by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com
What makes a successful container garden? A good potting soil is the first key ingredient; you want a mixture that provides a good combination of excellent drainage and aeration. Regular garden soil is too heavy and dense for use in pots.
"Look for 'professional' on the label," suggests Dr. Susan Hamilton, who oversees the University of Tennessee Gardens. "That word puts the potting soil in a whole different category. You will be paying a little bit more, but it will be high quality. If your container garden fails, it won't be because of the potting soil." To tell whether the potting soil has the right consistency, give it the squeeze test. "If it feels like pastry dough, yet it still crumbles, that's a good sign."
Many growers like to mix their own and prefer particular blends. "Every greenhouse manager has his or her favorite potting soil recipe, and each thinks theirs is the one to use," she says. Here, says Hamilton, are three great recipes:
Mix #1
2 parts peat: 1 part perlite: 1 part builder's sand
Mix #2
2 parts peat: 1 part builder's sand
Mix #3
1 part peat: 1 part builder's sand: 1 part pine-bark mulch
Is it really worth it to mix your own if you're a typical backyard gardener? "No," Hamilton says. "When you look at price and volume versus what you really need, you usually have a lot of material left over. Besides, bagged soils are pretty cost-effective because all the guesswork has been taken out of it. Professional blends have already been charged with starter nutrients and pH adjusted. If you were going to do that part on your own, oh my, it gets complicated."
More great advice from the experts:
Select plants that are compatible in terms of light, water, growth and the conditions in the chosen site. Don't mix a shade- and water-lover like impatiens with a dry-and-sunny plant like thyme. Some plants like mint are such aggressive growers they need a pot of their own.
Pay close attention to watering. For containers in sunny, hot or windy areas, watering twice a day may be necessary. A plant that has outgrown its pot will also need more frequent watering.
Consider using a water-absorbing polymer; it will improve the moisture retention of the potting soil. Follow the directions on the package.
Top-dress with mulch and a slow-release fertilizer. You'll be reducing the evaporation rate as well as eliminating regular feedings.Much more on container gardening
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