10 Common Container Gardening Mistakes To Avoid

Container Gardening Mistakes To Avoid

Since I’ve made almost every mistake to make when I started my container garden, here is a list of a few container gardening mistakes to avoid!

Drainage

Most plants require proper drainage to prevent root rot (read more here about plant diseases). Drainage is using containers that have multiple holes at the the bottom to allow water that has penetrated through the soil

Pay attention to placement

Unknowingly, I placed my potted sunflowers, sage, and basil on my patio in an area where rain would fall from the gutter into the pots heavily.  When it poured down raining, the heavy fall of rain splashed all the dirt out of the containers onto the patio leaving my plants uprooted. It was a massacre to see, but a really good lesson learned.

Repotting during extreme weather

Repotting is a new start for plants, but changing pots during really cold or hot weather can be detrimental.  You would want to avoid repotting in the middle of the day when it’s really hot or repotting outside when its extremely cold.

Plant friendly neighbors

If you didn’t know now, some plants like to invade into their neighbor’s space. I.E. mint and oregano can and will grow into it’s neighbor container if placed too close together. To make things worst, mint would cross pollinate and create an entirely different scent which is not always good. Best way to prevent unwanted cross pollination is to place your containers one container length apart. Also, combining plants with different sun exposure requirements can set you up for real disappointment. Plants that prefer drier soil versus plants who love moisture will not co-space, ever. Be sure to research before you add plants in the same container.

Overwatering

I’m not sure where this started, but for some reason the common idea is that we should water all plants daily. This could be far from your truth depending on the moisture requirements for your plants. Signs of overwatered plants include yellow leaves which fall off and/or limp leaves. Rule of thumb to check for overwatering, check for moist soil by digging your finger knuckle deep. If the tip of your finger is dry, you may water the plant. Personally, if the top soil is moist, I skip watering.

If you happen to overwater your plant, move the container to a breezy area to dry out.

Sun exposure

Many directions say to allow plants 6-8 hours of full sun exposure, but that is really subjective to your weather. Florida can get really hot and full sun for that period of time can burn some of the most heat tolerant plants. This is where indirect lighting comes into play. Placing all of your plants in partial shade tends to work best for most plants.

Pruning

Cutting back plants that look raggedy, leggy, and run down, can prep them to be healthier than ever. Typically, you want to cut above where two new leaves are sprouting from multiple stems rather than cut down a long stem down to root. Also, removing dead leaves makes room for new growth. Choosing not to prune or cut as needed will definitely hurt your plant in the long run.

Starving

Planting in soil with not enough nutrients and not fertilizing your plants especially in containers can cause major deficiencies and stall output. Plants need to be feed and following fertilizer’s instructions is your best bet.

read more: Best Fertilizers For Amazing Herbs

Disregarding signs of pest

As a beginner, it’s easy to overlook a few tiny holes on your mint leaves, until you find out too late it’s a caterpillar wreaking havoc.

Here is a great guide on understanding the signs your plants are giving.

Watering leaves

Although, leaves dripping with water may look amazing for photos, it is a breeding growing for fungus and diseases. Always water the soil directly to ensure that you’re watering deep enough.