Container Gardening
Table of Contents
Some of the notes in this section are from a 5 page booklet Home Gardening 101 – For Beginners from Kalpavriksha Farm's site. When i started doing Gardening, i referred to this site.
Containers
The size of a container is determined by the plant. “Grow Bags”, “Pots”, “Planters” are the terms to search for them.
| Type of plant | Container type |
| radish,carrots, potatoes (tubers) | deeper, slightly spacious |
| greens and herbs | wide, shallow |
| brinjal, tomatoes and lady's finger | bigger pot as plants are bigger and sturdier |
Ensure there are drain holes at the bottom of your containers to drain any excess water without rotting the roots.
Soil mix
All the following must be in equal proportion
- red soil
- manure (cow dung manure)
- compost/vermicompost
- coco peat
To the above, add 2-3 tsp of neem powder / neem cake powder
Mix all the above together and fill the pots.
Why coco peat
- Adds humus content to keep the soil mix well aerated and drained
- Compared to soil, coco peat is very light weight and that takes care of the load-bearing issue
Seeds
Always start with crops that are seasonal and native because they grow well without much resistance. Please DO NOT try to grow exotic varieties to start with as it’s a sure shot way to failure.
List of plants
The vegetables suggested below are common, productive plants that are relatively easy to grow. Change according to your region, season, availability etc.
- Tomatoes
- Chillies
- Brinjal (Eggplant)
- Lady’s Finger (Okra)
- Radish / Carrot
- Leafy greens
- Bean varieties
- Gourds (if in season)
- Herbs – Mint, Coriander/cilantro, Curry leaves, Basil
- Marigolds to discourage pests and add some color! You could add Tulsi, garlic etc as biological pest control methods too.