Easy Container Gardening: How to not kill your plants

You have everything you need to get your easy-container-garden setup, now the pressure is on! Don't kill your plants!

On no, Aphids!

Here are the basics:

Watering:

• You may want to purchase a watering can as this is the easiest option for watering.
• You will need to water about twice per week.
• You can put a tray under your pot as long as you do not allow water to sit in the pot. Unless you are going to be gone for a few days and it will be hot.
• Every few days, stick your finger into the dirt as far down as it will go. If it's dry, you need to water.

Lettuce:

• Try to harvest your lettuce frequently, even if you aren't going to eat it. Since you are growing leaf lettuce you can pick leaves from the outside in. 
• See this post on lettuce for more info

Herbs:

• Try to not let your herbs develop flowers. You can simply pluck them off as you see them grow.
• Snip or pinch off any leaves that are pale or brown.
• Never harvest more than half of the plant.

Bugs:

• If you are keeping your container indoors, your plants will be more susceptible to insects. You can deter them by keeping your container near a fan or an open window. Bugs don't like wind. 
• You can also try and insecticidal soap. See this post for my recommendations.

Fertilizer:

• If you purchased a high quality soil and mulch, you should not need to fertilize for a very long time. 
• If you aren't sure about the quality of your soil, purchase some 5-5-5 fertilizer for "side dressing". Follow the directions on the back. 

Ok that's it! If you ever have questions, or aren't sure why your plants are dying send me an email 

Whew, 5 posts in a row this week! Happy Labor Day Weekend!

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