7 Tips for Container Planting

Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle

Container plants were always something I avoided like the plague in my garden.

Don’t get me wrong, I always loved the way they look and always wanted to try container gardening, but, well, I’m awful at manual, regular watering. I can turn on the sprinkler when things get dry and (maybe) remember to turn it off 1/2 hour later, but manually watering containers… often… well, I was sure I would fail.

But I decided to try my hand at growing container plants a few years ago, and I will never look back. Especially after I learned a secret to success with container gardening. I shared the details of my secret in this 30-second video on instagram. But you’ll find that secret, as well as all the best tips for success with container gardening, below as well.

Why I Want to Grow Some Plants in Containers

There are 3 main reasons I want to grow some plants in pots:

1. Container planting controls invasive plants.

First and foremost, planting invasive plants like mint in containers, well contains them. I love to avoid extra work in the garden whenever possible. And digging up and dividing invasive plants every year is not on my list of ways I want to spend my time. I love mint. In fact, I’m growing four types of mint this year:

Sweet Mint (these plants make dried herbs that I add to iced tea)
Peppermint (these are the seeds)
Chocolate Mint (this plant is as pretty as the tea is delicious that I make with)
Spearmint (like this)

As I expanded the varieties of mint and other herbs that I was growing, and as I perfected ways of drying my herbs, I knew containers were no longer an option. Not if I wanted to avoid having my entire garden bed becoming full of invasive herbs.

2. Container planting means your plants can be moved.

Every year there is always something failing in the garden, whether it’s death-by-squash-bugs, or torrential winds, or chipmunk invasion, there is bound to be something that dies and leaves an ugly bare spot in my garden. With thriving, moveable plants available to me, I can rearrange my plantings and still have a pretty garden, no matter what might ail it.

3. Container planting allows you to easily overwinter plants inside.

In a cold New England winter, being able to tuck dormant plants away in the basement of my barn means that most will come back to life in the spring, with a little sun and water.

Tips for Success with Container Planting

1. Make sure you have good drainage when you’re planting in containers.

The galvanized metal planters I wanted to use in my garden were intended as cold drink tubs, so they of course didn’t have drainage holes. That’s fine, with the right drill bit, that was super easy to correct.

2. Make sure your container plants are level and the drainage holes work well.

Our garden is on a slight slope, so I always have to prop up my planters with a brick or two underneath so that they sit level. This works out well to making sure it can drain well too.

3. Use the right kind of containers.

If you’re not using glazed pots, which help prevent evaporation of the important water you add, make sure you do other things to help your containers maintain moisture. (Keep reading.)

4. Mulch your container plants.

Adding a layer of mulch or rocks to the top of your containers. (Rocks are my preference by far, since I live in the Granite State and I’m overrun with rocks of all sizes) This will help the soil maintain more of the moisture that you add with each watering session.

5. Keep the roots cool in the containers.

If you want to use metal plant containers like mine you may find your roots just can’t take the heat. Solutions would be to place your plant where it gets a moderate mount of shade on hot days, surround it by other plants that will shade it, or line your metal container with newspaper to insulate the dirt and roots a little from the sun’s heat. Someday I am going to make some plant pots that will be nice and cool for the plants’ roots.

6. Water your container plants at the best time of day.

If you can, water in early morning or late evening when it’s cooler temperatures and the sun isn’t so hot that it’ll cook off the water you add before the roots get any benefit from it.

7. Automate the way you water your container plants.

While a drip irrigation system would be ideal (seriously, check out these awesome options) for watering outdoor potted plants, I’ve been doing something much cheaper (okay, free) for many years that works pretty well for me. It doesn’t replace my watering, but if definitely means I can water a lot less and my plants survive.

Keep reading…

How I Water My Container Plants on Auto Pilot for FREE

We live on a 200+ year old homestead. And we find a lot of treasures on the property, including some really neat old bottles with some great stories. Those bottles turn out to serve as perfect waterers for my container plants. You of course can use any old bottle you want. Saving up wine bottles would be ideal.

Here are the steps to using bottles to water your container plantings:

Salvage bottles with long “necks” (pretty colors are ideal too) and remove the labels. (Or don’t.)
Prepare a hole in the dirt of your container plants where you’d like the bottle to serve as an automatic waterer.
Water your container plant well (if you insert the bottle into dry dirt, the water will seep out of your waterer pretty quickly)
Fill your bottle with water by submerging it in a bucket of water (it’s full when the bubbling subsides) or using the spigot or a watering can.
Quickly flip your filled bottle upside down (without any lid), right into the hole you prepared.
Check your bottle a few times a week and refill as needed.

Check out this amazing bottle we found on our homestead (I’m NOT using this one as a bottle waterer) and the story behind it.

Now Talk to Me!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me on ig to show me your gardens & container plantings today (I love garden-spiration!) @souly.rested.