1 © 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. 11 Container gardening UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MASTER GARDENER

2 Containers for plants can be anything! As long as it has: Drainage!!

3 Plant containers can be anything that holds soil! Remember: Drainage

4 Moisture-loving plants can stand in water: bacopa, peace lily, cannas. Plastic pots are good for these plants. Most plants cannot stand in water and need oxygen as much as moisture. Double pot these or use containers with several drainage holes. Dry loving plants require drainage and pots that dry out: terra cotta, or clay. Plastic is worse for these plants. KNOW YOUR PLANT’S MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS!

5 CONTAINER OPTIONS: TERRA COTTA OR CLAY  Classic choice because it is great for plant root growth: provides good air or oxygen exchange.  Heavy  Dries out quickly  Develops mold, salts etching

6 CONTAINER OPTIONS: PLASTIC & FIBERGLASS  Lightweight, maybe too lightweight  Hold moisture longer, maybe too long  No staining  Colorful, can be decorative and attractive

7 CONTAINER OPTIONS: WOOD  Minimum temperature fluctuation: good insulators  Needs replacing eventually, can last many years  Informal, natural appearance

8 CONTAINER OPTIONS: GLAZED CERAMIC  Beautiful  Non-porous and can be too airtight for root growth  May clash with plants flowers and foliage Phormium, New Zealand flax

9 CONTAINER OPTIONS: METAL  Little insulation: can be very hot or very cold, less of a problem in large containers  Can be very attractive

10 CONTAINER OPTIONS: STONE, HYPERTUFA TROUGHS  Heavy in weight and cost  Harder to find  Moss grows on containers  Drainage may be a problem.

11 Traditional Container Soil Mix: 1 part garden soil 1 part peatmoss (wet first: soak in a bucket) 1 part sand Use new soil each year.

12 Most people use synthetic soil. Lightweight; holds water and air; ideal for plant growth.

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16 CoccCocc Coconut fiber or coir is in the ingredients.

17 Slow release fertilizer is in this potting soil, but in a very small amount.

18 Container plants need fertilizer. You can use a slow release fertilizer in the soil mix and weekly liquid fertilizer applications for actively growing flowering annuals in containers.

19 WATERING: VERY IMPORTANT  Daily in summer  Small and hanging containers need extra care  Type of container type makes a big difference

20 Pouches require lots of water. Use a piece of hose in the back of the pouch.

21 What plants should you use? It depends on: Site Personal preference Color scheme Purpose: food, color, hide/cover, frame, soften, attract attention

22 Hot sites call for careful plant selection. Purple or pink fountaingrass loves sun and warm or hot locations

23 Shade is easier: Begonia ‘Dragon Wings,’ great container plant.

24 Hidcote, England Fuchsia: likes cool weather and lots of moisture.

25 Osteospermum ‘Orange Symphony’ likes cool weather; opens with sun

26 PERSONAL PREFERENCE formal informal

27 COLOR SCHEME: RED AND PINK

28 White color theme: featherreed grass ‘Overdam’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’, caladium and Zinnia angustifolia ‘Crystal White’

29 Purpose: define a patio: Sissinghurst white garden

30 Define a bench: Plectranthus,sweet potato vine ‘Margarita’, coleus, supertunia

31 Fuschia,Carex buchananii, licorice plant, nasturtium, fan flower

32 Decorate: Denver Botanic Garden: Up on the Roof

33 Define or make a new garden with just containers

34 Place plants where there is no soil access.

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36 Cover a bare wall: use tough plants

37 Containers allow you to grow plants where there is no access to the soil.

38 Highlight a special plant collection: carnivorous plants; herbs

39 Denver Botanic Garden: a trough for every county, showing their native plants.

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41 Mini-landscape: Trough Gardens; Rice Creek Gardens.

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43 Use containers to feature an area: entryway, walkway, door, bench.

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45 Sissinghurst entryway

46 Containers can highlight a flower border

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48 COMBINATIONS FOR CONTAINERS Resources, fun websites:  Ball Horticultural, Inc.  click on: Combinations

49 Proven Winners: A. Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ 2 plants B. Lobelia ‘Laguna Sky Blue’ 3plants C. Petunia ‘Supertunia Double Purple’ 2plants “Pennies from Heaven” Proven Winners AA B B C C B

50 New forms of old favorites

51 Nasella or (Stipa) tenuissima, pony tails, Mexican Feather Grass; Osteospermum, Angelonia’Angelface Blue’, Argyanthemum ‘Butterfly’

52 Scirpus cernus,fiber optic grass; vinca,dusty miller,viola

53 Tibouchina grandiflora, large leafed gloryflower is a South American flowering tree, tropical plant.

54 Tropical look: Olbrich Gardens, Madison, WI Use coarse and fine textured plants. A banana shredded from hail at the Arboretum.

55 Nicotiana sylvestris, flowering tobacco and Hibiscus

56 Containers for food and horticultural therapy Use raised beds for elders, children, or where soil is very poor.

57 Container vegetables require: 1. Full sun 2. Lots of water 3. Fertilizer 4. Rule of thumb for container size: 3 gal of soil for every 1’ of plant

58 William Baffin hardy shrub rose, probably some roots in the ground, roots cannot survive above ground winters in Minnesota.

59 CONTAINERS FOR ALL SEASONS

60 Containers can provide beauty and interest in winter. In our zone 4, nothing survives the winter in a container, without significant protection.

61 FURTHER REFERENCES: Best Annuals for Minnesota: St. Paul (USDA Winter Hardiness Z4; Heat Z5; 169 growing days) Books: Contain Yourself by Kerstin P. Ouellet, Ball Publishing.

62 © 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this PowerPoint is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to the Extension Store at Discover more at extension.umn.edu Created by Mary Meyer, Extension horticulturist