   Container Gardening - July 21, 2004 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County Whether you have limited garden space, poor soil, or simply want to visually enhance an area, container gardening is always a winning idea. Container gardens provide an instant landscaped look, add color, and the shape, size, and color of the container can be used to compliment outdoor living spaces. Beginning gardeners can use containers as “training wheels” to become more comfortable with gardening. I’ve been in contact with several Verde Valley residents that grow Meyer lemons in containers moving them outdoors in summer and indoors to a bright, sunny spot in winter. Containers come in a range of shapes and sizes ranging from expensive, decorative materials like terra cotta (unglazed red clay), glazed ceramic pots, and concrete to less expensive whiskey barrels, plastic pots, bushel baskets, and even recycled bulk liquid containers. Porous containers will dry quicker in summer but retain moisture in winter making them more prone to cracking during freezes. Hanging containers and wire baskets lined with sphagnum moss or coconut fiber may better suit your space. Adequate drainage is critical to container gardening success. Water logged soils have no pore spaces for oxygen necessary for healthy plant roots and unhealthy roots are more susceptible to disease. Drill holes in the bottom of containers without existing drainage holes. Larger containers require more drainage holes. Container inserts are available if you plan to use decorative containers without drainage holes. However, the insert should not be in direct contact with water. Many container gardeners use sterile, soilless potting mixes containing peat, perlite, vermiculite and other materials. These are excellent for providing adequate aeration and nutrients. Native soils are not recommended because they are usually high in clay and inhibit drainage. Disease organisms can build up in container soils - especially when annual plants are grown. It is a good idea to replace soilless mixes with new, sterile material every year or so. If a soil-borne disease is suspected, you should also soak the pot in a 10% bleach solution and rinse well before replanting. A container should accommodate the roots of the plants when fully grown. Larger vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, cucumbers, and beans should be planted in five-gallon containers or larger. Herbs grow well in smaller containers. With flowers, a general rule is the larger the height of the flower, the more root mass is produced thus requiring a larger container. Combinations of annual flowers, bulbs, herbs can really look outstanding. Look in your favorite gardening books and magazines for interesting ideas. Containers require frequent watering because the exposed sides result in more evaporation. Plastic containers do not dry out as quickly as ceramic, especially unglazed ceramic pots. Even plastic containers may require daily or twice daily watering as plants grow larger. Do not allow containers to dry completely or fine roots will die. The use of water-holding polymers or gels, mixed with the soil before planting, can increase the amount of water held and extend the time between irrigation. Given the limited soil volume and frequent drainage, container plants require periodic fertilization. Time release or diluted liquid fertilizers are a convenient method to keep plants looking healthy and producing flowers and fruit. Frequent irrigation and fertilization forces you to visit your containerized plants often. This is a good thing because it forces you to observe their progress, slow down, and enjoy your outdoor living space. Colorado State University Cooperative Extension has an excellent web publication on container gardening publication at: www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07238.html. Much of the above information was excerpted from this source. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 ext. 14 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |