Pros and Cons of Container Gardening


Welcome back, fellow gardeners. I hope you all are well and healthy. Guys Today we are gonna discuss a very interesting topic in modern gardening. The topic doesn’t need any Introduction. We all are familiar with Container Gardening. The impact of Urbanisation and continuously growing cities has left no room for traditional gardens. Container gardening is the best option and the only hope for most of the urban gardeners.

Container gardening is really an effective way of growing plants in small areas. Still, the idea of efficiency for containers in gardening is always a question. Some people think it’s good while others don’t agree. So I have tried to research this topic to decide the actual Pros and Cons of Container gardening.

Pros and Cons of Container Gardening
Pros and Cons of Container Gardening

Stay tuned and keep reading for complete details. Also, read my previous post- Animals that eat Grass-Graminivores A to Z

Pros and Cons of Container Gardening

Every style of gardening has some specific benefits as well as drawbacks. Those who are familiar with container gardening will definitely agree.

Several aspects can be considered as Pros or benefits of Container Gardening.

Some common Pros of container gardenings are-

  • Portability
  • Easy Handling
  • Enhances Decor
  • Increase the survival rate of plants
  • Less muddy, better proximity
  • Easy protection from natural hazards and
  • most importantly it adds greenery to the surrounding.

The comfort of growing plants anywhere anytime is the biggest advantage of Container gardening.

It is great, isn’t it? Everything looks so simple and easy with container gardening. Indeed it is easy but there’s another face of the card. Yes, I’m talking about the drawbacks.

Like other gardening techniques, Container gardening also has some serious cons. A gardener should know these beforehand to be successful.

Check out My Favorite Containers and planters on Amazon

Common drawback or cons of Container gardening are-

  • Lack of space for root development
  • Requires frequent watering and fertilization
  • Low productivity compared to open garden
  • Containers are not suitable for every plant
  • Plants in containers are vulnerable to extreme hot and cold weather.
  • Plants in the container need extra care
  • Waterlogging and sudden change in soil ph are also common with container gardening.

I think this should be enough to start comparing the benefits and drawbacks of container gardening. Now let us discuss these in detail.

Pros Of Container Gardening

The popularity of Container gardening is increasing day by day. Everyone from countrysides to urban cites like green plants. Containers are the easiest place to grow indoor plants. It is not just a style of growing plants but it also helps to enhance the decor. Let’s check out other benefits of container gardening.

Portability

The ability to move plants from one spot to another is the biggest advantage of container gardening. Portability is an essential part of comfort with gardening. You can easily move or sift a plant in a container from one location to another without damaging its rootball. This was a very difficult and labor-intensive task, especially in traditional gardening.

Easy Handling

The container also allows the ease of handling to the plant. This is a very helpful property especially if the plant in the container has some thorns, like a lime or lemon plant.

In traditional gardening, we usually have to shift or move along with the sides to work with plants. It is somehow difficult and really tiring. With containers, you have the advantage of movement and the working becomes very comfortable.

Containers can add beauty to the surrounding

Simply beautiful, Containers or planters add eye-catching beauty to its surrounding. The variation in shape, size, and vibrant colors make these a piece of attraction. Your selection of beautiful containers or planters can definitely enhance the decor of your house.

Containers can Increase the Survival rate of plants

Selective Isolation is an advantage with containers. In this way, you can easily protect your plants from harsh climatic conditions. You can easily move plants in and out with the change in temperature and climatic conditions. The ability to check each and every plant individually helps in preventing plant loss due to common garden problems. Overall the efficient use of plants can increase the survival rate of plants.

Containers Provide better Proximity in gardening

Traditional gardening is fruitful but it is somewhat dirty if you don’t like playing with mud. The excess of water especially during rainy days can reduce the proximity of movement. Generally, we all avoid working in wet soggy soil. This is not just dirt but with a simple movement, the soil will compact. After drying this compact soil can act as hard concrete and crush the delicate root system.

Containers have a great advantage in this situation. Technically, we need not worry about compacting the soil in the container garden, as you are not gonna step over it. Overall containers provide better proximity in gardening even in adverse conditions.

