Container gardening is the fourth method of gardening to discuss (See traditional gardening, raised bed gardening, and landscape gardening). This is another easy way to garden that can be similar to raised bed gardening. Container gardening is exactly what it sounds like; you use containers, like pots or window boxes, to grow your plants.

This is a great method of gardening for people that have little time, little space and little sun. You can move your containers around, so that they get the maximum amount of sun they can get. There should be very few weeds if any since containers are off of the ground, so it is a very low maintenance way to garden. You can even plant a few herbs in a window container. Plus, for those of you with no land, you can even use this method of gardening inside.

I use leftover tree containers for my container gardening outside. I already have the containers from when I bought my fruit and nut trees, and I plant in these. (Katie jumps in: your pots don’t have to be fancy! I like reusing pots that come with plant purchases, too.) Tomato plants are what I typically plant in containers. I have a limited amount of sunlight, and I like to be able to move my plants in the afternoon so that they can get more sunlight.

Two Tips Not to Miss for Container Gardening

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are using container gardening. First, the water will evaporate quickly, so you will need to check your containers daily to make sure that your plants are moist enough.

Second, you will have to use fertilizer. For all other methods of gardening, I really discourage using fertilizers because you can naturally build up your soil with worms and compost. However, with a container garden, too many nutrients wash away when you water your plants. Really, you have to use fertilizer. I am not a fertilizer expert, since I rarely use any, but I do try to find organic or natural fertilizers when I shop. I usually will include a small amount of fertilizer every 7^th watering. Over fertilizing can burn a plant, so you will want to use caution and follow directions when applying fertilizer.

Growing Plants Inside

We had almost no land for about a year, and my only option for gardening was container gardening on a small deck, and inside. However, we were able to have something fresh everyday for months just with shelves of plants.

My mother in law gave me an indoor greenhouse with racks that were covered in plastic. I placed these racks in front of my window, and grew an amazing number of vegetables and herbs in my kitchen nook. Since it was covered in plastic, my pets weren’t able to get to the plants. I rotated the plants each day, so that they all had a chance to be on the top rack and get extra sunlight. I was also careful that the plants did not get too hot under the plastic, and would unzip it if needed.

I have also kept aloe vera and other small plants inside under a skylight for years. As long as you have a sunny window, you can grow plants inside. Indoor plants also help to clean your air, making a healthier home for everyone.

Thank you as always, Rene of Budget Saving Mom, for your inspiration to garden, somehow, somewhere, no matter what your circumstances!

Katie Gardens

A quick update on Espoma’s organic potting soil, which I used about half of to pot a purchased basil plant.  Let’s start by saying that I’ve tried to grow a basil plant, already established, twice, and from seed once or twice, with zero success.  In a week, my basil plant looks to be almost double in size!  (That’s my photo at the top – I’m so proud of the little guy!)  I can’t say for sure that the soil is the cause, but I’m duly impressed.

Also, your laugh for the day.  My first try at vegetable gardening consisted of two tomato plants in pots.  We have a very shady yard, so I would move them across the front lawn all day long – when I remembered – to chase the patch of sunlight.  Tomatoes need at least 8-12 hours of sunlight per day!

My husband got tired of the pots in the front yard as they weren’t very aesthetically pleasing, so I tried moving them to the backyard, where all our sunshine lands on a gentle graded hill.  Let’s just say I spent as much time chasing my tomato plants down the hill as I did chasing the sunshine!  I got seven tomatoes, total, from the two plants.  Believe me, you can yield much more than that if your plants don’t do somersaults so often!

Here’s the preciousness that happened when I went for the photo opp of my basil plant:

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The gardening series continues all summer long!  Sign up for a free email subscription or grab my reader feed. You can also follow me on Twitter, get KS for Kindle, or see my Facebook Fan Page.

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.