I have always been fond of container gardening and it's benefits. As someone who has rented homes and has lived a nomadic life at times, container gardens were the only way I could grow fruits and vegetables. Now that I own my own home and have lots of land, I still find my patio covered in containers to grow plants in.
My Current Container Garden
There are many reasons container gardens are preferable over other gardening methods.
Convenience
First, containers are convenient. You can move them around, pick containers of different sizes, and they can be less work. Open a bag of dirt, pour it in a bucket, plant some seeds, and you're done. We have a garden out in the yard but that involves digging, tilling, and other hard work. My container garden was quick and simple to set up.
If you rent your home, many landlords don't want tenants digging up their yard. Having a garden when you rent can be hard. Container gardens make it possible for renters to grow plants without messing up the yard. Container gardens are also nice when living in a big city. When you live in an apartment building in the middle of a city, a container garden can be started on a balcony or roof.
More Variety
Second, container gardens allow you to have a wider variety of plants. If you want to grow a small amount of a bunch of different fruits or veggies containers help with that. Some plants you can't grow together because of factors such as differing soil needs or plants attracting bugs that can kill other plants. Some plants are picky about their conditions. Containers allow you to determine your soil needs for individual plants. For example, my blueberry plants like peat moss mixed in their dirt because they like acidic soil. My raspberries don't respond well to peat moss so their container is just dirt and fertilizer.
Easier Upkeep
Third, container gardens are easier. Container gardens really don't have problems with weeds. My garden out in the yard it is a constant battle with mother nature to keep the weeds at bay. With a container garden all you have to do is walk outside on your porch. You don't have to drag heavy shovels or tools around the yard. Everything you need can be kept in one small space.
You don't have as many problems with animals and birds. Animals out in the woods don't come on my patio like they do my yard. I have lights, a rail, and a gate to protect my patio that deter animals from coming inside. Pesky raccoons and possums are less likely to steal from my container garden than my yard garden.
A Container To Fit Your Needs
Fourth, containers are easy to find and come in whatever size you need. If you want to grow a perennial plant like blueberries you can pick a large pot so your blueberry bush can grow big and come back year after year. If you want to plant an annual plant like green beans and only want a small batch you can get small pots. If you want to have a bunch of plants in one pot you can get a kids swimming pool like I did below. You can get them for cheap at local dollar stores here in the United States. My plastic totes came from moving and were sitting in the garage. Other pots I got for free from a relative getting rid of theirs.
Found out recently I have a bad allergic reaction to most of my yard. Because of this I'm forced to garden in a kiddie pool until I can figure out how to kill off the periwinkles that make me sick. The kiddie pool garden is kind of fun though.
Tips For Starting A Container Garden
Research how deep a plants roots will grow to help you pick a container. Some plants need deeper containers than others. For example, corn needs a container 12 or more inches deep because their roots grow that long. Plants like cucumbers only need a one gallon pot and would be good if you don't have a lot of space.
You can recycle objects for your garden instead of purchasing containers. I've used spaghetti sauce cans to plant flowers. I've painted the outside of the can to be pretty colors. I used old baskets, bags, buckets, and other things in the garage for container gardening.
Dollar stores have great deals on gardening tools. I found one gallon sized containers for $1 at our local Dollar Tree. They also had seeds for 25 cents! The seeds are good too and I've got a row of carrots growing to prove it.
If you use containers not made for garden make sure to poke holes in the bottom for drainage. Plastic totes, swimming pools, aluminum cans, etc. need holes put in them for drainage.
I like container gardening too, and love the idea of using a kiddie pool for squash, which likes to spread out.
Nice start and here's hoping that you get good yields this year! I just pitch-forked our 8x24 foot garden last Friday and it's tough work. But gardening can certainly be a rewarding experience!
Thats so cool and I love the way you have done it all so neatly.
Congratulations you have a lot of variety in plants, and you have to know how to take advantage of these spaces that we have in my garden. I also have some like the oregano, sabila, malojillo etc. Greetings friend that your garden is so beautiful.
Good luck! It looks like you're off to a good start, though. That one pot must be enormous to be able to do squash, broccoli, and corn all together.
Nice to meet a fellow container gardener! I garden in containers for the same reasons as you. I am lucky to have so much deck space for all my plants. I love that I can move my plants around depending on the plants light or water requirements. I loved your post so much I have reposted for more people to see! :)
Gardening in such a way is very efficient and easy. Moreover, utilizing the objects that are around. Have you ever tried to plant with hydroponic methods?
Your writing is very enlightening and the coverage is very complete.
Thank you for sharing useful knowledge for steemian all over the world.
This is called as utilization of resources.Great stuff @marxrab.
Quite the container garden! You'll have to do a follow up post and let us know how everything does.
You obviously have green thumbs @marxrab as your garden looks very healthy indeed.......and of course so will you and your family be too after consuming home grown organic fruit and veggies. In a way, I think your allergic reaction to the periwinkles has done you a favour because it is a much easier way to care for your garden (as you have so interestingly explained) when they are in convenient pots (and kids swimming pools) A great post. I hope you harvest many nutritious meals in the months to come.
You got a mini farm there! Very cool. Remember my avacado from way back I was trying to get to sprout? It is a dud, still in water and nothing! LOL