Containers provide a healthy, comfortable and clean environment to grow plants anywhere you want.

know the Pros & Cons of Container Gardening
Pros & Cons of Container Gardening

Cons of Container Gardening

It’s a universal fact, Good and bad is just like two faces of the same coin. It is the scale of measurement that makes the difference.  Similarly, container gardening also has some drawbacks. Next, we will discuss these cons with some easy solutions.

Containers lack enough space for root development

Lack of space for root growth is a very common problem for perennial plants. Perennial fruits or flowering plants like hibiscus and lime grow dense root structure. They outgrow the available space in containers every year. Generally, seasonal or annual plants don’t act like this.

You should move the perennials to a bigger container every year. If not possible then just prune the excess roots once every year.

Plants in Containers Need frequent water and fertilization

Yes, This is a problem, though a smaller one but it matters. The lack of space and soil results in frequent water loss. This is managed by frequent water and hence result in loss of fertilizer with flowing water. These are correlated problems. It is true that plants in containers need frequent watering and fertilization. But with little knowledge, you can reduce the need for extra water and fertilizers.

Some easy solution for this situation is-

  • You can adapt to drip irrigation. This will reduce the wastage of water and also avoid loss of fertilizer.
  • The use of platters under pots or containers is also very effective in maintaining the availability of water and fertilizers. The platter also reduces the loss of fertilizer with flowing water.
  • The preparation of soil mix according to plants requirement is the easiest way to avoid water and fertilizer loss. You can use slow-release organic fertilizer, this will ensure the availability of nutrients in every situation.

Plants grown in Containers have low productivity

If you are an experienced gardener then this should not be the case. The productivity of a plant depends on the care and amount of nutrition it gets. Still, for beginners, the production per plant can be lower than usual.

Generally, there is no instant solution to this problem. Most gardeners develop expertise in container gardening with time and practice. Experience is the only tweak for better production in container gardening.

Containers are not suitable for every plant

No matter how experienced you are in gardening, you can’t grow everything in a pot. This is the ultimate true Containers are good for growing plants but they cannot accommodate everyone or every type.

Big plants or trees need more space, they are not suitable for container gardening. Still, you can grow trees in containers big enough to support their root growth. But you have to compromise with the natural yield or the production capacity of that plant.

Plants in Containers need Extra Care in hot and cold

Selective Isolation is an advantage of container gardening. This gives every single plant a 100% chance to grow and thrive to its best. But the same reason is responsible for the need for extra care. You have to care for each container individually. This is a time, cost, and labor incentive task.

On the other hand, the plant in containers is vulnerable to sudden changes in temperature. They have very little room to adapt to extreme temperatures. In a garden, the heat or cold is balanced with the amount of moisture in the soil, but the soil in the container can get dried up quickly. This can cause serious problems with the plants.

The only solution to this problem is to grow plants suitable for the climate. You can also use proper shade to avoid extreme weather conditions.

Waterlogging, Salinity, and ph shift is common with container gardening

Limited space and frequent fertilization can lead to some other problems. Increase salinity and sudden change in soil ph is another problem faced by many container gardeners.

The common symptom with these problems are-

  • Noticeable burnt patch, sudden root rot, dropping of flowers, fruits, and leaves, and sometimes death of the plant.  All these can be observed with the same container which has given the maximum yield in the previous season.
  • The worst part is that the soil needs proper treatment to overcome this situation.

Other than this, waterlogging especially on rainy days is a big problem. Compact soil or clogged drainage hole can lead to this situation. You can easily solve this situation just by opening and clearing the drainage and loosing the soil. Regular tilling is always recommended to keep the soil loose around the rootball.

Check out- 13 Tips for Gardening in Rainy Season: Monsoon Gardening

Final Words

It is true that container gardening had its own benefits and drawbacks. If you are experienced and dedicated enough to try it then, it’s just a matter of time before you achieve the required expertise. Trust me whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, you will definitely like container gardening.

Growing plants in containers are the need for future gardening. Innovation and development in this field can solve the problem of the food crisis.

Do share your thoughts and views on- Pros and Cons of Container Gardening. Before leaving Checkout this- Is the Shape of Pots Important for plants?

So think big, work smart, and keep reading keep gardening!

Sukant

Hi, My name is Sukant. I am an I.T professional. Gardening for me is not just a hobby, it's a way of living life with nature. My Ancestors were Commercial farmers: So I personally feel attached to the green. I am not an expert, I'm here only to share my gardening experiences. It's always Refreshing.

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