Lesson 8: Raised Beds And Container Gardening
Soil Mixtures For Containers
I love planting in containers. Even though I have plenty of ground space, I can’t resist having a variety of pots, boxes and baskets, packed full of color. Since containers can hold everything from cacti and succulents to vegetables, choosing the right soil is critical. Your plants will only be as healthy as the medium they are grown in.
For pots and other small planters, I prefer making my own mix. Yes, there are excellent potting soils out there, but once you create your own, you’ll rarely use them. If you are limited in space, use a cat litter pail - the 20 pound size is ideal - to store your mix. Because of the tight lids and square shape, they are easy to store or even stack.
If all you have is a small patio, lay down plastic sheeting to custom blend your components. Suggested additions are compost, bonemeal, soybean meal, vermaculite or perlite, and water retention beads. For acid loving plants, you can add sulfur and a small amount of peat. Cacti and other desert plants benefit by the addition of garden sand. This is the basis for most potting soils.
Depending on varieties of plants used, you can toss in phosphate, iron, potassium or phosphorous. Don’t use manures or heavy fertilizers in your potted gardens. They are much too likely to cause burning of the roots. Liquid fertilizers are the best for these miniature gardenscapes.
Soil tends to harden and compact very easily in pots and planters. Watering with a hose tends to cause soil loss, so using a milk jug or a watering can is a better way to do the job. Use a small garden fork or trowel to loosen the soil, often. Settling will occur, so topping off monthly with fresh soil is a good idea.
Learning to custom blend your own soil mixtures will make you a much better and more confident gardener.
Topic of discussion: Share with us any custom soil mixtures you’ve tried.
Here is a link to a great article on watering effectively:
http://www.gardenforever.com/pages/artwa...
