Growing plants in containers can be rewarding. By confining the plants to a relatively small space, maintenance can be less of a chore. The plantings can be moved to various sites for different purposes and then moved back. This fact sheet is to answer questions on what you need to get started. Containers can be combined and coordinated with any type of garden. Incorporating tropical foliage, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and flowers is easy to accomplish in a small area using a variety of containers.

Containers that can be used: Practically anything

Plants that can be grown in containers: Practically anything annuals Impatiens, Begonias, Torenia, Dusty Miller, Geraniums, Caladiums, Marigolds, etc. perennials Hostas, Lilies, Liriope, Astilbe, Crocosmia, Euphorbia, Heuchera, etc. trees and shrubs Junipers, Dwarf Hollies, Viburnums, Japanese Maples, Birch, etc. tropicals Dracaenas, Sheffelera, Hibiscus, Crotons, Ficus, etc. bulbs Lilies, Daffodils, Iris, etc. fruits and vegetables Tomatoes, Peppers, Squash, Strawberries, Blueberries, etc. succulents and cacti vines Bougainvilla, Mandevilla, Alamanda, Ivy, Clematis, etc.

Mixes for containers: Peat-lite mixes or soil mixes

The growing medium used in containers can be soil alone, it can be soil plus amendments, or it can be completely soilless. Whatever you choose, the medium must drain well. This is best accomplished by using a combination of soil amendments of various particle sizes to provide small air spaces, drainage, and adequate water-holding capacity.

You can use a wide variety of soil amendments to custom-blend your own soil mix. Keep it simple! Start with peat moss or good top soil as a base; this will constitute the bulk of your mix. Add perlite, pine bark, or sand to provide drainage and increase aeration. The addition of vermiculite will increase the water-holding capacity. The addition of peat moss to any mix will make the soil very acid, so always add ground limestone to maintain an adequate pH level. The addition of a granular-type fertilizer at low rates can be beneficial as a starter feed to new plants. Soilless mixes do not contain much in the way of nutrients, so the addition of fertilizer will feed the plants for a few days until you begin a liquid-feed program.

A suggested mix:

2 cu.ft peat - 1 cu.ft. perlite - 1 cu.ft vermiculite - 1 cu.ft. pine bark mulch
Add 1 lb. 5-10-10 granulated fertilizer
Add 2 lb. pulverized limestone

Planting and Transplanting

Pre-moisten your soil medium before filling the container. The medium should be moderately moist, not dripping wet. This reduces the dust associated with filling a pot or container of any kind, and it assures you that the medium will be uniformly moist. Once the planting is complete, water the container thoroughly to ensure good soil and root contact and eliminate large air pockets.

Remove the transplant material from the container it has been grown in and carefully examine the root system. It is usually a good practice to break up the circling roots before placing the plant in the larger container. If the plant is in a biodegradable container, remove the top edges to prevent wicking. Make sure that there are adequate holes in the base to allow for root emergence.

Container Size

Select containers that are large enough to provide adequate soil volume for one growing season. A container may be used to grow multiple plants as long as there is enough soil to support them.

Perennials, trees, shrubs, foliage plants will all need to be shifted up to larger containers periodically. Many plants do not suffer from being pot-bound. This can actually produce dwarfing effect that allows the plant to remain in the same container longer. Excessive roots become a liability when they have displaced most of the soil in a container. When this occurs, the water-holding capacity is gone and more frequent watering is required.

Combining plants in one container gives you an immediate effect of fullness. It may become necessary to remove some of the plants over time to eliminate the domination of one plant over another.

For more information, visit http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/hyg/hyg-86.htm

The perfect pot for your container garden is one that enhances the plants and the location in which they're displayed. Choosing the right container involves a number of decisions: Determine the type of material to use - wood, terra cotta, ceramic, clay, metal. Think about your personal style. Whimsical? Try an old sink, wheelbarrow, or rubber boot. milk can. Elegant or formal? Select a classic urn on a pedestal. You also need to select a material that suits the location where you plan to display the plant and its container. A formal brick patio, for example, is ideal for terra cotta pots or elegant cut stone; a rustic woodland deck is just the place for a planter box of recycled barn wood.

Your definition of beauty and function comes into play when you start choosing the containers and matching them to plants. Whether you buy containers, make them yourself, or improvise, your attention to materials, colors, shapes, and cost can yield a great statement about your personal taste.

Considering porosity and drainage

Containers are available in a huge variety of materials -especially if you start making your own or finding unusual planter prospects. As you look, be sure to consider at least two key factors: porosity and drainage.

Looking at size and shape

When choosing a container, think about what's good for the plant, and what looks nice. A pot that's too small crowds roots, cutting off moisture, oxygen, and nutrients that are vital for healthy growth. If the pot is too big, the superfluous soil may stay too wet and can smother the roots.

Guidelines for ideal container size differ a bit for permanent plants and seasonal plants. For permanent plants like Japanese maple or conifers, think longer term and choose a pot that looks in scale with the plant when you buy it and allows room for a year or two of root growth. As a rule, when buying a nursery plant, transplant it to a container that is 2 inches deeper and wider than its nursery container. Don't be shy about taking the plants you're buying to the container section of a store to find the best match. Or if you own the container, take it into the nursery to match it up with plants.

Seasonals like annuals and bulbs can be crowded together more closely than plants that you grow in the ground, providing much more impact quickly. Crowded conditions can't persist for long, but you can satisfy the tight-quarters demands for extra water and food over your plants' short seasons. As a rule, figure that if the recommended spacing for ground planting is 10 to 12 inches, container planting translates to 6 to 8 inches apart. As a general rule of scale, if the annuals normally grow 10 or 12 inches tall, provide a pot with a diameter of at least 8 inches. If the plants grow 2 or 3 feet tall, better go for a diameter of 24 inches or a large container like a half barrel.

Getting whimsical

Container shapes vary. Some are designed for practicality, and others look the way they do because someone likes their appearance.

All kinds of items can be and have been made into containers for plants: retired wooden and metal wheelbarrows, old cans and canisters, well-loved but retired garden boots. Do they look good? Whatever you choose, just make sure that the improvised container has proper drain holes and room for roots to grow.

Where to find potential containers? Try thrift stores, farm supply stores, barn sales, garage sales, antique shops, your grandmother's toolshed, or estate sales. The key is to keep your eyes open and get the word out among friends and fellow gardeners who may run into exactly what you're looking for.

Because these are not run-of-the-mill containers, your prize picks deserve special consideration so that can show them off properly. Consider these tips for putting your more unusual plantings in the proper locations:

Overall, you may find that unusual containers provide welcome exclamation points in the garden. They open avenues of creativity and attract sometimes surprising, always interesting, comments and conversation.

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