Guide to growing in pots, planters or growing tables

There are countless options for the cultivation on balconies or terraces. With this guide we clarify some concepts so you can choose pots, planters and substrate tables. In addition, we also give you tips to choose the best substrate for planting on the balcony and to water it appropriately.

What pots or planters to use in the garden at home?

There are countless options for growing on balconies or terraces. If it is feasible, it is better to opt for ceramic pots or planters, rather than plastic ones. Although we can also use brick structures, recycled boxes or growing tables; which can be self-built or commercial. In any case, when choosing containers, keep these tips in mind.

When growing on balconies and terraces It is important that the containers used are easy to handle and transport. We will also ensure that they are light, in order to avoid excessive excess weight.
They should be deep enough (at least 30 to 40 cm). When we grow in full soil, the plants explore the terrain by extending their roots in search of water and nutrients, while in a pot or in a growing container, the space is very limited and this will condition the good development of the plants we grow.
deep down of pots or planters, We will deposit a layer of several centimeters of gravel or ceramic rubble, so that there is good drainage and water does not stagnate, as this would cause suffocation of roots and rot.

What type of growing tables is best?

It is relatively easy to get some growing tables that we can set up ourselves on our balcony or terrace. We can choose growing tables with wooden, plastic or metal sheet structures. We will only have to take into account the following:

The drawback of plastic and sheet metal ones is that they tend to get very hot and do not breathe, so as much as possible We will opt for wooden structures with natural treatments, placing a breathable canvas or mesh between the wood and the growing substrate.
The ideal height it’s one by one 70 centimeters from the ground, which allows us to work comfortably with a straight back.
As with planters or pots, It is advisable that the depth of the growing area be at least 40 centimeters, unless so that the roots have enough space to develop and the plants do not suffer excessive dehydration, something very common due to cultivation on tables and which is usually one of the main causes of major failures and crop loss.
Some growing tables also have a device for collection of leachate liquids from irrigation, It can be reused to water again and thus recover a large amount of the nutrients and humic acids carried away with the water.

What soil to use in pots and growing tables?

When we grow a “pot garden” on the balcony or terrace – whether in pots, planters or growing tables –, we cannot resort to the normal soil of the orchards since its high clay content tends to compact and harden, blocking the correct development of the roots of the cultivated plants. When choosing the substrate for your urban garden, keep these premises in mind:

The ideal growing substrate It must contain more fibrous parts (slow decomposition)allowing good aeration and moisture retention, and a well-decomposed compost, mulch or lumbricompost (ideally), that provide sufficient and balanced nutritional elements in the short and long term.
Most of the so-called “universal substrates” that we find in commerce, They are usually a mixture of peat and mulch or compost, to which soluble chemical fertilizers are added. Peat comes from natural places and synthetic chemical fertilizers They generate nutritional imbalances and encourage the appearance of pests. and diseases in our crops.
you have to have Be careful with “low cost” commercial growing substrates, since some are of very low quality and incorporate sewage sludge that may contain high levels of toxic residues or heavy metals; observing how sometimes, instead of nourishing in a balanced way and giving vigor to our plants, they grow poorly or end up getting sick or drying out inexplicably.
You can look for substrates with organic production certification, either make your own growing substrate, mixing 60% rehydrated coconut fiber, 30% quality worm castings and 10% perlite or vermiculite.
Given that over time plants deplete the nutrients available in the substrate, It is advisable to always have a good reserve of lumbricompost at home. Once a month or every two months (or when we see that the plants slow down their development or production), we will try to add a few handfuls of lumbricompost mixed with the substrate.

Ideal irrigation method for growing in pots

The biggest problems and failures in crops in pots, planters or tables are usually related to irrigation problems and water stress. Keep these important aspects in mind:

When watered manually –with a watering can or with hoses–, It is very common to discover how lettuce heads and They bloom when they are still smallor see the tomato plants, peppers or eggplants, growing without vigor, hardened and producing very little fruit.
My experience in managing potted gardens and table crops leads me to recommend the use of a drip irrigation system with microtubes, whose drippers are interspersed every 10 or 15 centimeters, arranged as a grill and separated about 15 centimeters between them.
The most important thing is have a good irrigation programmer connected to all the tubes, which (depending on weather conditions or periods of rain or drought), it is advisable to program so that the growing substrate always maintains correct hydration.
As a general rule, in warm times or hot, it usually gives very good results Schedule irrigation to open about five minutes every eight hours (three times a day).