Container Gardening: Growing Herbs in Pots

- Image by LollyKnit via Flickr
Growing herbs in pots may be co-notated as something very limiting. Now that gardening has become a very popular activity, a wide range of innovative gardening tools has emerged. Containers could be used for easy planting.
Advantages of container gardening
Container gardening provides a lot of advantages especially for people who want low-maintenance gardens and have little room for plants.
Plants could grow faster in containers. This is because you provide the plants with a controlled environment. You can get to easily manage pulling out weeds. You also save water as the pots keep a lot of moisture due to enclosed spaces. Hence the roots of your herbs could grow more rapidly.
Planting through the use of pots is not limited for indoor gardens. It is also great for outdoor gardens. This is also suitable for houses with modern style. You could organize your plants in different pots which could be put in one rack. Either wood or metal rack is appropriate for stacking potted plants all together.
You can have a diverse garden and still not take up so much space. Big pots can accommodate at least six herbs per pot. Big pots could be from one foot high by one foot wide to 2 ½ feet high by 1 foot in diameter. The smaller ones could still accommodate two plants. These could be as small as six-inch high by five-inch diameter pots. You then save more space. At the same time, you can have all the herbs you want in one place.
There are also various containers that could be used in growing your herbs. Just about any container could be used as pots, from pails to baskets. One of the most cost-effective containers is the self-watering container. There are ready-made self-watering containers available through online gardening shops and some hardware stores. Several gardening websites also provide video tutorials on how you can make your own self-watering container. The materials are right in your home – old buckets, plastic pipes and small plastic bottles or water jugs.
Container gardening could also enhance your creativity. The different pots could actually improve your garden aesthetics. Most available pots are easy to paint. The recycled pots like old casseroles and ceramic bowls add to the rustic effect of your garden.
Disadvantages of container gardening
When you are using plastic containers for outdoor gardens, you are risking the pots to become constantly exposed under the sun. Too much heat could make the plastic pot very brittle. On the other hand, the plastic pots have at least a year before giving up.
The main risk for self-watering containers is that the water reservoir is susceptible to mosquito dwellings. In spite of this, the solution is very easy. When you fill up the water reservoir, add a few spoons of olive oil or other herb essential oils. The oil would make the water unsuitable for mosquito larvae. These containers also last up to three years before you would need replacements.
Now you see, the disadvantages of container gardening are easy to handle. Hence, growing your plants in pots could be safely assumed to provide advantages most of the time.
Saving a lot things is a sure bet for growing herbs in pots. You save time, space and effort as this gardening system is very low-maintenance.
