Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Soil and water ‘the keys to container gardening’

The secret to successful container gardening is to pay close attention to the soil and the way that plants are watered, an expert has said.

In an article for thecalifornian.com, Christa Jennings – a California Certified Nursery Professional and Master Fruit Taster who works at McShane's Nursery and Landscape Supply in Salinas – said these two factors are the most important

"Your plants will be dependent on you for every bit of nutrition and water they get – they can't send roots out looking for more," she explained.

Ms Jennings went on to point out that good potting soil is the best thing to use in small containers, as garden soil will choke the roots much faster.

"The soil needs to be loose enough to drain rapidly, but rich enough to hold just enough moisture and nutrients," the expert continued.

Finally, she suggested making sure water runs from the bottom of containers when watering to make sure enough moisture gets in to the pot.