What You Need to Know to Start a Container Garden (2024)

Equipment / Tools

Materials

How to Start a Container Garden

1. Choose the Right Soil

   A common container gardening mistake is using the wrong soil. Local garden centers or home improvement stores sell various soils and potting mixes.

   Certain plants need well-draining soil, others need nutrient-enriched soil, and most will do fine with a general-purpose potting mix. If you know what you want to grow, look up the growing specifications for that plant to figure out the type of soil you need.

   See Also

   How to Start a Container Garden | HappySprout

   Also, figure out how much you need. Trees and shrubs may need deep containers with a lot of soil for deeper roots, but plants like flowering annuals have shallow roots and may only need six or eight inches of potting mix.
   

   

2. Choose the Right Containers

   The options for planting containers are limitless. Don't overlook containers that can become hanging baskets or "found" objects around the house.

   From whiskey barrels to teacups, practically any container can be a home for plants. The only limitation is that drainage holes are a must. Smaller containers hold little soil and have little room for error in maintaining soil at the correct moisture level.
   

   

3. Ensure Good Drainage

   People usually worry about keeping their container plants well-watered, but overwatering them is problematic, too. Plants can drown. Plastic pots are more prone to drowning plants than clay pots because clay "breathes," while plastic is impervious to evaporation.

   Ensure your planters have good drainage with ample holes so water doesn't pool at the bottom.
   

   

4. Select the Best Plants for a Container Garden

   What do you want to plant? Container gardens can be practical, decorative, or full of purpose. Perhaps you want to grow vegetables and herbs or brighten your space with colorful flowers. Or maybe you want to feed and attract birds and pollinators.

   When selecting, consider the eventual size, color, texture, and care recommendations for the plant. Care concerns include:

   • Light: Most vegetables and herbs need six to eight hours of sunlight each day to thrive. Don't try to mix shade-loving plants with full-sun plants in one container.
   • Water and humidity requirements: Water requirements should be similar. For instance, cactus and ferns can't live in the same container. One needs little water, while the other requires constant water and humidity.
   • Soil and fertilizer needs: Some plants need weekly fertilizer, while others need acidic soil. Read up on your plant's pH, fertilizer, and soil composition needs.
     

   

5. Gather Inspiration for Your Container Garden

   Before committing to something, look at examples in magazines, online, or container gardens near you. Develop a vision board or collect images and sift through them to determine what you like most about them. Is there a common thread in plant combinations or color schemes?

   Show your ideas to a local garden store or plant nursery expert for more advice. They can help you create a container garden that fits your space and budget.
   

   

Why Start Container Gardening?

There are many reasons why container gardening might make sense for you. For instance:

• You can control the soil mixture, allowing you to grow plants that might not be suited to your natural garden soil. Tropicals, succulents, and other specializedplants can easily be grown in containers even if they wouldn't thrive in your soil or region.
• You can move containers around, "remodeling" your landscape whenever the mood hits.
• Containers can be moved around to take advantage of shifting sun patterns or to shady spots during the high summer heat.
• Prized plants can be moved indoors when the weather gets cold.
• You're renting your home, are not allowed to plant in the ground, or your space doesn't have a yard. Apartment dwellers can still garden.