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Container Gardening


If you don't have space for a vegetable garden or if your outdoor space doesn't provide the necessary elements to produce the flower garden you've always wanted, consider the possibility of Container Gardening. For people with little space for their favorite plants, container gardening is often the answer. You can grow almost anything in a container garden. Container gardening is the city dweller's answer to the big backyard garden because you can put a container anywhere. And because it's easy, everybody can grow flowers and vegetables. You may not have a half-acre for flower gardening or vegetable gardening, but you can grow fresh vegetables, flowers or herbs by growing plants in pots. So whether you live on a large plot of land, a downtown apartment building or have little more than a sunny windowsill, you can garden in a container.

If you don't have space for a vegetable garden or if your outdoor space doesn't provide the necessary elements to produce the flower garden you've always wanted, consider the possibility of Container Gardening. For people with little space for their favorite plants, container gardening is often the answer. You can grow almost anything in a container garden. Container gardening is the city dweller's answer to the big backyard garden because you can put a container anywhere. And because it's easy, everybody can grow flowers and vegetables. You may not have a half-acre for flower gardening or vegetable gardening, but you can grow fresh vegetables, flowers or herbs by growing plants in pots. So whether you live on a large plot of land, a downtown apartment building or have little more than a sunny windowsill, you can garden in a container.

Because so many plants grow well in pots, the possibilities for container gardening are almost endless. Using your imagination is the key to container gardening, finding unique ways to grow and display your favorite plants. Just think about what you want to grow, apply a little basic gardening sense and use our products, and you'll have a bountiful harvest or beautiful patio!

Container Gardening Package:

We have the tools to make container gardening a breeze. SoilSyrup conditions the potting soil and maintain soil humus levels. AquaRocks and AquaSpikes make watering container gardens a lot easier. Algoflash is a safe, non-burning plant food you can use every time you water. And MegaGro is the secret professional growers use to produce beautiful plants. So if you want the secret to truly successful container gardening, use MegaGro.

Our Container Gardening Kit contains everything you need to grow any types of plants indoors without a lot of work. The Container Gardening Kit includes:

  • SoilSyrup to improve soil conditions
  • AquaRocks to help hold water in the container and improve root growth
  • AquaSpikes for easy watering
  • Algoflash for easy feeding
  • MegaGro for beautiful blooms and flowers and bigger fruits and vegetables.



$44.95

Container Gardening Package

Get everything you need for container gardening. Includes MegaGro, SoilSyrup, Algoflash, AquaRocks and AquaSpikes. Great Value - save 35%

Product Size Yield
MegaGro 8 oz 10 gallons
SoilSyrup 8 oz 10 gallons
Algoflash 1 Liter 100 gallons
AquaRocks 3/4 lbs. 7 cubic feet
AquaSpikes 4 pack 4 pots/8 plants
Container Gardening Package - $44.95



$8.95


AquaRocks

AquaRocks water-absorbing crystals are ideal for holding water after waterings. Your plants only use the water when they need it and you'll water less.
Size Coverage
3/4 lbs. 7 cubic feet
2 lbs. 20 cubic feet
4 lbs. 40 cubic feet
3/4 lbs. - $ 8.95
2 lbs. - $23.95
4 lbs. - $39.95 - BEST VALUE!



$9.95


WonderSoil®

Wonder Soil is the most advanced potting medium available. Incredibly easy to use, Wonder Soil is compact and clean, so it saves space. Great for container gardening. Each tube weighs less than 1 lb!
Size Yield
1 Tube 15 lbs. of Soil
2 Tubes 30 lbs. of Soil
4 Tubes 60 lbs. of Soil
1 Tube - $9.95
2 Tubes - $18.95
4 Tubes - $34.95 - BEST VALUE!

Container Gardening - Benefits:

Container gardening offers a tremendous number of advantages. And it's ideally suited for gardeners of every type, from gardeners with problem soil, homeowners with little or no land, plant lovers who just can't get enough of nature, to the elderly or disabled with limited mobility and a need for easy accessibility.

Space (or lack of it) is an obvious reason for most people try container gardening, but that is only one for the reasons to try it. Container gardening is also very convenient, particularly for vegetables and herbs. Having fresh vegetables and herbs at your fingertips is great when you want to cook with fresh ingredients. Container gardening also offers flexibility. You can easily rearrange and reconfigure your container garden to add a new look to your space.

Container gardening can also be more cost-effective. Because of the smaller spaces involved, you'll generally have lower costs. You will be buying fewer plants, less media, and less fertilizer than for traditional gardening.

Container gardening can also save you a fair amount of time. Easy access and smaller plants means you'll spend less time caring for your plants. And by using products like AquaRocks, AquaSpikes, SoilSyrup, Algoflash and SoilSyrup; you can save even more time watering and feeding your container plants.

Container Gardening - Choosing The Right Plants:

The right plants for container gardening are simply the plants you want to grow. Almost every plant can be grown in a container: flowers, vegetables or even small bushes. While most people traditionally think of small plants, you can try anything. Some people like growing pumpkins and squash in containers from their deck and let the vines hang down the deck or sprawl across the floor. A lot of people choose to grow tropical plants, such as citrus trees or dwarf bananas, in containers. If you live in an area with a short growing season, you can plant tropicals in large containers that can be moved around, both inside and outdoors as the weather permits. If you have a large south-facing window, place them in front of that window in the winter when the sun is low in the south. Then move them outdoors in the summer.

There are even varieties that have been developed specifically for container gardening. Yellow Canary Tomato is a compact 6-inch plant that is designed for growing in pots. Red Robin and Goldie Tomatoes work well in hanging baskets. A little research will help you identify these varieties and help you get maximum yield from your container garden.

