Plants Ideal for Vertical Gardening

current trends in gardening - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about current trends in gardening, i was write this article for sharing Article current trends in gardening, Article Vertical gardening, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Plants Ideal for Vertical Gardening
link : Plants Ideal for Vertical Gardening

current trends in gardening

We have discussed about vertical gardening in our earlier article. Here we will mention some plants which make the perfect choice for vertical gardening. These plants are some of the best which grows pretty well in vertical gardening. If you have any other plants which you think can grow well in vertical gardening please mention here. As per our choice these plants are:

Beans: 

The bush form of beans does not grow well in vertical gardening. So if you are planning to do a vertical gardening with beans, choose the pole variety. Its harvest can go for several months.  You can also provide horizontal support for them. If used properly you can prepare visually attractive structures by using bean plants.   

 

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes are a very good option for practising vertical gardening. As discussed in tomato growing tips, tomatoes require   

support such as wire cages, for growing. Cherry tomatoes are also good for growing in vertical garden. These creepers use vines which makes them ideal for growing against a wall. Just choose a place where you receive full sunlight at least for six hours.

Here are some tomato cages. You can buy them from amazon.

Cucumbers:

There are several varieties of cucumbers available in the market. Most of the varieties grow well in vertical garden. You need a strong trellis for holding the plant, as when the fruit grows larger, the pressure on the trellis will be much more than some other plants like peas or beans. Most of the time, they grow upright. Providing net or fencing material can be good choice for providing support to the plant.

 

Peas:

Choose the variety that grows vertically well. Peas are generally cool weather crop. As the fruit size is not heavy and plant tendrils are shorter in length, you can provide nets as trellis. Some varieties grow very high (such as 6 ft), so provide the trellis accordingly.

Squash:  

Generally in gardens, squash are grown along the ground. This is not a problem if you have a lot of space for gardening, but in case like most of the urban gardeners you lack space, vertical gardening can be a good choice for growing squash. It will save a lot of space and will allow the light to reach every part of the fruit. It helps to prevent the fruit from rotting and also prevent diseases which cause due to lack of proper flow of air (like mildew). Just keep in mind these fruits become very large in size so provide proper strong trellis of fencing structure for support.

Strawberry:

Strawberries do not have deep root system. So they need additional support and hold on to vertical spaces for growth. This makes them ideal for vertical gardening. You can even grow them in side a PVC pipe.

Check out this interesting article Why you should always grow strawberries in coconut coir?

There are several other option plants which you can grow in vertical gardens. Which plant do you prefer to grow share it with us.  


Don't forget to read: 
Different soilless media for growing plants
Top Five Plants for Indoor Gardening 

We have discussed about vertical gardening in our earlier article. Here we will mention some plants which make the perfect choice for vertical gardening. These plants are some of the best which grows pretty well in vertical gardening. If you have any other plants which you think can grow well in vertical gardening please mention here. As per our choice these plants are:

Beans: 

The bush form of beans does not grow well in vertical gardening. So if you are planning to do a vertical gardening with beans, choose the pole variety. Its harvest can go for several months.  You can also provide horizontal support for them. If used properly you can prepare visually attractive structures by using bean plants.   

 

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes are a very good option for practising vertical gardening. As discussed in tomato growing tips, tomatoes require   

support such as wire cages, for growing. Cherry tomatoes are also good for growing in vertical garden. These creepers use vines which makes them ideal for growing against a wall. Just choose a place where you receive full sunlight at least for six hours.

Here are some tomato cages. You can buy them from amazon.

Cucumbers:

There are several varieties of cucumbers available in the market. Most of the varieties grow well in vertical garden. You need a strong trellis for holding the plant, as when the fruit grows larger, the pressure on the trellis will be much more than some other plants like peas or beans. Most of the time, they grow upright. Providing net or fencing material can be good choice for providing support to the plant.

 

Peas:

Choose the variety that grows vertically well. Peas are generally cool weather crop. As the fruit size is not heavy and plant tendrils are shorter in length, you can provide nets as trellis. Some varieties grow very high (such as 6 ft), so provide the trellis accordingly.

