Container gardening

[Don't Give a Puff]

I live in a small flat, limited shared yard space.
Anyone got any tips or advice on container gardening? And how to get started?
I already have a catnip plant for my cat. And trying to grow sage from seeds.
And advice tips, suggestions or ideas welcome, provided they are not rude or negative.
Thank you, much appreciated.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Keep your eyes open, I have seen some amazing urban gardens completely grown in found containers, everything from old dustbins to the oil cans dumped outside Chinese takeaways for the dustman to collect. Drainage holes in the bottom and a saucer underneath are a good idea. Once things are growing it is the plant that attracts attention, not the container. On the whole the bigger the container the better, it means that temperature and humidity stay more constant, which most plants appreciate. As the vegetable matter decays and the plant grows the level in the pot will drop, worth top dressing with some good compost and maybe a bit of bone meal mixed in to feed . My daughter who lives in a flat with a shared, decked, garden has found an old plastic bin that she is making compost in in a corner by the shed.

I bought a packet of mixed herb seeds for something else and grew the sage last year, so it does work.

Good luck, and in the unlikely event that someone is rude and negative hit the report button on bottom left, there is no reason you should have to put up with that, though gardeners seem to be a friendly bunch on the whole.

 

[davidinsydney]

Having only started gardening recently and also started off with containers, my advice would be, don’t hesitate about getting started, just do it.

Of course, still do your research on what you’re growing and how to guides. Youtube has great videos on pretty much every plant out there. But don’t overthink it and keep it simple. When I started, I wanted to read up on everything possible so that I wouldn’t encounter any problems, but obviously this isn’t possible. It’s not until you actually get started, make some rookie mistakes that you learn and develop skills.

With containers, main thing is to make sure you have a potting mix with good drainage. Store bought potting mix is a good way to get started and they usually contain fertiliser added to it to keep your plants going during the initial stages of growth. Try getting started with a combination of both seedlings and seeds. It’s a good feeling to see the seedlings grow whilst the seeds germinate and develops, which can take a bit of time.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Marck]

I agree with davidinsydney, start small and simple at first, but do start. Most of container gardening is as easy and intuitive as it sounds.
A near-vertical learning curve will soon overcome most obstacles.

Always learn the preferred conditions of each plant you intend to grow with regards to light, temperature, water, drainage, and nutrition, and then try to match that as best you can.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Something I didn't mention, but I reckon is worth thinking about. Cheap plants are cheap because they grow and reproduce easily, expensive plants are expensive because they are hard to look after and get to reproduce. It is not like most things where expensive is better, cheap plants can still look fabulous, infact if you are a beginner they are more likely to .

 

[Don't Give a Puff]

Something I didn't mention, but I reckon is worth thinking about. Cheap plants are cheap because they grow and reproduce easily, expensive plants are expensive because they are hard to look after and get to reproduce. It is not like most things where expensive is better, cheap plants can still look fabulous, infact if you are a beginner they are more likely to .

Thank you for sharing that, its very helpful.

 

[Don't Give a Puff]

Having only started gardening recently and also started off with containers, my advice would be, don’t hesitate about getting started, just do it.

Of course, still do your research on what you’re growing and how to guides. Youtube has great videos on pretty much every plant out there. But don’t overthink it and keep it simple. When I started, I wanted to read up on everything possible so that I wouldn’t encounter any problems, but obviously this isn’t possible. It’s not until you actually get started, make some rookie mistakes that you learn and develop skills.

With containers, main thing is to make sure you have a potting mix with good drainage. Store bought potting mix is a good way to get started and they usually contain fertiliser added to it to keep your plants going during the initial stages of growth. Try getting started with a combination of both seedlings and seeds. It’s a good feeling to see the seedlings grow whilst the seeds germinate and develops, which can take a bit of time.

Good luck and have fun!

I took your advice today.
and i may have been a tad cheeky about it.
Having an indoor cat, who needed a pot of grass to chew on, and not having the funds to buy grass seeds.
I decided to just get started on container gardening anyway.
So i got a shovel, and lobbed a chunk of grass out the freshly mowed lawn.
I live in a block of flats, that i rent.
I hope my landlord doesn't notice the whole in the lawn under the clothes line.
HAHAHAHAHA!


Any tips on how to keep my 'cat grass' growing and healthy? It would be much appreciated.

 

[Marck]

Any lawn grass will want full sun, regular water and good drainage.
Pay particular heed to drainage, as in-ground soil (earth) sometimes isn't the best in a container due to drainage concerns.