Aside from all of those vitamins waiting for you in your vegetable harvest, gardening has a host of other health benefits, including relieving stress and improving mental health. If you\u2019re lamenting the lack of lawn with your apartment, fret no more. You don\u2019t need a yard to garden. You don\u2019t even really need a balcony or patio \u2014 a sunny window, or anywhere with ample natural light is a sound spot for a container garden.<\/p>\n
According to City Seamless Patio Covers<\/a>, “Spring planting season brings deals on all things gardening \u2014 including spacious pots, seeds, and soil \u2014 but if you\u2019re keeping your containers inside, you can plant any time of the year. (If you plan to put them on a balcony or patio, however, be mindful of your temperate zone before you foist them outside.) Before you dig yourself a hole you can\u2019t get out of, read these tips for a flourishing container garden.”<\/p>\n I get it, planters are pretty! When you find one with that crackled glaze and scalloped edge you\u2019ve been looking for, it\u2019s hard to pass up. But not every plant can grow in every pot. Research the recommended container depths before you accidentally squander your squash (10\u201312 inches) or your spinach (8\u20139 inches).<\/p>\n Regular garden soil doesn\u2019t contain enough air or retain enough moisture for potted plants. Usually, container mix combines soil with moss, perlite, and coarse sand, but the mixture will depend on what you\u2019re hoping to grow.<\/p>\n Native Americans didn\u2019t grow corn, beans, and squash together because they were their favorite foods \u2014 some plants grow best in the presence of others. Likewise, some plants have detrimental effects on each other. For example, corn, beans, and squash (aka the \u201cThree Sisters\u201d) grow well together because the corn provides structure for the beans to climb, beans provide nitrogen to help the others grow, and squash leaves shade the ground and trap in moisture. To get the most out of your garden, keep your plant\u2019s best companions in mind. And hey, if you’re struggling to get something to grow, you can always search to hire a local gardener<\/a>.<\/p>\n This might sound obvious, but hear me out: While (most) plants need ample sunlight, too much can be a bad thing. Unshaded balconies can sometimes turn into scorchingly hot plant-killers. Watch where the sunlight tracks on your patio or windowsill throughout the day, and then look up which of your plants need more sunlight and which need less. Don\u2019t leave your poor tomatoes in the shade while your carrots bake in too much sun. (Carrots, like other root vegetables and peas, grow more foliage and less edible material if they\u2019re in the sun for too long.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aside from all of those vitamins waiting for you in your vegetable harvest, gardening has a host of other health benefits, including relieving stress and improving mental health. If you\u2019re lamenting the lack of lawn … <\/p>\n1. Match your plants to your pots.<\/h3>\n
2. Substitute soil with container mix.<\/h3>\n
3. Curate your plant companions.<\/h3>\n
4. Keep the sun\u2019s rays in mind.<\/h3>\n