Produced by
Patti Moreno
Contributor to:
Container Gardening Tips
In this video, I am joined by Mark Highland, soil scientist and owner of Organic Mechanics a soil company. Take a look!
Soil, water, and light are all you’ll ever need to successfully begin a lush, fruitful container garden. Oh, yeah, you will also need a container and something beautiful and/or delicious to plant
One of the first misconceptions about container gardening is that you should only plant one item per container. I thought that too, but I was wrong! Container Gardening actually offers you the same flexibility that in-ground planting offers you. You just have to be mindful of similar water needs in order to plant a grouping together and you have to be mindful of soil lines, so you don’t smother your plants with too much soil.
Within the walls of a medium sized to large container, you can grow a surprisingly large amount of organic vegetables. As far as container choices, possibilities are endless; there are countless versions of terracotta pots, galvanized metal containers (my favorite) and more ornate containers made of rubber and plastic.
In the video, Mark and I are planting Mexican Sage, variegated grass, parsley and turmeric and some smaller flowery ornamentals all in an 20inch container. We are using his most excellent soil blend which is made up of compost, coconut fiber, worm castings, pine bark and pearlite. By using a pot insert, you will find it gives you an additional 3” from the floor of the container and will keep your roots aerated so that you can go longer between waterings. A pot insert also reduces the amount of soil you need and makes the container lighter.
Once you select the plant that will be the centerpiece of your container, you may find that you have additional room for more plants. Mark and I say, feel free to add in some herbs. What are your favorite herbs? Think about your pots like mini spice racks for when you are preparing your favorite meals. Do you use a lot of basil and turmeric for example? You could plant them together. I personally like to create Italian cuisine indoor herb gardens, because I make Italian food, more often than not!
Watch the video for a great visual demonstration of how to make your container garden come to life!
