Container gardening is a very worthwhile specialization within organic gardening. There are so many things that can be done with containers and containers can help gardeners increase their harvest by many times. People who have severe space limitations can also do quite well with containers. Here is some container gardening information for daily use.
Why Use Containers when Organic Gardening?
Many people don’t know of the great benefits of containers so they don’t try to use them. Yet, containers are easy to use and look very attractive in a garden space. Most plants do very well in containers and may be moved to different locations to acquire shade or sun. Plants can live for years in properly maintained containers.
The Downside of Containers
Of course, containers do have drawbacks. One problem with organic gardening with containers is running out of water. Another is accidentally saturating the container with too much water, which can drown the root and kill the plant. Also, soil can be depleted quite quickly in containers. If the container is not deep enough for the roots then the plant will not thrive.
What Can be Planted in Containers?
Most fruit and vegetables may be grown in containers. It is impressive that even small fruit trees such as dwarf varieties may be grown in large and deep containers successfully. There are even container-grown dwarf apple trees that are now popular in organic gardening and bear fruit well. Almost anything may be cultivated in a container but the plant must be nourished properly.
Getting a Great Container Harvest when Organic Gardening
It is possible for a container to produce a great harvest. The soil will have to be fed either through a composting process or an organic fertilizer. Keep the water level appropriate. Be sure to harvest beans and peas quickly to encourage the plant to keep bearing. Maintain a close watch on the container plants and they will give an outstanding harvest. Many people even have to can and freeze produce because they wind up with so much harvest and it is all from container bound plants.
For anyone who is interested in organic gardening, containers can be very useful. There are pluses and minuses to the idea of doing organic gardening in containers. So many plants do well in containers that it is worth the effort. It is by all means possible and likely that with the proper effort and care, a container garden may yield an impressive harvest.
Source:
Kruger, A. (2002) Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York, NY: DK.