Chris Collins offers his top tips for gardening in pots this summer
Flowers, food and wildlife can flourish in a container garden – especially if you stick to some of my golden rules. Unlike a conventional garden planted directly into the soil, container plants will rely on you for all their needs.
The first job is to get the watering right, and I would argue it’s the most skilful job a gardener can do. Timing is important: the coolness of early morning or early evening will have the most beneficial impact as you’ll reduce the amount of water lost to transpiration. Drip trays at the base of your pots will catch water and aid supply.
Most importantly, however, is the relationship you build with your container plants as you water. This is the time you assess all the plants’ requirements. Do they need feeding? Do they need support/staking? Do they need picking over?
A healthy soil normally provides all the nutrients a plant requires but a container is a different environment. Nutrients can easily wash through the pot in a process called ‘leaching’. For this reason, regular foliar feeds backed up with an organic slow-release fertiliser will subsidise nutrient requirements. A top-dress of decent peat-free or homemade compost during the growing season will also give plants a boost.
The joy of weeds!
Container grown plants are also more susceptible to breezy conditions as they have less anchorage. Add support and secure with soft twine tied in a figure of eight around the plant. This allows movement in the wind and prevents rubbing of soft stems.
Lastly, there’s the weeding. I’ve never liked the word ‘weeds’ as I’ve always viewed them as wild plants – but as your container is already a confined space, keep a watch for intruders. The rule is ‘weed before they seed’ so make sure unwanted plants are taken out before flowering so seed production cannot occur. Picking over dead leaves and deadheading spent flowers will also reduce the chances of mildew, and the bonus is you may get new flowers to enjoy.
Question and Answer
Q. My balcony is on the top floor, how do I protect plants from wind?
A. Try planting a climber on the windward side of the garden, this will filter and slow down wind speed.
Q. What are some ways I can deal naturally with container ‘pests’?
A. Look out for unwanted visitors on your daily watering checks. If spotted, remove by hand or better still encourage birdlife. Blue tits will pick off those aphids without a fuss! Incorporate bird tables, bee houses and habitat piles into larger containers.
Q. What can I plant for butterflies?
A. I would recommend salvia, coreopsis, zinnia, nasturtium and herbs such as dill and oregano. Mix it up with some British natives such as bird’s foot trefoil, wild strawberry, primrose, harebell and cornflowers
Find more tips, advice and articles like this at the Amateur Gardening website. Subscribe to Amateur Gardening magazine now
