Container Gardening. Easy & Fun

Transcription

1 Container Gardening Easy & Fun

2 Basic Requirements to Ensure Success ü Selec.on of quality containers ü Prepara.on of a suitable soil mix ü Discovery of the right plants for your loca.on ü Plant at the best.me of the year for the species you select ü Maintenance.. irriga.on, pruning, fer.lizing, pest control

3 Picking out Containers The style & shape of your pots is strictly a personal preference. Some people like to select themes, such as terraco8a.

4 Picking Out Containers Another theme is selec.ng colorful pots.

5 Others prefer to mix & match a variety of containers by seleccng ceramic, plascc, or metal to hold their plants.

6 Concrete Plants: A life Time Investment Concrete planters offer maximum durability & minimum maintenance due to their rugged steel reinforcement construc.on & thick walls. Their gentle beauty, enhanced by a variety of colors & texture op.ons, offers versa.lity that adds aesthe.c value to property.

7 More Concrete Containers

8 Cost of containers is directly related to quality & longevity Mexican clay pots may be less expensive, but might only last one season before the alkalinity within our water breaks them down into a glob of goop. Slightly more expensive Italian clay pots will ojen last for many seasons. Note: porous clay containers should be coated inside with a clay pot sealer. Porcelain pomery, a limle more expensive, will last long.me. Plas.c are very inexpensive, but are vulnerable to U.V. light & weaken readily. Choose galvanized metal as it is less likely to rust. Although concrete planters are the most expensive, they will last a life.me weight may be a concern.

9 Container Size- determined by available room ü Small areas such as balconies or doorways will accommodate tall, narrow pots or 6ered plant stands capable of holding several layers of pots. ü Large pa6os have room for he<y vessels or ver6cal racks will hold 2 to 3 rows of containers. ü Staggering the height of similar pots always looks stylish.

10 Arizona Desert NaCve Soils No,No In Containers Our desert soils are: ü Low in organic mamer ü Have an alkaline/basic ph ü High in sodium leading to poor drainage & an alkali condi.on ü Can be high in salts (saline soil) ü Poten.al plant pathogens exist in na.ve soils ü Just not good for containers

11 Soils 101: Soil Texture ü Define: The amount of sand, silt, & clay in the soil ü Determines soil aera.on, water holding capacity & fer.lity ü Sand has excellent aera.on & low water holding capacity, but no fer.lity aspect ü Silt has good aera.on & low water holding capacity, but no fer.lity ü Clay has poor aera.on & water holding capacity, but excellent fer.lity ü Ideal soil texture for many plants is a loam soil that has equal amounts of sand, silt, & clay

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13 Humus= Black Gold Define: the dark residues that remain ajer complete decomposi.on of organic mamer

14 Humus along with clay are the fercle porcons of soil releasing available nutrients for plant uptake

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16 Sooooo what soil should be used in containers?? Soil types are as variable as the container. ü If you use a porous container, such as terracoma, it is recommended to use a soil mix that retains water longer, as moisture evaporates through clay surfaces. Adding organic mamer, such as peat moss, will increase the water holding capacity of your soil. ü A well drained soil mix is suggested for nonporous containers such as metal, porcelain, or plas.c. Addi.on of perlite, sand, or gravel will improve porosity of the soil. ü Cac. & other succulents prefer to dry out thoroughly between irriga.ons. ü Herbaceous perennials require more consistent, even moisture.

17 Buy or Make Your Own Mix

18 ü Basically, any plant can be containerized including: Annual Flowers Vegetables Herbs CacC & other succulents Woody shrubs & trees Bulbs

19 Annual Flowers

20 Vegetable PlanCngs Success with vegetable gardening is dependent on selec5ng the correct variety & plan5ng at the right 5me of the year.

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22 CacC & Other Succulents

23 As container plants, succulents are the group of plants with the lowest maintenance

24 Succulent examples

25 Cactus Containers- Add some rocks etc. for interest!!

26 Liga/Baja Spruce-Euphorbia xan--nacve to sea bluffs, dunes, & rocky slopes in central to southern Baja California. Very heat & drought tolerant.

27 Karoo Rose- Adenium Winter Remedy Na.ve to East Africa & the Arabian peninsula, this member of the Dogbane Family is related to the common oleander.

28 Containers with Agaves- over 300 species to select from

29 Over 500 Aloes to choose from- Make the hummers happy!

30 A couple more Euphorbias- Moroccan Mound (E. resinifera) Candellia (E. an-syphili-ca)

31 Woody Trees & Shrubs Classic example is bonsai

32 Try some seasonal bulbs

33 Use a Cme release ferclizer such as Osmocote ( ) or compost & or peat moss

34 Mulching Your Containers- Use organic or inorganic op-ons.

35 Raised Beds

36 IrrigaCon for Containers