting

mixes to help balance the pH. The environmental

impact of peat harvesting is a factor that may

influence some gardeners when they’re looking

for a potting mix. There is much debate about

whether or not peat harvesting is a sustainable

practice; if this worries you, use a potting mix that

replaces peat with coir fiber.

Coir fiber. A byproduct of the coconut industry,

coir looks and acts a lot like sphagnum peat, only

it’s much easier to wet. It has more nutrients than

peat moss and lasts even longer, but it’s more

expensive to purchase. Coir fiber’s pH is close

to neutral. Coir fiber is also sold in compressed

bricks. Container gardeners may have to look

harder to find coir-based potting soils, but they’re

worth seeking out.

Perlite. A mined, volcanic glass, when perlite is

heated, it expands, making it look like small white

balls of Styrofoam. Perlite is a lightweight, sterile

addition to potting mixes. It holds three to four

times its weight in water, increases pore space,

and improves drainage. With a neutral pH, perlite

is used in many different brands of potting mix.

There are many dierent types of potting soil and

some are tailored to the specific growing needs of a

particular group of plants. Read the label carefully to

make sure the mix is right for your plants.

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