Organic Container Gardening

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Having an organic garden means that you're keeping the nasty chemicals and pesticides out of your garden, the atmosphere and your body. Organic gardening also means utilizing a variety of methods to protect and nurture your garden such as compost tea and employing natural pesticides like ladybugs. If you don't have the space to go all out, or perhaps you live in a colder climate, then organic container gardening is a fantastic option! Even people who have large gardens like to add containers to their yard since they bring color, texture and variety to any garden.

To start organic container gardening you'll need some basic supplies:

• Hand shovel
• Potting containers- choose the size based on the needs of the various plants you wish to grow (more about that below)
• Organic potting mix
• Mulch
• Natural fertilizer

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When deciding what you want to grow in your organic container garden, you should consider several factors before making your purchase, such as:

• Pick the right size container for what you are growing. Investigate ahead of time to find out how much space the plant will need once it is mature. You can grow many kinds of trees in pots - you just need to be sure you have the right size!
• How much time will you be required to spend caring for the plants you want to grow, and is that suitable to your lifestyle?
• Choosing plants that are native to your region tend to thrive best. You can visit the American Horticulture Society's website for more information on what grows in your area (see the resources section below).
• Plants grow best in temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees F, and require between 4 to 12 hours of sun exposure everyday. Bring plants indoors during the winter season and provide shade for them in the summer- if needed.
• When choosing your pots consider that plastic containers tend to keep plant roots cooler while wooden ones tend to work best in terms of insulation and absorption of water- plus they look nice!
• Grow plants with similar care requirements together.
• You can purchase seeds or buy starter plants to help you get going.