North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Surry County Center

Post Office Box 324
210 North Main Street
Dobson, NC 27017 Successful
Container Gardening
336-401-8025 (phone)
336-401-8048 (fax)

Container gardening is a dimension to add to prevent the roots from rotting. A experimenting with the many leaf
personality to your landscape. Focal points pot shard or small rock placed over colors and patterns found on foliage
and areas of interest can be defined through the hole will keep the water free- annuals and perennials to
the choice of containers and plant material. flowing. Raising the container compliment or replace flowering
Dont limit yourself to traditional slightly also helps in drainage and air plants. Mixing bloom and leaf size,
containers. Get creative by looking around circulation. In a practical sense, the shape, and texture adds additional
your house, garage, and yard. That old new plastic resin pots have many interest to the design.
wheelbarrow, watering can, and pair of advantages over clay, cement, metal, A plethora of design options are
boots will draw attention to a favorite spot and wood. They are lightweight, available. Small patio and topiary
when grouped together. A hodge-podge of retain moisture well, and can be left trees divide spaces on decks and
old pots, all painted in shade variations of outside all year. Dont be afraid to try patios. Bog and water gardens evoke
the same hue, can be used to brighten the them. Remember that anything can relaxation and can be made using
corner of a porch. Try adding trellises to a be used as a container as long it will containers with holes. Mono-
row of containers to hide an unwanted view hold soil and allow drainage. chromatic color themes lend a
from the deck. Plant with fragrant annual contemporary feel.
vines or vegetables and herbs. Instant
salad! You can create a tropical retreat Planting Media
this year, and next year have an Never use garden soil in a container.
English garden. By following a few basic It will compact and will not drain
guidelines and your well, which results in poor air
imagination, almost anything is circulation to the plants roots. The
possible with Container best choice is to use a good quality
Gardening. soil-less potting mix. Most
commercial mixes come with an
added wetting agent and a time
Containers release fertilizer. You can make your
Containers need to be own (refer to table 1). Container soils
large enough to hold the should be changed every second
roots of all the plants at year.
maturity. Allow a few inches of soil
Design Potting Soil Recipe:
beneath the root ball when planting.
An inverted plastic nursery pot A good basic design for a container Mix one part each:
placed at the bottom of large uses three elements: A tall airy
central focal plant; medium-sized Peat Moss
containers will conserve soil and
make it lighter in weight. Drainage denser, showier species to surround Vermiculite or Perlite
holes are necessary in all containers it; and cascading plants to soften the
rim of the container. Try Sterile Potting Soil
Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Table 1
 North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Helping people put knowledge to work.
Plant Selection
The only thing you need to Watering and Fertilization the bottom of the pot. If the soil has
remember when selecting plants for dried too much and shrunk from the
Watering requirements are determined
a container is that all plants must sides of the container, you must re-
by the weather and by the size, type,
have the same requirement for light hydrate the soil by submerging the pot
and location of the container. The
and water. Annuals, perennials, plant species is also a consideration in halfway in a larger pail of water until
vegetables/herbs, and even small watering. Containers may need to be the soil stops bubbling. Over-watering
shrubs can be combined in a single checked daily (twice a day during hot can also be a problem. Dump any
container as long as each plants and windy weather). Test the soil with water left standing in saucers under
needs are the same. pots after watering. The frequent
your
watering needs of container gardening
Planting finger
quickly flush out the nutrients in the
and
It is important to always start with a soil. A regular fertilization schedule
water
clean container. Wash any used pots
only if it must be followed to maintain healthy
in a 5% bleach solution (refer to
feels dry. plants. Add a balanced (14-14-14)
table 2) and rinse well. Pre-moisten time-released fertilizer to the soil
Water
the potting medium before planting. according to the
Position the plants at the same depth directions on the
as in their original container, making package at the
sure there is at least three inches of time of planting.
soil under the root ball for further Water-soluble
root growth. Leave an inch or two fertilizers can
from the top of the container for also be used and
watering space. Place plants closer in applied weekly
thoroughly
a container than in the ground to at one-quarter
until the
give a fuller more mature the
excess water
appearance. Fill in around the root recommended
runs out of
balls with additional soil and water rate.
well.
Maintenance Photos courtesy of Wall Greenhouse conditions of
5% Bleach Solution: and Nursery. light and
During the season it
Mix: humidity.
will be important to
check the containers Any
6 ounces of Clorox
containers that will break need to be
for disease and insect problems. Cut
1 gallon of water. out any dead or damaged plant parts stored in the garage or basement.
Plants that go dormant can be cut
and remove any diseased plants.
Table 2 back and stored in the basement or
Spraying with a garden hose can
garage keeping the soil barely moist.
usually control insects. If needed, use
an appropriate pesticide. Trim back Large containers, which cannot be
For further information on moved, must have their root balls
gardening and plant selection, visit plants to maintain a pleasing size and
protected from freezing. A simple
the Surry website or stop by the local shape or to promote a bushier way is to wrap the container very
center of North Carolina appearance.
loosely with chicken wire and fill the
Cooperative The time to bring any plant indoors area with leaves or mulch. Allow six
Extension. for the winter is well before the heat inches of space all around and at the
in your house is turned on. Plants top for mulching.
www.ces.ncsu.edu/surry need to adapt gradually to the indoor
Prepared Kathleen Wisser, Extension Master Gardener
By: Terry A. Garwood, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources Emailterry_garwood@ncsu.edu Contact336-401-8025