Container Gardening Tips for Renters

September 9, 2020 admin

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Container Garden Pruning

Fall frosts can hit the Front Range areas sooner than some people think. Ensuring that your container gardens are pruned and planted, ready before the upcoming season. Some crops, such as peas, kale, parsnips, and cabbage can survive these temperatures, but others are a little more sensitive to the cold.

Disposing of dead plants can help to prevent the carryover of diseases and insects into the following growing season. If you planted tomatoes earlier in the year, clear out any diseased plant debris and weeds from your container garden. Doing this can help to keep any diseases from infecting new plants too!

Examine your lettuces and peppers, as well as other plants within the nightshade family, as these too can harbor unwanted tagalongs. A light till of the soil can help to disrupt any pests that call your container garden home.

It is also a great time to determine if you should change up the location of some of your plants. Did they get enough sun? Too much sun? How was their exposure to the elements? These answers can help to shape your next growing cycle.

Get Your Containers Ready

If you are planning on using containers that you have used in the past, it is a good idea to clean them out really well. To make sure that no pests or contaminants remain, soak pots in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Let the pots remain in the solution for at least 10 minutes, followed by a bath in dish soap and water to clean off the remaining debris. Follow this up with a thorough rinse in clean water.

Food or Floral?

When it comes to what you want to grow, it depends on what you want to get out of your fall container garden. For example, are you interested in a pretty display of flowers and greenery? Maybe the idea of eating from your garden is more up your alley. Either way, there are several options to choose from.

Container Garden Vegetables

There are numerous vegetables that actually thrive in the cooler weather of fall. Broccoli, carrots, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and spinach are among those that grow plentiful during this time of year. If you’re planting a root crop, these often taste much sweeter when they are harvested after the first frost has hit.

September is also a great month to plant your garlic. Ask your local garden center which types of garlic they will be offering, as many carry quite a selection.

Plants and Flowers

We often associate brightly colored flowers with the warm days of spring and summer, but fall and winter gardens can sport some splashes of color too. Flowers such as verbena and pansies can punch up your container garden. Mums and ornamental kale can also add a lovely diversity to your container gardens. Other flowers, such as calendula can be consumed, as well as made into homemade pain relieving remedies. So many options!

Caring for Fall Frosts in Your Container Garden

Although there are several options to choose from when it comes to your fall container garden, not all of them are hardy enough to thrive in frigid or frosty conditions. When the temperature drops, think about how you can insulate your plant friends. Keep their soil moist, as this can help to retain heat. Refrain from using plastic grocery bags to cover your plants though, as this can increase the risk for damage from frost.

Conclusion

Whether you consider yourself to have a green thumb or not, there are plenty of easy to grow plants that can thrive in container gardens. Many of the properties managed by The Property Manager have excellent outdoor areas. They might just have what you and your container garden have been looking for!