Pits In Pieces
No yard? You can still grow food.
Container gardening for balconies, patios and windowsills. Which pot, which mix, how often to water, and how not to kill it.
First pot, first plant →How much potting mix does that pot need?
Potting mix is sold by volume, not by pot. Put in the size of what you are filling and this works out how much you actually need.
Newest on the balcony
Getting StartedWill Your Potted Plants Survive Winter Outside?A shrub rated hardy in the ground can still die in a pot through the same winter, because the roots meet the air temperature. Here is how to sort your containers before the first hard freeze.Getting StartedHow to Water Container Plants While You’re AwayA small pot in hot weather can need water twice a day, so a week away is a real problem. Here is how far a deep soak, shade and grouping actually get you, and when you need a timer instead.Getting StartedHow to Tell if Last Year’s Potting Mix Is Still GoodA fresh bag of potting mix is mostly air, and a season of watering slowly breaks that structure down. Here is how to check whether last year’s mix still drains well enough to reuse.Getting StartedWhy Gravel in the Bottom of a Pot Does Not Improve DrainageLayering gravel, sand, or broken pot shards in the bottom of a container is a classic drainage tip that soil science disproved decades ago. It traps water directly under the roots instead, and a plain drainage hole does the job far better.
“You are not bad at this. The pot was too small, the soil was wrong, or it drank more than you thought.Pits In Pieces