The importance of proper watering cannot be stressed enough for your container garden plants. Container Gardens are exposed to wind and sun so they dry out quicker than plants in the ground. There are no exact rules about watering your container garden plants. You have to become acquainted with the needs of various garden plants. The best tip is to examine them daily and water the plant when the surface of the soil begins to look dry. Feeling the soil will also help you determine the moisture needs of your container garden. Or, take the easy way and invest in a water meter if you are not sure.

How much and when to water will depend on the kind of plant and soil, the type and size of container, and the amount of exposure to sun and wind. Climate and the weather also play their part. During hot spells most plants in your container garden need daily water, except those in small clay pots, which may require it twice. Some plants, like fuchsias and tuberous begonias, wilt when dry, but geraniums and succulents are not so sensitive to neglect. On the other hand, it is good to let soil dry out a little between watering. This prevents the soil from depleting its nutrients.

Since unglazed containers dry out quickest, watch them more closely. Wooden tubs, window boxes, and planters dry out more slowly; metal is the slowest of all. Groups of plants in large containers keep moist longer than single specimens. A good technique to avoid excess dryness is to have groupings of plants, arranged close together. This allows the container plants to shade one another to keep cool and stop moisture evaporation.

There are several methods of watering the plants. If you have many containers in your container garden, depend on the hose, allowing water to flow through slowly and gently. Water small pots with a watering can that has a long spout or buy one of the self watering containers now available. When plants are grouped closely in a container garden, set up a sprinkler or hose with a fine spray nearby, allowing it to run for a long while, until the soil is soaked. In many states where the climate is dry, an automatic sprinkler system is a must to keep your whole garden hydrated. Remember this tip with geraniums and petunias, avoid sprinklers which spot blossoms.

One thing is certain; you must not depend on rain to keep your container garden plants hydrated. Even heavy showers deposit a surprisingly small amount of moisture, and unless rains are frequent and lengthy, you must do your own watering. Remember those window boxes and other containers near houses or under trees can stay dry in spite of an all-day downpour.

Though it is essential to give enough water to your container garden, it is equally important not to over water and so cause root rot. Over-watering also prevents aeration of the soil, and will cause the plant to drown.

One good method is to set your container garden, if the containers are not too large, in a basin or pail of water for several hours, or until the surface of the soil feels moist (this is the theory behind self watering containers). Or immerse the pot in a tub or large barrel of water and leave it there until air is eliminated and the bubbling stops.

The best general rule is to soak soil thoroughly when you water and then allow it to go just a bit dry before you water your container garden again. Best of all, keep a small spiral notebook and paste the care of each plant into it so that you will always have the needs of each individual plant at your fingertips.

If you go away for long periods during the summer, give the container garden serious thought before making it a project. On the other hand, you can enjoy both holidays and plants if you are absent for only short periods. The best safeguard is to entrust your container garden to a responsible friend. Or if you are going away for a vacation at your second home, or one that you have rented, take the container garden with you as a little bit of home.

Several techniques can be practiced. One is to arrange smaller containers in boxes of peat moss, sawdust, or soil, which has been well soaked. Then there is the pot-in-pot method, whereby small pots are set in larger ones, with moist peat moss inserted between.

As mentioned above, in many of the garden centers self watering containers are offered for sale. These are ideal for your container garden when you are traveling or taking a vacation.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Kitchens, gardens, cosmetics have found immense use of herbs and for many years they have found their use in flavoring, dying, perfume and cosmetics, so much so that some of the herbs holds the power to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others attracted the perfect lover, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops even for curing headaches and burns. And, of course, what would fine dining be without the culinary herbs? So here in this article we give you some tips for herb gardening indoors that will replicate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.
Requirements

You have to ensure that you have a sunny windowsill that your herbs will love. Use a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep.

Always procure your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden.

Apart from the space and herbs you would also require some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.

Very important factor to be considered is soil and you should only resort to using top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.

“How to” steps

While selecting a container go for one inch up gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem.

You should never plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants they tend to “take over” the garden. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own.

I would advice you to place a small piece of wire screening over the hole to keep it from getting clogged rather than putting garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container as the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots.

All herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn’t supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.

Never let the herbs dry out but don’t drown them either. Herbs do not like to sit in wet soil. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb’s roots.

Here are some examples of which herbs to plant together:

* For an Italian selection try Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme. * For a lovely scented container use Lavender, Rose scented geranium, Lemon balm, Lemon thyme, and Pineapple sage. * For really great salads try Garlic chives, Rocket, Salad burnet, Parsley, Celery. * And to say “We love French Cooking!” use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage

Give your herbs to grow used to their new conditions. Once you see growth you can start using you herbs. Snip and use your herbs often to encourage them to grow full and bushy.

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All good things eventually come to an end and so summer is waning, even as autumn gives most of us a fresh start. I’ll bet your summer container plantings aren’t really benefiting, though, from the “back to school-oh I love a clean notebook” boost and aren’t dying as gracefully as summer itself is. You’re going to have to help them through this!

Saving Summer

I understand if you just can’t bear the thought of waving good-bye to your wave petunias just yet. That’s okay - you can bring some of your tropical annuals indoors for the winter, to ease the pain of parting with them.

If you have the space, a sunny window and enough moisture, you can save palms, ferns and other tropicals. Likely though, you’ll have more success with taking cuttings and helping your plants clone themselves. (It’s kind of like Day of the Triffids without the evil.)

Pick a healthy plant with no nasty bugs or blights. With a sharp knife, cut off non-flowering stems 3-4 inches (8-11 cm) long, and strip the leaves off the lower two-thirds of the stem. Dip the cut edges in rooting hormone, available at your local nursery, and stick them in dampened sand or peat moss, or a glass of tap water. Place the pot, tray or glass in a sunny spot and wait 3-4 weeks. If the cuttings are in sand or peat, don’t forget to water to keep them damp throughout that time.

When the roots are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, you can plant them in potting soil in attractive containers and winter them on a sunny windowsill or table. This method works well with annuals such as geraniums (pelargonium), coleus, and some ivies. You can also try propagating impatiens this way.

Cleaning Up

Now that you’ve rescued what you can, get ruthless and empty all of your other outdoor containers. If you have a compost heap, chop up the remains and toss them there. Soil too! This is particularly important if you’ve been using terracotta or ceramic containers, as the moisture in the soil will expand when it freezes and you’ll end up with cracked pots. (If there are any crackpots around my house, I want them to be of the human variety!)

Next, wash out the empty containers to remove any disease and fungal spores. If your terracotta pots have a white build-up from water, potting soil and fertilizer chemicals, soak them for 24 hours in white vinegar and water with some baking soda added. Then scrub them with a stiff brush in warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly.

Air or sun dry the containers and then stack them with layers of newspaper between each. If you have a spot to store them where they won’t freeze over the winter months, all the better. If not, as long as you’ve made certain the pots are dry and well layered with paper, they should be fine until the spring.

Now you’re ready to put on a show of fall color. I can tell you EVERYTHING you need to know. Check under “Fall Planting Tips” on the fre*e articles page of my webs-site.

About The Author

Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Her latest how-to guide “Attracting Butterflies to Your Home and Garden” is now available on her web site. Visit her at http://www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on “Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space”.

debbie@paradiseporch.com

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