CONTAINER GARDENING FOR DUMMIES

Container vegetable gardening is a fun and easy way to grow vegetables on your deck, patio or even inside your house. 

For container vegetable gardening all you need is a container, potting soil, seeds, a little fertilizer and a place to set the container so it will get plenty of sunshine. Most vegetables require containers that hold at least 6 to 8 inches of potting mix. There’s a wide variety of types and sizes of containers available at most any store, that handles flower pots and gardening supplies, that would be suitable for your container garden. You can also use buckets, cut off milk jugs, coffee cans, etc. Wooden containers work well, but if you use these, make sure the wood (if pressure treated) is arsenic-free. Wood treated with creosote or Penta is toxic and should not be used. And make sure the bottom of the container you choose has at least four 1/4 inch drain holes, evenly spaced in the bottom for proper drainage.

 A lightweight potting mix is a good start for your "dirt", but for good container vegetable gardening you will need to add some peat moss, pearlite and fertilizer if it is not already in your mix. If you don’t want to mix your own soil, you can purchase synthetic soil at a garden store, but you may have to add some regular garden soil because most soilless mixes are too lightweight to support plant roots in a container garden. It’s a good idea to cover the bottom of the container with small rocks before you put the soil in. This helps drain the soil & keep your container vegetable garden healthy.