Squash:  

Generally in gardens, squash are grown along the ground. This is not a problem if you have a lot of space for gardening, but in case like most of the urban gardeners you lack space, vertical gardening can be a good choice for growing squash. It will save a lot of space and will allow the light to reach every part of the fruit. It helps to prevent the fruit from rotting and also prevent diseases which cause due to lack of proper flow of air (like mildew). Just keep in mind these fruits become very large in size so provide proper strong trellis of fencing structure for support.

Strawberry:

Strawberries do not have deep root system. So they need additional support and hold on to vertical spaces for growth. This makes them ideal for vertical gardening. You can even grow them in side a PVC pipe.

Check out this interesting article Why you should always grow strawberries in coconut coir?

There are several other option plants which you can grow in vertical gardens. Which plant do you prefer to grow share it with us.  


Don't forget to read: 
Different soilless media for growing plants
Top Five Plants for Indoor Gardening 

Aquaponics System: Know the basics of Aquaponics Design

current trends in gardening - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about current trends in gardening, i was write this article for sharing Article Aquaponic gardening, Article current trends in gardening, Article jargons, Article organic, Article organic gardening, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Aquaponics System: Know the basics of Aquaponics Design
link : Aquaponics System: Know the basics of Aquaponics Design

current trends in gardening

In this edition of Gardening ABC we will discuss one new concept in gardening. We have already discussed the basics of vertical gardening and container gardening and their benefits In our earlier articles. Today we will discuss Aquaponics system.

Most of us have heard about hydroponics, it is a system where plants are grown without using soil and cultured in water only. Here they generally use chemical fertilizers for the nutrition of the plants. Aquaponics system goes one step further. It uses fishes in the water to provide the nutrition to the plants. Thus it makes the total system organic. Like hydroponics, it also does not uses soil. Roots of plants are generally kept directly in the water. In some cases roots are supported by some rocks inside the water.

The Aquaponics System:

 

The three main parts of this system are:

Fish tank

Grow bed

Pump to move the water from the fish tank to grow bed.

The water from the Aquaponics fish tank goes to the grow bed. There it provides the much needed nutrition to the plant. The plants in the system act as the cleanser. It clears the water and then drains the water back into the fish tank. The secret of success in this system is maintaining proper balance.

In this culture choices of fish and plant is very important. It is better to use fresh water fishes which we generally found in landlocked lakes or rivers. On the contrary if you choose sea water fish you will limit the option of plants severely.

Try to avoid ornamental fishes such as Goldfish if you have any plans for eating fishes.They are commonly treated with chemicals and some times can cause cancer in human. The best options which we can use are common fishes like cat fish, Tilapia, trout, etc. You have to adjust the size and temperature of the water inside, once you decide on the type of fish. For example fish like catfish grow long so you need enough space for them.

Also concentrate on your gardening goals, like if your plan is to grow cool weather plans like spinachor peas avoid fishes which loves warm water.

If you are really serious about starting an Aquaponic system for your own I will suggest you check out this amazing source of information.

Benefits of following Aquaponics system:

Aquaponics system works most of the time independently. The fish and plants work together and the water gets recycled. You just need to replace the water which has be evaporated from the system. Once you created the system you don’t need to add fertilizers regularly or weed it.

It gives you the chance to reduce carbon footprint as you don’t need to travel to get your food.

It reduces the water consumption in gardening.

What do you think about the article. Do you have some other information on Aquaponics Gardening? Share it with us here.

Related articles about Aquaponics:

Top Five Aquaponics Fish for The Fish Tank

Advantages of Aquaponics System
Aquaponics System: 5 Steps To Success

In this edition of Gardening ABC we will discuss one new concept in gardening. We have already discussed the basics of vertical gardening and container gardening and their benefits In our earlier articles. Today we will discuss Aquaponics system.

Most of us have heard about hydroponics, it is a system where plants are grown without using soil and cultured in water only. Here they generally use chemical fertilizers for the nutrition of the plants. Aquaponics system goes one step further. It uses fishes in the water to provide the nutrition to the plants. Thus it makes the total system organic. Like hydroponics, it also does not uses soil. Roots of plants are generally kept directly in the water. In some cases roots are supported by some rocks inside the water.

The Aquaponics System:

 

The three main parts of this system are:

Fish tank

Grow bed

Pump to move the water from the fish tank to grow bed.

The water from the Aquaponics fish tank goes to the grow bed. There it provides the much needed nutrition to the plant. The plants in the system act as the cleanser. It clears the water and then drains the water back into the fish tank. The secret of success in this system is maintaining proper balance.

