image
image
image

Creating Carefree Container Gardens

By Sally Cogdill

 

           

         Many gardeners want colorful container gardens throughout the summer, but we don’t want them to be a time-consuming, tedious gardening chore.   Here's a tip:  labor now – lounge later.    

         An initial investment of time and labor while putting together your containers will save you many hours of work throughout the summer.  You can take steps at each stage of container construction to reduce or eliminate maintenance tasks.  The most time consuming task is watering, so use every technique possible to minimize this chore. 

        First, select the right containers.  Choose large containers that are made out of plastic, glazed pottery, or other materials that slow evaporation.  Avoid small pots, moss baskets, and clay pots that dry out quickly in Colorado’s low humidity and warm summer temperatures.  If you want to use baskets or other decorative containers, place pots inside them.  Another trick to keep the soil cool and to limit evaporation is to provide additional insulation by lining the interior sides of pots with plastic bubble-wrap.  Good drainage is essential for plant health, so be sure your containers have drainage holes that allow excess water from rain or over-watering to seep out.   

        Watering chores can be reduced several other ways.  Consider installing one of the drip irrigation systems designed for containers.  An electric or battery powered controller that turns drip emitters on and off automatically makes watering truly carefree.  Another option is self-watering containers.  You can purchase these at garden centers or create your own.  Simply run a wick from a water reservoir up through the pot’s drainage hole and into the soil about half way up the container.  Fill the reservoir with water as needed.

  

        

       For good water retention, use high quality potting soil that contains perlite, vermiculite and ample organic matter.  Do not use dirt from the yard.  You may want to add a water-retaining polymer to the potting soil.  (Opinions differ regarding the benefits of using water-retaining polymers in containers.  Some gardening experts believe they are helpful and recommend their use, while others believe they are of little benefit.

        The frequent watering required by containers washes nutrients from the soil.  Therefore, you should add a slow-release fertilizer to the potting soil so you won’t have to bother with repeated applications of fertilizer throughout the growing season.

         Prudent selection of plants is another key to having carefree containers.  Be sure that only plants having the same light and water requirements are combined in a container.  You can reduce watering chores by choosing plants that are drought tolerant.  Plan to use long-blooming plants and plants with different bloom times in order to have colorful flowers all summer without having to replant.  Also, be sure to include plants with interesting foliage.  Foliage comes in many shades of green, yellow, silver, burgundy and other colors.  It varies in texture, shape and size.  An eye-catching mix of foliage enables you to have an attractive container even when few or no plants are in bloom. 

          For a final touch, cover the soil surface with tiny bark chips, moss, or gravel to reduce surface evaporation and to keep roots cool.   Now you can relax and enjoy your carefree container garden.  

image