A container garden is an easy way to grow plants and herbs on a small scale. And whether you prefer potted shrubs, hanging baskets, or a windowsill of herbs, your container garden needs daily attention and care to keep them thriving.

Here are tips to keep them stay healthy year round.

5 Tips to Maintain Your Container Garden

1. Watering

Plants grown in containers aren’t able to seek out ground water. Which means they need more frequent watering, typically when you feel the soil surface is dry.

Pay attention to watering requirements when buying plants. For example, a basket of flowers that is pushed around by the wind needs more water than a succulent. If succulents continue to be over watered their leaves can drop off and the plant will eventually die.

You can set up the watering system that will work best for you. Options available include:

• Manual
• Hose
• Watering can
• Self-watering pots
• Timed irrigation system

2. Fertilize As Required

Check to see how often your plants need to be fertilized. Potting soils with slow-release fertilizer can deplete of nutrients from watering.  

Container gardens that include flowers and vegetables are heavy feeders. Use just a few drops of fertilizer each time you water them.

4. Proper Soil

Check the type of soil your plants need. Most plants are happy with normal potting soil. However, succulents need a sandy soil that dries out quickly. Sandy soil can be found at most garden centers or you can make your own.

Be sure your plants have large enough pots to keep them happy and thriving. If the roots are coming out of the bottom hole, it’s time to move to a larger pot.

4. Clean Up Plants

Encourage new flowers and growth by clipping faded blooms or dead leaves from your plants. On large plants you may need pruning shears, on smaller plants use scissors or your fingers.

Clear away the dead leaves on succulents too. To propagate, break off a new leaf. Those that fall off are often too dead to propagate.

5. Propagate Your Container Garden

Many vining plants will easily propagate. Here’s how:

• Cut a piece of the vine off close to the soil.
• Cut a long vine into sections that have part of the stem, vine and a leaf.
• Place the cut ends in water and position them in indirect sunlight.
• Once the roots are at least 1-inch long, bury them in the soil and place in indirect sunlight.

If you want to propagate a succulent:

• Break off a leave near the base of the plant.
  
• Leave on a paper towel or dry plate for two or three days until the end dries up.
• Place the leaf on top of the dirt, don’t bury it.
• Spritz it with water twice a day.

Keep it out of direct sunlight. In about a month, a new plant will take root and the original leaf will turn brown and die.

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