Gardening expert Don Engebretson show how to give a home a whole new look by planting annuals in containers.
- Anything that will hold soil and has or can receive a drainage hole can be used as a container. Think garage sales, junkyards and found objects on the side of the road.
- Do not use a container that does not have a hole in the bottom.
- Following are some basic choices for standard pots: plastic, clay or terra cotta, concrete and metal.
- Use soil-less mixes for large containers to keep them from getting too heavy.
- Soil-less mixes in tall pots (or with tall plants) might cause the containers to blow over on windy days or in storms. Use soil-based mixes in these cases.
- Make your own growing medium out of 1/3 black dirt, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 sand.
- Leave a 1- to 2-inch head space between the top edge of the container and the top of the soil for watering.
- Firm down the soil around the roots of the plant when they are first set.
- Don't set any plants, even little trailers, closer than two inches from the edge of the container, or they'll dry out repeatedly.
- Mix slow-release fertilizer into the potting mix so that all you need to do is water.
- Grow a mini-size kitchen garden by planting herbs on the deck or patio near the kitchen door.
- Think "odd." One type of annual grown in a mass in a large container looks great. Two doesn't look as good. Use three plants, and it looks great again. In other words, odd numbers look better than even.
Guests Don Engebretson
University of Minnesota Master Gardener / Garden Writer and Expert
E-mail:
don@renegadegardener.com
Website:
www.renegadegardener.com
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