In this culture choices of fish and plant is very important. It is better to use fresh water fishes which we generally found in landlocked lakes or rivers. On the contrary if you choose sea water fish you will limit the option of plants severely.

Try to avoid ornamental fishes such as Goldfish if you have any plans for eating fishes.They are commonly treated with chemicals and some times can cause cancer in human. The best options which we can use are common fishes like cat fish, Tilapia, trout, etc. You have to adjust the size and temperature of the water inside, once you decide on the type of fish. For example fish like catfish grow long so you need enough space for them.

Also concentrate on your gardening goals, like if your plan is to grow cool weather plans like spinachor peas avoid fishes which loves warm water.

If you are really serious about starting an Aquaponic system for your own I will suggest you check out this amazing source of information.

Benefits of following Aquaponics system:

Aquaponics system works most of the time independently. The fish and plants work together and the water gets recycled. You just need to replace the water which has be evaporated from the system. Once you created the system you don’t need to add fertilizers regularly or weed it.

It gives you the chance to reduce carbon footprint as you don’t need to travel to get your food.

It reduces the water consumption in gardening.

What do you think about the article. Do you have some other information on Aquaponics Gardening? Share it with us here.

Related articles about Aquaponics:

Top Five Aquaponics Fish for The Fish Tank

Advantages of Aquaponics System
Aquaponics System: 5 Steps To Success

Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation

current trends in gardening - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about current trends in gardening, i was write this article for sharing Article basics, Article Bonsai, Article current trends in gardening, Article gardening concepts, Article Know How, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation
link : Bonsai: The Japanese Miniature Plantation

current trends in gardening

Beautiful bonsai trees --- Buy now

Bonsai is a thousand years old Japanese culture of growing plants which has one of the unique aesthetics of its own. The word Bon means a small tray or a low sided pot and sai refers to planting. So the term bonsai if translated in English means planting in tray. It is the miniature form of a fully grown tree grown in a small pot.

Unlike other gardening practices, Bonsai is not for growing foods, medicines or park sized landscaping rather it is a pleasant exercise for effort and ingenuity. It is the delight gained from recreating the plants as seen in the nature in miniature form.

Though some particular species of plant became very popular because of smaller leaves and other attractive features, you can create bonsai with literally any perennial trees or shrubs that produces true branches and can sustain crown and root pruning.

The time and cost of raising a particular bonsai varies from species to species. There are many ways to start a bonsai. Let me mention few of them to you.

If you are not a very patient person you can buy a previously trained bonsai. It will definitely reduce your time and effort and particularly ideal for the beginners.

You can also find wild plant in its natural surroundings which has been shaped by mother nature. You can start from cutting of the heridetically identical trees. these have better success rates when comparing with the process of starting from the seeds. One of the plus points of staring a bonsai from seeds is you can create rare varieties of bonsai with very small price and huge production. Grafting methods are also in use for creating your favorite bonsai. 

An aesthetically superior bonsai needs to be healthy. The proper combination of soil, water, air and sunlight is very critical for the growth of a bonsai. There are no fixed formula for this it varies species to species, climate to climate. You need to do some trial and error before fixing the optimum combination. I have written two blog earlier on watering techniques and the role of sunlight in plantation you can check these two for your reference also.

Trunk is the most appealing part of the bonsai. You can work on making the trunk well-formed and with smooth curves. Also you can adjust branch locations, foliage distribution etc to give your bonsai much more attractive look. Along with the trunk roots also create a natural beauty for the bonsai. A surface root structure called nebari is always a defining point in bonsai.

The bending of trunks and branches is called wiring. You have to do wiring at the very young stages of the plant to give it a shape of a tree. These have to be done until you reach your final shape of the bonsai. To keep the size of the plant to a miniature form you need to continuously do pruning. Pruning had to be done on the branches, leaves, buds etc. Pruning of the roots have to be done with proper care and at the time of re-potting. A detailed article on different types of pruning is here

Bonsai basically is an outdoor activity. Though it can be grown indoor it is quite difficult and its success is limited to the tropical countries. But if you are determined to place it indoor it will advisable to start with a plant like Ficus. They can withstand a lot of abuse and not very sensitive to the surroundings compared to the other plants. It is also cheap and easy to find.

