Container Gardening For Beginners

Several people all around the world enjoy this fun as well as rewarding hobby. It relaxes you and you get the enjoyment and satisfaction of growing a plant. Nowadays, the news are showing several stories of people getting food poisoning through the otherwise "known healthy" foods such as green onions and lettuce. As a result, several people opt for growing their food as much as they can.

Container gardening is often perceived by people to be expensive as well as difficult. Nevertheless, it is in fact, easy and also not very expensive. This article deals with starting container gardening including the expenses that might be incurred.

Putting together your own container garden is as easy as following these easy steps. We will be planting basil here. However, you can follow the same steps with a few modifications for just about any herb.

#1 Get your gardening supplies

In order to plant a basil plant you will be needing the following things. Three plastic or earthen pots that have drainage holes at the bottom, having about 6 inches of diameter and depth, a basil seeds pack, a small bag each of compost (organic) and peat moss, a garden trowel, a watering can and a very sunny windowsill. If it is not available, you can even get a halogen or fluorescent grow light. You can get all this in about $20.

#2 Ready up your soil

Now, you will have to prepare your soil. Mix peat moss and compost in 1:5 proportions, that is, for each trowel of the peat moss, you will need five trowels of compost. Now, fill up the pots, leaving a space of half an inch at the top.

#3 Planting the seeds

This is simple enough. Use your finger to make a small hole, approximately an inch deep, at the centre of all the three pots. Place three seeds in each hole and cover them up with the soil. Water them lightly and keep them in the window, or under the grow light. When the seeds have sprouted and have grown close to 2 inches high then get rid of the extra sprouts. This way, you will now have a plant to each pot.

#4 Proper care for the plants

You will now have to give your plants proper care. For this, you have to regularly water them and maintain them. You will have to check and inspect the soil to see if it is moist enough. If it feels dry, then water it lightly.

If you see any flower stalks then remove them. Also, keep pinching the tops off so that a bushy growth is maintained.

Isn't it absolutely simple? So, what are you waiting for? Start your own container garden.