Caring for your garden planters doesn’t have to be daunting or overwhelming. In fact, many people find caring for ceramic planters, window boxes, hanging planters, and potted vegetables and roses to be one of the most relaxing gardening practices around.

In the course of keeping your container gardens happy you will be feeding and fertilizing your plants, deadheading spent flower blossoms and pinching off brown leaves and  stems, pruning your plants to encourage better flowering and full attractive shapes, staking your plants to keep them from falling over, watering your plants, and of course just appreciating their beauty and fragrance.

Ceramic planters hold water a bit better than unglazed pots, but both need regular watering.  Water your containers so that the soil is evenly moist when you stick your finger about an inch down into the pot, and let the soil dry out a bit before you water again, but don’t ever let it become bone dry. Watch your plants for signs of stress.  Brown leaves, brown curled leaf edges, dropped flowers, and drooping foliage are all signs of stress from under watering.

Dropped flowers and leaves can also be a sign of over watering and root rot. If the soil feels very moist but your container garden still looks unhealthy, tug at the base of one of the plants. If it comes up easily and has few or no roots, you are watering too frequently or too much. Try to not to let stress be your cue to water more or less, but if you do see problems, pinch off all the brown parts, adjust your watering, and watch for signs of recovery. Many plants are incredibly resilient and will bounce right back if you adjust your routine.

Give your container plants a regular dose of plant food like Miracle Grow or Fertilome to make them larger and more productive. Vegetables, flowers, and roses will all have slightly different needs, so look for a product that specifically targets the plants you have, and also try to choose a fertilizer or plant food formulated specifically for containers. Container plants can be more heavily fed than plants growing in flower or vegetable beds, so using the right product can make quite a difference.

If you trim off spent blossoms and leaves on a regular basis, either by pinching them off between your thumb and forefinger or using a small pair of garden scissors or pruners, your container plants will bloom more and stay healthier.

Roses, tomatoes, and some small shrubs have very specific pruning requirements, so read up on how to prune your specific plant before just cutting away. Some plants bloom better when they have fewer branches; others bloom best when thick and full. Understanding the specific needs of the plants you have chosen is the best way to keep them healthy and beautiful.

Lots of great products are available for staking and supporting container plants like tomatoes or beans, from simple wires or wooden stakes to elaborate cages, trellises, and gardening twine. Many varieties of tomatoes are now available that have been specially bred to have extra thick stems so they can grow in large containers or patio boxes with minimal support. Other plants, especially pole beans and flowering vines, will appreciate a trellis or bit or twine to cling to as they grow.

Container gardening is amazingly versatile, and is perfect for people with limited space, limited mobility, or people who just don’t want to dig in a traditional bed but still want to enjoy gardening. The internet is a great resource for finding all kinds of information on caring for garden planters, and also for locating products that will make your job easier and more pleasurable. You can and should check gardening and horticultural resources online for information about the growing habits and specific needs of various plants, and you can even find the plants themselves and order them delivered right to your door step.

The most crucial part of caring for your garden planters is to relax and enjoy your time in the garden, however small. Gardening is supposed to be fun and relaxing, not a chore or another form of stress. Keep it light, keep it easy, and have a great growing season!

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