What Soil To Use For Container Vegetable Gardens

For raised beds you ll want to use a slightly heavier soil made specifically for that type of garden.

What soil to use for container vegetable gardens.

I strongly suggest buying potting soil or container mix soil from your local garden center. Use potting soil in indoor or outdoor container gardens. Many vegetables such as greens tomatoes and peppers are naturally suited for container gardens while new patio or dwarf varieties make it possible to grow squash and fruit trees in pots. Good container mix soil will contain organic matter that provides nutrients like worm castings bat guano manure or compost seaweed etc.

Plants in containers need the best possible soil aeration and drainage for healthy root growth and optimum harvest. Soil taken from your yard or a garden bed is too dense to use in a pot or raised bed. Fill the containers so the soil is at least 2 3 inches below the rim that extra space at the top will give you room to water deeply without overflowing the container. It consists of peat moss composted green waste wood shavings and perlite.

Before deciding which soil to use in container gardens think about where you want to put your plants. But if you use garden soil you might be importing weeds into your containers. Instead for containers you ll want to use potting mix also called potting soil a lightweight and fluffy alternative. High quality potting soil is important for vegetables.

Potting soil is for container plantings indoors or out. Don t use soil from your garden because it will compact in the containers and won t drain water properly. Like most other container gardens your veggies will do best in potting mixes made for containers. Also one of the reasons to garden in containers is largely to avoid dealing with weeds.

Soil and compost mixes are heavier but are perfect for use in pots sitting on the ground. Water the soil just before planting. Organic options include kelp alfalfa and fish meals which break down slowly releasing their nutrients to plant roots. I prefer organic potting soil because i know it s free from pesticides or other chemicals.

Do not use soil from the garden. If you add garden soil to your potting mixture you run the risk of introducing disease causing organisms to your container mixture. For best results use only bagged commercial topsoil not the backyard garden fare. Make sure your container has a drain hole in the bottom and a saucer to protect.

Choose instead a soilless mix quick draining and lightweight or use compost alone or combined with a soilless mix.