Window Box Gardening - The Importance of a Good Drainage System
by John Yazo
Container gardening can be a fun and highly productive method of gardening if done properly. There are a couple of things that can make this happen or turn your gardening experience to a complete disaster. Soil and drainage are those two things and they both have to work together to be successful.
Soil is the key to success in any type of garden. It needs to have a good structure to retain air, moisture and nutrients for a plant to survive. In container gardening the soil mix is very important along with the drainage of the soil and container you are planting in. If the soil retains to much moisture it is not draining properly and the plants root system can rot. If the soil mix doesn't have a structure the drainage holes in the bottom of the container will do no good. They are just a relief to let water escape from the soil. Soil is the key to a successful drainage system in your container garden.
Once you have the proper soil mix for your plants you will need containers to plant in. These containers can be just about anything that will hold soil and support the weight of the soil and the plants that you want to grow. Once you have a container you need to make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom. A container without holes in the bottom will act like a pool and flood the plant, causing it to rot. If there isn't any holes in the bottom you will need to drill then in yourself, drill three eight inch holes figuring one hole for every square foot of container space.
There are many unique items that have been used for container planting, like old claw foot tubs, wash basins, boots, and old wagons. The ideas are endless. If it can support the weight of the soil and plant, it most likely can be used.
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