Container Gardening

It’s been cold, then warm, then cold. Intermittent rain, snow, harsh winds, what is a gardener to do now? It is too early for most annuals and vegetables to be planted outside. We recommend after Memorial Day to formally plant around the home. But, we need signs of better days ahead. It would be so nice to see color and variety for a change. You should consider container gardening.

Using containers has been an alternative for the small scale gardeners and renters. Anyone can use a container though, even if it is just temporary. Things like left over Easter hyacinths, pansies, and some vegetables can be potted up and set out. The advantage to container gardening is that it is mobile. When the night temperatures dip too low, they can be set in a garage or enclosed porch. Container gardening can be fun, creative, and easy.

There are three things to keep in mind for container gardening, the plant container itself, the plant material, and the plant location.  Not one of these three is more important than the other, but you should choose your starting point. For example, instead of throwing out old work boots, think about reusing them, or maybe as an impulse you brought home a pack of perky pansies, and now need to plant them so they don’t go to waste. In your comings and goings, you see an empty, but sunny spot on the porch just waiting to be filled.

Just about anything that will hold dirt can be used to plant. More than anything else though, it must provide good drainage. If it doesn’t already have a means of letting water out, drilling or cutting holes in the container is imperative. Keep this in mind if you are using something other than a gardening pot. Weathered metal containers, water cans, wheel barrows, and rubber boots are excellent choices, but need drainage holes added. Keep in mind too, that these should be portable this time of year, to protect from frost damage. If it is light now, once it is full of soil, water, and plants, it can become quite cumbersome. In addition, the container should not rest flat on any surface. Some kind of “feet” should be devised to keep water from standing under the container. Be creative and imaginative when it comes to the plant container.

The plant material chosen is as broad as the container choices as well. First decide if this will remain in the container through the entire growing season, herbs are a good choice; a temporary fix, like pansies or holiday flowers and later discarded, or plants waiting to be transplanted to a more permanent location. Each week, your local greenhouse has more and more from which you can choose for a container garden.

Alyssum, ageratum, snapdragons, and verbena will grow throughout the season in containers. Pansies and dianthus do well in cooler temperatures, but whither when it is hot, so they are good for now. Please select good, top quality potting mix, or soilless soil. These are formulated for containers and have a mix of peat, vermiculite, and pearlite usually, and some even have fertilizers as well. Do not use regular soil found in your yard, as this is too heavy and will not promote good growth.

Besides the container and plants material, the plant location needs to be considered. Look at the amount of sun it gets. Is it a high traffic area? It may become a trip hazard, especially at night. Porches are good locations, but will rain water inundate it? Proximity to care is a factor. Container gardening requires more attention and care than plants in the home landscape.  It is easy to forget these plants may need more attention or protection if they are out of sight.

The Penn State Masters Gardeners in Lackawanna County will be having a spring workshops series beginning April 24 through May 10, 2014. One of the topics will be on container gardening, among other timely topics. These will be held at the McNulty Greenhouse at Nay Aug Park. For more information on these sessions, to register, or if you would like help with container gardening, please contact us 570 - 963 - 6842 or email:  LackawannaMG@psu.edu

 Steve Ward

Master Gardener Coordinator

Penn State Extension - Lackawanna County