Click for more information on growing tomato plants.

Container Gardening - Container Types

You can use almost any container for container gardening. Containers are available in many sizes, shapes, and materials. What you choose will depend upon the type of plant and the location. And this is where the fun and your creativity begin. Use your creative side and find a container suitable to your taste and decor. Buckets, barrels, watering cans, vats, to name just a few. If it holds soil, it can probably be your container!

You also can use planter boxes of varying sizes for vegetable gardening or flower gardening on balconies and patios. Or fill an old discarded wheelbarrow with soil, poke drain holes in the bottom and use to grow geraniums and cascading petunias.

As you think about the size of the container, consider that when filled with moist soil, weight can be a major factor. If you are planning on a large container, mount it on casters so it can be moved easily.

All containers, whether clay, wood, plastic, or ceramic, should have an adequate number of holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Beware of decorative planters that lack drainage holes. This creates waterlogged soil and rotting roots. Setting the container on a solid surface, such as a cement or patio floor, reduces drainage. Raising the container one or two inches off the floor by setting it on blocks of wood or bricks to allow free drainage will solve this problem. If you want to use a decorative planter that doesn't have a drain hole, put your plants in a regular flowerpot and place it inside the decorative container.

The plant selected will determine the container's size. Generally, most plants grown in the soil can be grown in containers as long as ample space is provided for them to develop roots. If you are selecting larger plants, then a large container is required. Many plants do not like to be root bound, so make sure to provide ample size. Depth and width of the container is equally important as roots spread out and down from the stem. Use containers between 15 and 120 quarts capacity. Small pots restrict the root area and dry out very quickly. The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep-rooted vegetables require deep pots. Shallow-rooted crops like lettuce, peppers, radishes, herbs and most annuals need a container at least 6 inches in diameter with an 8-inch soil depth. Bushel baskets, half barrels, wooden tubs, or large pressed paper containers are ideal for growing tomato plants, squash, pole beans, cucumbers, and deep-rooted perennials.

Container Gardening - Growing Media

Soil to be used in containers should contain plenty of organic matter. A heavy clay soil will hold too much water and will exclude oxygen that roots need for growth. Packaged potting soil available at local garden centers is relatively lightweight and may make a good container medium. It's also a great idea to add humus to your soil by using SoilSyrup. SoilSyrup's rich organic makeup is perfect to boost humus levels of container gardening soil.

Container medium must be porous in order to support plants, because roots require both air and water. Make sure your planting medium drains rapidly but retains enough moisture to keep the roots evenly moist. You should add AquaRocks to your soil to improve the water-holding capability of the soil. AquaRocks will help hold moisture in the soil without waterlogging the roots of your plants.

Fill the container about four-fifths full of the soil mix. When you water the mix, it will settle and you will have enough room between the top of the container and the top of the soil for adequate water to be poured in each time you water the plants.

Container Gardening - Fertilizer

Container gardening requires that you fertilize regularly, since you're flushing nutrients out with each watering. Fertilize plants with the recommended rate of a water-soluble fertilizer like Algoflash. It's a good idea to use a dilute liquid fertilizer with every other watering or at least every two to three weeks. Algoflash is a complete, balanced fertilizer that will add trace elements to the soil. Algoflash will not burn or kill your plants. Adding SoilSyrup can also help add humus to protect container plants from over-fertilizing or over-liming. Using AquaRocks in your containers will also help hold more nutrients in the soil and time-release fertilizer as your plants need it.

Container Gardening - Watering

Because the volume of soil is relatively small, containers can dry out very quickly, especially if they are on a concrete patio in full sunlight. It's even more important to add AquaRocks to the soil to help maintain moisture levels when container gardening. Make sure to check them and water daily if necessary. You may even need to water twice on hot, dry, or windy days. The smaller the container, the more frequent the watering. If you are going away, have a neighbor check them or use our Vacation Watering System.

Download our Vacation Watering Instructions (pdf 89k)

Feel the soil to determine whether it is damp. If you notice your plants wilt easily or you have to water very frequently, you can always add more AquaRocks to the container. Simply poke several deep holes in the soil, making sure you're reaching the root zone and add a few AquaRocks to each hole. Remember, use sparingly, AquaRocks will expand to almost 400 times their dry size as they absorb water, so a little goes a long way. Consider using AquaSpikes and AquaRocks to create an automatic trickle irrigation system if you plan to be away for extended periods.

Apply water until it runs out the drainage holes. Factors influencing the time between waterings include size of plant within the container, volume of soil to store the water, porosity of the soil mix and porosity of the container. A large plant in a small container will require watering every few days, or maybe every day in sunny, hot, windy weather. Small pots also tend to dry out more quickly than larger ones. If the soil appears to be getting excessively dry (plants wilting every day is one sign), group the containers together so that the foliage creates a canopy to help shade the soil and keep it cool.

In an exposed location, container plants lose moisture quickly, so they may need a little more AquaRocks than other containers. Water clay pots and other porous containers more frequently, as they allow additional evaporation from the sides of the pots. A sandy soil mix will not hold as much water as a heavier clay type of mix.

Container Gardening - Sunlight

Your container garden will need at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and many plants will benefit from even more. As a general rule, leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce can tolerate the most shade, while root crops such as beets and carrots will need more sun. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers need the most sun. The amount of sunlight needed by flowers varies depending on the varieties grown. Rotate your containers in a circular motion every couple of days to provide even sunlight to all the plants in the container.

 

 
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MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: If you've read this far, and your still not convinced Container Gardening products will keep your plants greener and healthier. Remember all our plant care products come with a 30-day Money Back Guarantee!





Lawn Care - Garden Care - Container Gardening - Flower Gardening - Vegetable Gardening