Your backyard deck just isn't complete without doing some container gardening.
A fully accessorized deck still needs to be touched up to give it that atmosphere you can only get from plants.
Before you go and start digging up some dirt and throwing it into a pot you need to learn a little about what plants like to grow in.
It will be different in containers on your deck than it would be in the garden.
Regular garden soil compacts too much from regular watering leaving your roots with not enough air and the plants would either suffocate and drown, or the water wouldn't penetrate the soil at all.
The next thing you will need to decide whether you're going to grow hanging plants or create bins to place along the edge of your deck.
When creating that perfect hanging basket or container start by purchasing some artificial soil made up of mostly peat moss.
There are several different brands you can choose from try to find one that has a good mixture of peat, perlite, vermiculite and plant nutrients to help keep your soil from compacting.
It would be advisable to talk to your local horticulturist about the best brand for your situation and the types of plants you want to grow.
As I mentioned earlier compact soil doesn't work very well for more than one reason it also makes it harder for the plant roots to grow and find the nutrients they need.
One option you can do each year is reuse your old potting soil by adding a generous portion of compost to it.
I advice to use at least 10% that way your plants are assured a good nutrient rich soil to start out in as well as a nice lose soil for the roots to grow.
Make sure you chop the old soil up the roots of last year's plants really well before planting any new plants.
Once you got your plants growing it is important to water them regularly and feed them on a weekly basis so they stay healthy.
Watering should be done on an as needed basis and should be done daily on hot dry days when the plants are bigger.
Make sure you soak them good you want to be certain the soil is moist from top to bottom.
It's best to continue watering until you see water coming out of the bottom of the pot.
Plants need a good supply of nutrients to grow and container plants will rely on you to feed them because they cannot grow to find their own.
Feeding with a well balanced fertilizer is the best.
I prefer to use fish emulsion and seaweed because it gives my plants everything they need.
But you can very easily use miracle grow or any other plant nutrient from your local gardening store.
I recommend that you add seaweed to any fertilizer you use because it is loaded with trace elements that your plants will thrive on.
A fully accessorized deck still needs to be touched up to give it that atmosphere you can only get from plants.
Before you go and start digging up some dirt and throwing it into a pot you need to learn a little about what plants like to grow in.
It will be different in containers on your deck than it would be in the garden.
Regular garden soil compacts too much from regular watering leaving your roots with not enough air and the plants would either suffocate and drown, or the water wouldn't penetrate the soil at all.
The next thing you will need to decide whether you're going to grow hanging plants or create bins to place along the edge of your deck.
When creating that perfect hanging basket or container start by purchasing some artificial soil made up of mostly peat moss.
There are several different brands you can choose from try to find one that has a good mixture of peat, perlite, vermiculite and plant nutrients to help keep your soil from compacting.
It would be advisable to talk to your local horticulturist about the best brand for your situation and the types of plants you want to grow.
As I mentioned earlier compact soil doesn't work very well for more than one reason it also makes it harder for the plant roots to grow and find the nutrients they need.
One option you can do each year is reuse your old potting soil by adding a generous portion of compost to it.
I advice to use at least 10% that way your plants are assured a good nutrient rich soil to start out in as well as a nice lose soil for the roots to grow.
Make sure you chop the old soil up the roots of last year's plants really well before planting any new plants.
Once you got your plants growing it is important to water them regularly and feed them on a weekly basis so they stay healthy.
Watering should be done on an as needed basis and should be done daily on hot dry days when the plants are bigger.
Make sure you soak them good you want to be certain the soil is moist from top to bottom.
It's best to continue watering until you see water coming out of the bottom of the pot.
Plants need a good supply of nutrients to grow and container plants will rely on you to feed them because they cannot grow to find their own.
Feeding with a well balanced fertilizer is the best.
I prefer to use fish emulsion and seaweed because it gives my plants everything they need.
But you can very easily use miracle grow or any other plant nutrient from your local gardening store.
I recommend that you add seaweed to any fertilizer you use because it is loaded with trace elements that your plants will thrive on.
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