Container gardening can be the perfect solution for gardeners who don't have much space for crops or who enjoy gardening year round. There is nothing lovelier than an explosion of blooms filling a decorative container on the front porch, or an aromatic herb garden gracing a windowsill. Container gardening allows some green thumbs to grow fresh produce like lettuce and tomatoes all year long from a sunny spot indoors or force bulbs to bloom in the dead of winter. However, container gardening also presents its own unique set of challenges, so it is important to educate yourself to the finer points of this hobby before getting started.

Choosing Containers

The first step in container gardening is choosing pots for your plants. This can be trickier than it sounds, since there are pros and cons to just about any type of plant container. Plastic pots can deteriorate in direct sunlight, which may be precisely where you want to place your plants. Terracotta pots can be a lovely choice, but the soil in these containers will dry out quickly so the plants will require frequent watering. Glazed ceramic containers are decorative and come in an array of sizes, colors and styles. Gardeners simply need to make sure the ceramic pots offer sufficient drainage to prevent a problem with root rot.

Choosing Soil

The best soil to use for your container gardening will depend on the type of plants you are using. Vegetables, flowers and herbs all have unique needs in terms of nutrients and drainage, and you will want to choose your potting soil based on the recommendations on the package. A commercial potting soil specifically designed for your plants is usually the best choice. Do not use soil directly from the ground for container gardening, because it does not provide proper circulation or nutrients for your plants and it may harbor disease.

Daily Care

Container gardening requires plenty of maintenance to keep plants healthy and happy. The nutrients in the potting soil will be absorbed by your plants rather quickly, so you will need to replace with fertilizer regularly during the growing season. Most gardeners use a liquid fertilizer that can be applied during the watering process for container gardening. It is also essential that plants in pots are watered regularly, since soil will dry out much more quickly in these containers. Daily watering is typical during the hottest parts of the season.

Container gardening is a versatile, fun way to exercise your green thumb no matter how much space you have for planting. Whether you choose to raise flowers, herbs or a crop of fresh veggies, container gardening can provide year-round growing opportunities.