Container Gardening: Consider the Container First

Container gardening has become all the rage over the last few years. Every time I pick up a gardening magazine or peruse a gardening website, I can rest assured I'll find an entire section devoted to the subject. I can also guarantee there will be tons of information at my disposal on how to choose complimentary color combinations for my containers or how to match foliage structures to the container's design elements or even how to layer spiky/bushy/viney plantings in that same said container for dramatic visual effect. But, where is the actual aspects of the container ever addressed?

So, let's talk containers.

Container depth (priority #1)

In my opinion, no other factor is as critical to successful container gardening than depth. Nothing is more frustrating than plantings that either don't grow well or do grow well at first but then quickly fizzle out. If what's above the rim of the container is lush with foliage and blossoms, then what's below the rim has to be a healthy root system. Shallow containers are prohibitive to healthy root systems. There are only two reasons to purchase shallow containers, 1) the container is going to be sited in a continuously shady location or 2) the container is going to be home to cacti or succulents. Shallow containers assimilate dessert conditions perfectly when placed in direct sunlight.

As far as I'm concerned, if a container can't hold at least 24 inches of soil for root development and 1 inch of gravel for adequate drainage, it doesn't belong in my garden. Having said that, I will admit to owning a few shallow containers---lessons learned in beginning gardening. For example, I bought this lovely three-tier planter in my early gardening years. The largest basket is at the bottom of the tier with a depth of 5 1/2 inches, the center basket 5 inches and the top basket measures in at a whopping 4 1/2 inches, thus the additon of the coconut liners which add an extra inch or two of depth. Instead of being sited in full sun on my westerly exposed back deck which was my original intention, the lovely three-tier planter resides in the shade of my easterly exposed front porch. Even so, successful growing in these shallow baskets requires daily watering and, depending on the type of planting (supertunia and sweet potato vine), daily feeding.

Container types

Simply from a durability standpoint, I prefer concrete, resin, and fiberglass over wood, ceramic, and metal. I especially like the new urns and pots that are made of a stone/fiberglass combination (stonecast) for the tough exterior quality and yet easy movability. Plastic on its own is tacky---just my own personal opinion.

Container shape

As long as a container has depth and is made of durable material, the shape is merely a matter of preference. The exception is in the hanging basket. I want my hanging baskets to acheive that nursery-like gargantuan fullness with the ability to grow and bloom from mid spring planting all the way through summer into fall. Therefore, the only shape suitable to meet my expectations is the cone.

The cone offers the most optimal surface area for healthy root development. The cone in the picture is 24 inches in diameter and 28 inches long. The large diameter allows for multiple plantings without crowding and the spacious depth offers the roots a place to stretch out and grow. Most hanging baskets become root bound within a few weeks and then the flowers suffer.

The construction is a combination of coconut fiber and sheet moss over wire. These cones are very large, requiring eyebolts driven into studs to keep them secure and stable. And, because of the weight put upon the eyebolt, only potting mix not potting soil should be used. These cone baskets can be found at any nursery. I bought mine from Farrand Farms.

Not to be overwhelmed, (I've been told by more than one nursery worker that people buy these baskets and then return them) nurseries carry several smaller sizes. I noticed this past season that even the big box stores are starting to carry the smaller cones as well. Just remember, the smaller the cone the less area for root development. By the middle of summer, the foliar diameter of this cone basket was easily six feet.

When the container is considered first, the results are nothing short of dramatic.