If you got your motivation level rising to do a bonsai after reading this article, I would suggest you to do a through research on the same before jumping in. Here is one great resource you can refer to for more detailed stuffs which will give you a step by step guide to bonsai. 

All the best.

Beautiful bonsai trees --- Buy now

Bonsai is a thousand years old Japanese culture of growing plants which has one of the unique aesthetics of its own. The word Bon means a small tray or a low sided pot and sai refers to planting. So the term bonsai if translated in English means planting in tray. It is the miniature form of a fully grown tree grown in a small pot.

Unlike other gardening practices, Bonsai is not for growing foods, medicines or park sized landscaping rather it is a pleasant exercise for effort and ingenuity. It is the delight gained from recreating the plants as seen in the nature in miniature form.

Though some particular species of plant became very popular because of smaller leaves and other attractive features, you can create bonsai with literally any perennial trees or shrubs that produces true branches and can sustain crown and root pruning.

The time and cost of raising a particular bonsai varies from species to species. There are many ways to start a bonsai. Let me mention few of them to you.

If you are not a very patient person you can buy a previously trained bonsai. It will definitely reduce your time and effort and particularly ideal for the beginners.

You can also find wild plant in its natural surroundings which has been shaped by mother nature. You can start from cutting of the heridetically identical trees. these have better success rates when comparing with the process of starting from the seeds. One of the plus points of staring a bonsai from seeds is you can create rare varieties of bonsai with very small price and huge production. Grafting methods are also in use for creating your favorite bonsai. 

An aesthetically superior bonsai needs to be healthy. The proper combination of soil, water, air and sunlight is very critical for the growth of a bonsai. There are no fixed formula for this it varies species to species, climate to climate. You need to do some trial and error before fixing the optimum combination. I have written two blog earlier on watering techniques and the role of sunlight in plantation you can check these two for your reference also.

Trunk is the most appealing part of the bonsai. You can work on making the trunk well-formed and with smooth curves. Also you can adjust branch locations, foliage distribution etc to give your bonsai much more attractive look. Along with the trunk roots also create a natural beauty for the bonsai. A surface root structure called nebari is always a defining point in bonsai.

The bending of trunks and branches is called wiring. You have to do wiring at the very young stages of the plant to give it a shape of a tree. These have to be done until you reach your final shape of the bonsai. To keep the size of the plant to a miniature form you need to continuously do pruning. Pruning had to be done on the branches, leaves, buds etc. Pruning of the roots have to be done with proper care and at the time of re-potting. A detailed article on different types of pruning is here

Bonsai basically is an outdoor activity. Though it can be grown indoor it is quite difficult and its success is limited to the tropical countries. But if you are determined to place it indoor it will advisable to start with a plant like Ficus. They can withstand a lot of abuse and not very sensitive to the surroundings compared to the other plants. It is also cheap and easy to find.

If you got your motivation level rising to do a bonsai after reading this article, I would suggest you to do a through research on the same before jumping in. Here is one great resource you can refer to for more detailed stuffs which will give you a step by step guide to bonsai. 

All the best.

Container Gardening: A great Motivator

current trends in gardening - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about current trends in gardening, i was write this article for sharing Article beginner's guide, Article container gardening, Article current trends in gardening, Article Know How, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Container Gardening: A great Motivator
link : Container Gardening: A great Motivator

current trends in gardening

As the name suggests, Container Gardening refers to growing plants in different containers rather than planting them directly into the ground. In today's world when the limitation of time and space has been felt like never before, container gardening seems to make more and more sense. It allows you to grow any plant in anywhere in the world which earlier was never thought of. Poor soil, lack of space are no longer an excuse for abandoning the excellent hobby of Gardening.

As I am writing this article, the popularity of container gardening has exploded through out the world. Plants in different pots and containers can be seen from lawns of bungalows to the rooftops of urban apartments in every country. Those have given an entire different color and texture to the landscaping.

But before going any further let me first give you some reasons for starting your own container gardening:

Container Gardening can be the best gardening option for the beginners. Even a rookie can start gardening in very little time.

It can be very economical. No need to waste much more time and money with starting with normal garden. Where most of the initial costs involved preparation of soil bed, weeding, fertilizing, suitable area for gardening etc. you can start with a single pot, little bit of soil or soil-lessmix, and some seeds or just one or two sidling.

