by Tiffany Dixon

Created on: May 22, 2010   Last Updated: May 24, 2010

Even with a very small space such as a patio, deck or just a windowsill you can grow a thriving garden in containers. There is no reason you cannot grow your own vegetables if you don’t have a lot of room. You can grow all you need for a salad or herb garden in an extra windowsill.

Vegetables are good for you and are full of important nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. This is a huge plus with so many people these days that are seeking out a healthier lifestyle. There is also the satisfaction of cutting into that first plump, red tomato that you grew yourself.

Any place around your home or apartment that gets at least five hours of sun per day is perfect for your container garden. You just have to decide what you want to put in that sunny location. Now, you can put some thought into using and choosing the proper containers.

The containers you choose need to have adequate drainage holes. If you think it doesn’t drain fast enough after watering you can add holes. The fun part is that you can mix and match containers to any décor. They come in every shape and size imaginable and containers for gardening are made out of several different materials.

Don’t sit the containers on a solid floor or the ground. You can use bricks or wood blocks to keep them off a solid surface.

The size of the container does have some bearing on how large your plants become. You can use small containers for lettuce and most herbs since they have a shallow root system. Lots of root space will give you room for bigger plants such as tomatoes or pole beans.

You have your gardening area, your containers and your plants ready; it is time for the soil.

Amateur gardeners and professional gardeners often benefit from the usage of potting soil or soil-less potting mixes that can be purchased at any nursery or gardening center. These are good choices to use for container gardening. It helps that you won’t have as many problems that could arise from trying to determine when to fertilize and feed your plants.

The actual planting of your seeds will be easy enough if you follow the directions on the seed packets. The instructions will tell you how far to space your seeds and how deep to immerse them in the soil. It’s important to follow the directions and it will depend on the container size. With seeds it is also important to note that you may want to add more because there is hardly 100% emergence with this method of planting. You can always thin the plants out when you have seedlings.

Watering of your containers is very important and if you picked a very sunny location you will probably have to water every day. You should water if the soil feels dry, if you can form a small ball that sticks together from the soil then you can wait another day to water. Misting with cool water is also advised over drenching you small plants. Only water before the sun comes up or after it has went down for the day.

Container gardening has become very popular for small or tight places and even for the serious gardener as a hobby. Because of this there have been many plants developed that will be compact, such as dwarf plants. This makes it even easier for even a first time gardener to expect great results with a container garden.

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