Senior gardeners can plant and tend to raised containers, when standard gardening may be too strenuous or low. You can enjoy your plants more fully by locating them on patios, balconies, or window boxes. Container gardening, however, is not without its problems, especially in North Carolina. A plant growing in an exposed location will be under more stress, dry out faster, and will need a regular watering schedule. Consistent rains tend to leach the nutrients from the containers, requiring a regular fertilizing schedule.
Large containers can be expensive and difficult to move when filled with potting mix.
The advantages far outweigh the problems, so let's get started growing container style. Soil Mixes Soil is not always best for container gardening. When ordinary soil is saturated with water, the air spaces are filled, removing essential air from the roots. This is why a soil substitute, often called potting mix, is recommended. Additional ingredients such as peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite allow rapid drainage but still hold sufficient water for plant growth.