You don’t need big space to do container gardening. You can use your terrace, stoop etc. Just make sure you are getting ample sunlight there. When you are having space constrains the container gardening is the best available solution to your problem.

Container gardening can liberate you from the geographical problem you faced while gardening in your traditional garden. It is said that “you can grow Cactus in Alaska” by using container gardening method.

Portability is another big advantage of doing container gardening. While teaching your child Botany, you can definitely give some live example by bringing your container to the study room, make your child associate with the plants without leaving the study room.

You don’t need to worry about critters which may have destroyed your garden earlier.

Here are some nice looking containers available on Amazon

There is almost no plant that you cannot grow in a container. Vegetables, herbs, flowers plants, even trees can be grown through container gardening. You just need the container of appropriate size.

So if you found yourself  interested in pursuing container gardening, I request you to please read on. Container gardening process is very similar to that of  traditional gardening with little fine tuning.

The first thing you need to start a container garden is to find an suitable Container. You can use almost anything in the world as a container as long as it is big enough to sustain the root growth of the fully mature plant and it has proper drainage. As they say in case of container gardening “size does matter”.  Try not to use a container smaller than 12’’. Even a five gallon plastic bag can be used as a container to start gardening.

Drainage is very essential in container gardening. Make sure your container has sufficient drainage facility like some holes at the bottom.

Try to use quality potting soil or make your own by using different soil-less media which I have discussed earlier. You can use your garden soil also but make sure that drainage of the soil is maintained. Using your garden soil also restricts your vegetables or other plants choices as per you local geographic.

As the source of nutrition is limited inside the container, you need to add fertilizers from time to time. Try to use organic fertilizers(like compost), as it will benefit you in the longer run.

You can start from seeds or by transplanting seedlings. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. Choose the option that better suits you.

If you are growing vegetables it is almost necessary to put your container where there is ample sunlight. Plants which are only cultivated for leaves or stems can grow without direct sunlight. You can check the effect of sunlight on the growth of different plants in my earlier article Sun or no Sun.

Unlike traditional gardening you need to take proper care in case of watering plant. As there are no source of water which the roots can reach you need to put water at regular interval. The details of watering techniques can be found here.

As I am a strong believer of “slow but steady” style of growth I will always suggest you to start with small and then achieve the bigger goal with continuous growth. Try to start your container gardening with plants which are easy to grow such as tomato, pea, eggplants  etc than move up to the higher difficulty level such as squash or melons.

Thanks for reading. Like to receive your feedback on this.

As the name suggests, Container Gardening refers to growing plants in different containers rather than planting them directly into the ground. In today's world when the limitation of time and space has been felt like never before, container gardening seems to make more and more sense. It allows you to grow any plant in anywhere in the world which earlier was never thought of. Poor soil, lack of space are no longer an excuse for abandoning the excellent hobby of Gardening.

As I am writing this article, the popularity of container gardening has exploded through out the world. Plants in different pots and containers can be seen from lawns of bungalows to the rooftops of urban apartments in every country. Those have given an entire different color and texture to the landscaping.

But before going any further let me first give you some reasons for starting your own container gardening:

Container Gardening can be the best gardening option for the beginners. Even a rookie can start gardening in very little time.

It can be very economical. No need to waste much more time and money with starting with normal garden. Where most of the initial costs involved preparation of soil bed, weeding, fertilizing, suitable area for gardening etc. you can start with a single pot, little bit of soil or soil-lessmix, and some seeds or just one or two sidling.

You don’t need big space to do container gardening. You can use your terrace, stoop etc. Just make sure you are getting ample sunlight there. When you are having space constrains the container gardening is the best available solution to your problem.

Container gardening can liberate you from the geographical problem you faced while gardening in your traditional garden. It is said that “you can grow Cactus in Alaska” by using container gardening method.

Portability is another big advantage of doing container gardening. While teaching your child Botany, you can definitely give some live example by bringing your container to the study room, make your child associate with the plants without leaving the study room.

You don’t need to worry about critters which may have destroyed your garden earlier.

Here are some nice looking containers available on Amazon

There is almost no plant that you cannot grow in a container. Vegetables, herbs, flowers plants, even trees can be grown through container gardening. You just need the container of appropriate size.

So if you found yourself  interested in pursuing container gardening, I request you to please read on. Container gardening process is very similar to that of  traditional gardening with little fine tuning.

