Start a Container Garden This Spring

If you’ve ever had an unsuccessful run at gardening, you may have had issues with soil, pests, mistiming the seasons or several other factors. While failure gives knowledge, container gardening can be much easier way to shorten the learning curve.

Container gardening can be anything from starting seeds in small trays to transplant outside all the way up to gorgeous edible creations with ornate pots and vases.

The Perks of Container Gardening

If you own a manufactured home but rent your land, gardening in this fashion is a great way to grow your own food and landscape a beautiful yard without upsetting your rental agreement. 

If you plan on tackling a garden outside, starting your plants in containers will reduce the risk of losing plants to insects and bad weather while also giving your plants a longer season to produce.

Endlessly adaptable, gardening in containers means that you don’t have build a raised bed or rehabilitate soil in your yard to have a productive yield. Just find a suitable container, fill with soil and follow directions for your particular plant. You can even start container gardening indoors in the winter with a cold frame container!

Getting Started

To take on this new endeavor, try something that is hardy and fast growing. Plants like tomatoes, bell peppers, and greens like kale produce a high yield and are not easily killed.

Despite what you may have pictured already, those burnt orange terra cotta plants tend to be too porous for vegetable plants. Instead, opt for a glazed ceramic pot with drainage holes and a base tray to keep moisture from building up at the very bottom of the soil. 

Container gardening gives you a lot of control over the factors that will affect your plant. For example, a light colored pot in direct sunlight will offer your plant lots of light while the pot will reflect heat and prevent the soil from becoming too hot and promoting bacteria growth from excess moisture. 

While the flexibility is liberating, do not think that you have to have it all figured out! See what gives you the highest yield, but a healthy mix of soil and a large enough pot will likely end in fresh vegetables in your home.

Now as you get ready to start your garden,pick which vegetables and herbs you want to plant in your new container garden.