Why do I prefer container gardening?

Almost all my plants are kept in containers - any shape and size! A lot of people do prefer to garden in raised beds, the soil can keep its quality better year after year in the ground. 

But I prefer to use a different container for each plant! Keep reading to hear my pros and cons for container gardening.

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What is container gardening?

Container gardening is keeping all your plants in pots. It's ideal for if you don't have much space, or for me it works better! For beginners it's a good way to start, you don't need to buy much. 

Weeding your plants is much easier:

With only the space in the container, it's easier to keep up with weeding. As I’m weeding more often, I find the roots don't get a chance to develop, and they pull out easier.

I can avoid the pesky mosquitoes in the summer:

Mosquitos are the devil in the summer! Where I still have some beds, over the winter I can't keep up with the sudden growth. When I'm down there, it's very hard to avoid getting bitten all over.

Moving plants is quick

This point is self explanatory, so much quicker than breaking my back trying to save all the roots of an established plant!

I can buy lots of different and unique plant pots

I love buying mismatched pots as I feel they all have their own personalities. No pot is the same in my garden, and it's fun scouting online to see what's out there!

It’s easy to keep track and maintain container plants

For large numbers of plants, I heel them in  the ground in rows of ten. I keep this  neat and tidy to quickly count and check on my ‘stock’. It also gets easier to see if there are any intruders in the pots, or if they have divided.

 

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But, the cons to container gardening are…

Its harder to keep good soil quality

As the seasons go on, you will need to keep the life of the soil going. Amend this by using cover crops, adding new soil, keeping it well watered, and feeding your plants more.

You limit the size your plant can grow

If you want to grow big impressive plants, it's best to plant them in the ground. Give them as much space as they need! I only grow for me, so keeping them small works best.

The floor tends to become very muddy underneath and between pots

It's tricky to get between all the pots in the mud, I only really clean the mud off the floor when I'm moving the pots. Thankfully the mud doesn't run off and it stays in place!

So those are my pros and cons of container gardening! I am still sticking to my pots, but what do you think? 

 

Thank you very much for reading my post!