There are some differences between plants you can use in a container garden and plants that would look good in a traditional garden. Container gardening is good if you like to plant plants close together, or plan on moving plants around. If you want to grow a large collection of annuals, perennials and biennials, then container gardening is not the way to go. It is best to grow these plants in a garden that has good soil that will support all of your planting desires. The following tips will give you the information you need to start planning a container garden.

Soil for Standard Clay Pots – This chart can help you interpret common container sizes for standard clay pots and give you an approximate estimate of how much soil each would need (these are dry soil measurements). These numbers are only approximate. Use these measurements to get the size of container you think you need. Remember that planting containers take more water than standalone containers, and watering can become difficult. If you are new to container gardening, keep this in mind.

Soil for 16 inch pots – These dimensions are just for starter plants. An indoor vegetable garden is different from an outdoor garden. In an indoor garden, the growing season is limited to three or four weeks, so the plant will need more water. If you are going to be using planters that you can move inside when the weather is bad, make sure to buy larger pots that have a wider opening. This will allow more water to the plant during bad weather. A sixteen inch pot is just over four feet across at most, which will give your plant room to grow.

The rule of thumb is this – For every four cubic feet of area, you should have about five cups of water. This will give you about half a cup of water to add water for watering. Multiply, that by four to give you a cup of water for each four cubic feet of area. This will give you an approximate estimate of how many cups of water needed to make a sixteen inch pot. This will be a conservative amount of water to use as far as water goes.

Plant Care – There are a few things that will affect the water your container receives. These include the type of plant you are growing, the type of pot you are growing it in, the size of the container and the drainage holes. All of these factors will affect how much water the plant needs to survive. Your container will not receive as much water if the roots are being forced to grow under water that does not go through drainage holes or if it is a smaller pot with less drainage holes.

Smaller containers – Most commonly grown plants such as herbs, strawberries and others can fit in the standard sizes of pots. If you are just starting out with your own garden or are using containers specifically for smaller plants, start small. Start with containers that are no taller than four inches high. After a month or two, you can then try containers that are up to two or three inches in height.

Thunderhead Potting Soil – When it comes to building a container garden, there is nothing that gives off more excitement than planting a new plant into your new potting soil. It can take months for the plant to settle into its new location. By the time it does, there may be many bugs and other pests that you would never see if you started out your container gardening life with a standard potting soil. One of the best ways to avoid some of those problems is to go with larger, bulkier pots. The biggest pots will hold more water, which means you don’t have to water as often. Plus, larger pots are generally easier to maintain since you can put them in the dishwasher and they dry faster than smaller ones.

16 Quarts of Potting Soil – Starting out with your container garden is always going to be difficult. You can either buy soil at a garden center or order it online. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. Pots usually last longer and if you get a good brand, they also tend to be better for your health.