5 Questions You Should Ask When Planning a Container Garden

Container gardens are growing in popularity among many urban dwellers. The advantages of container gardens versus a traditional garden make enjoying this hobby more accessible to renters, apartment dwellers, elderly people, and people who are just too busy to maintain a traditional garden. Traditionally, containers such as planting pots, window boxes and raised flower beds have been used for landscaping purposes, however the trend of container gardening has expanded the traditional use of garden containers to grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Nearly every kind of fruit or vegetable that can be grown in a regular garden, can also be grown in a container.

Question #1 - What would I like to grow?

This one is both obvious and important. If you do not like to eat tomatoes, then it would be silly to grow them. Although it is an obvious question, it is one that many first-time gardeners over look. In the excitement of starting a new project, many first time gardeners will head out to the local nursery and bulk up on every plant that is available. Some might even say, "well I don't like tomatoes, but I will give them to my neighbors." To avoid ending up with a bunch of produce that is thrown away, the first step to planning your container garden is to sit down and make a list of every fruit or vegetable that you would like to grow. At this point, do not worry about "if you can grow" it or "how much of it to grow". Just make a master list of every kind of fruit or vegetable that you would like to grow.

Question #2 - What plants are suited to my region?

Again, this may sound like an obvious question, but for many first time gardeners it is an important one. For someone who has never grown anything in a garden, they may not have any idea what plants are suited to their area. This question should be researched early on in the planning phase so as not to waste time and money on plants that will not survive or may not produce well in your area. First, find out what your USDA zone is. Then, go through your wishlist and identify what plants are suitable for your zone. Remember that for every plant, there are a dozen or more varieties. While some varieties may not grow well in your region, there may be others that are perfectly suited for your location.

Question #3 - How much space do I have?

The amount of space that is available for your container garden depends very much on where you live. For example, if you live in a second story apartment, you may be limited to only your balcony and windowsills. While, if you live in a house, you may have at least a small yard that you can use. Consider all of your space options. Do you have a balcony or patio? If so, how much room do you have? Remember to leave enough space for a walkway and any patio furniture that you do not want to part with. Do you have vertical space that you can use with hanging baskets or a trellis? Think about your unusable space such as on the sides of the house or behind the garage. Once you have inventoried your available space, comb the list down by weeding out those options that do not get sufficient sunlight. Most plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.

Question #4 - How can the space be best used?

When deciding how to most effectively use your available space, you will need to prioritize what is most important for you. Would you rather have an aesthetically pleasing garden that adds to your overall landscape? Or, would you rather be able to fit as many plants as possible in your space? At this point in your planning phase, you will need to identify exactly what plants you will be planting, and specifically what varieties of those plants. What size and how many containers you will need. And, where the containers will be located. If aesthetics is your main priority, group plants by how they will look together with their flowers in the spring and foliage in the fall. If functionality is most important to you, consider utilizing multi-tiered planting stands and hanging baskets. When designing your layout, keep in mind that you will need to group 2-3 similar plants near each other for pollination.

Question #5 - What is my timeline?

Different varieties of the same kind of plant will produce and different times of the year. Take note of the varieties that you have selected. Are they early-bearing (spring or early summer), late-bearing (late summer to fall), or everbearing (through out the growing season). In some cases, you may need to plant more than one variety of a plant to ensure that you will have produce through out the entire growing season. Prepare a master schedule for all of your selected plants. Will you be growing from seeds or from starters. When do you need to plant? When is the best time to fertilize? Create your master schedule way in advance so that you will be prepared to care for your plants on the right timeline in order to maximize yields and ensure success.