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You may think that it is not possible to garden where you live but it is possible. You can garden anywhere without having to dig up your lawn. And it can still be effective, efficient, and beautiful. Just utilize the materials that you have while incorporating your favorite colors and elements.
Why a Garden Space Alternative
Why do you need an alternative to gardening in your yard? Because you simply may not have the space. You may live in an apartment and still want fresh vegetables. You may be renting a house and the owner may not want you to dig up the yard. You may own the house but there is not enough land. Or your landscaping may be so beautiful that you don’t want to destroy it. If you have a room that gets a lot of sun, you can place plants in there and they will thrive as if they were outside. There are ways that you can still garden. It’s convenient and easier.
What is Container Gardening
What is container gardening? Container gardening is exactly what it says. You are gardening in containers instead of the usual place, the ground. There are benefits to container gardening. For example, some plants can be trained to grow vertical instead of horizontal. This saves plenty of space for other plants to sit nearby. You can move the container for various reasons. In a container, the plant is very mobile. You can move it to follow the sun or move it to the shade if it is getting too much sun. If the weather forecast expects a torrential downpour or severe storm, you can be proactive and move it to safety.
And you are buying the soil and additives the put into your soil. So, you definitely have an advantage on the soil composition. There is no need to dig in the soil to inspect it for things that you would normally find in your yard, that could possibly cause you to treat your yard prior to planting in order to give your crops a fighting chance. All you need are your containers and plants or seeds.
What do I need to start container gardening
First you will need containers size 5 gallons or larger. It all depends on the type of plant you are growing. You can also purchase large flower pots or containers to customize it to fit your needs.
Also, you will need a hand drill to drill holes in the bottom of your container. The holes will allow drainage for your plants. Because if the roots sit in water, it can cause root rot. Which will kill the plant.
Or if you are using grow bags. There is no need to drill holes, because the material will allow the plant to drain properly.
The most important thing needed is soil. When container gardening be sure to purchase raised bed soil instead of In ground- Garden Soil.
The difference is In ground-Garden soil contains topsoil and other products. It is not designed for containers or raised garden beds because. It over compacts and leaves limited space for the roots of the plant to grow. Because of the increased water retention, it can become over-saturated with moisture which can kill the plants.
The soil you are looking for when container gardening is raised bed soil. It is generally loose, well-draining, and rich in nutrients and organic material. You want to opt for this because sometimes your native soil is not suitable for growing plants. This, however, is a great and the best alternative.
What type of garden can I plant with containers
You can plant a flower garden. You can plant a vegetable garden. Or you can combine and do both. When it comes to vegetables, you just need to know how their root system grows and how the plant grows. This will let you know how much space is needed for them to properly thrive in the containers. Below are some example photos of container gardening.
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