The first thing you need to start a container garden is to find an suitable Container. You can use almost anything in the world as a container as long as it is big enough to sustain the root growth of the fully mature plant and it has proper drainage. As they say in case of container gardening “size does matter”.  Try not to use a container smaller than 12’’. Even a five gallon plastic bag can be used as a container to start gardening.

Drainage is very essential in container gardening. Make sure your container has sufficient drainage facility like some holes at the bottom.

Try to use quality potting soil or make your own by using different soil-less media which I have discussed earlier. You can use your garden soil also but make sure that drainage of the soil is maintained. Using your garden soil also restricts your vegetables or other plants choices as per you local geographic.

As the source of nutrition is limited inside the container, you need to add fertilizers from time to time. Try to use organic fertilizers(like compost), as it will benefit you in the longer run.

You can start from seeds or by transplanting seedlings. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. Choose the option that better suits you.

If you are growing vegetables it is almost necessary to put your container where there is ample sunlight. Plants which are only cultivated for leaves or stems can grow without direct sunlight. You can check the effect of sunlight on the growth of different plants in my earlier article Sun or no Sun.

Unlike traditional gardening you need to take proper care in case of watering plant. As there are no source of water which the roots can reach you need to put water at regular interval. The details of watering techniques can be found here.

As I am a strong believer of “slow but steady” style of growth I will always suggest you to start with small and then achieve the bigger goal with continuous growth. Try to start your container gardening with plants which are easy to grow such as tomato, pea, eggplants  etc than move up to the higher difficulty level such as squash or melons.

Thanks for reading. Like to receive your feedback on this.

Different soilless media for growing plants

current trends in gardening - Looking for Aquaponics And Hydroponics Systems Today i will give you some info about current trends in gardening, i was write this article for sharing Article current trends in gardening, Article organic, Article organic gardening, Article soil-less, Article soil-less media, I hope this article very helpfull for you

Judul : Different soilless media for growing plants
link : Different soilless media for growing plants

current trends in gardening

For a good growing media it is necessary that the plant gets a healthy balance of water and air.Soil sometimes contains harmful bacteria and fungi, and prone to be infected by pests, weeds and soil-borne diseases. The soil-less media are generally considered cleaner and sterile. These media, as the name suggests, doesn’t include soil; plants are grown in different organic or inorganic materials. Soil-less media are getting more and more popular particularly among container gardeners these days.

Some of the most commonly used alternative media are:

1.       Peat moss: It promotes good aeration and water retention capacity. It is light weight and sterile and ideal for germination of seeds. Usually used with other other media.

2.      Perlite: These are basically expanded volcanic rocks and white in colour. It is very lightweight and holds air. Unlike peat moss it doesn’t hold water so need to be mixed with other media for best use.

3.       Vermiculite: It can be used as a substitute of perlite. Like perlite it also doesn’t hold water. It can retain nutrients and help a mix resist changes in pH(a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of a medium).

4.       Coarse sand: It is another medium used by people. Though it improves drainage and aeration, doesn’t retain water.

5.      Coconut coir:Now a days this medium is getting more and more popular. It is the extracts from the coconut husk. It has the same properties as peat moss but with much less mess.

 Your own mix:

Depending upon your choice of crops you can prepare your own mix. Standard practice is mixing Coconut coir(or peat moss), perlite(or vermiculite), small amount of fertilizer(Soil-less mix doesn’t have much fertility by itself. So you need to provide fertilizer from outside) and ground limestone(so that soil-less mix will contain the nutrients also).  There are several other soil-less mix recipes available online which you can easily find. Also there are several ready mix available for you to buy.

For best results:

1. Lightly moisten the mix before filling the container.
2. Don’t pack the mix too tightly when planting.
3. Water thoroughly after planting.
4. In absence of fertilizer in the mix, start fertilizing two or three week after plantation.

Read more about soil-less media:
Why you should grow strawberries in Coir?
A Miracle grow called Organic Potting Soil: The best soilless potting Mix
Coconut Coir and its use as a Soil-less Growth Media 

I would be very happy if this blog helped you in any form. Please post anything you want to share.

For a good growing media it is necessary that the plant gets a healthy balance of water and air.Soil sometimes contains harmful bacteria and fungi, and prone to be infected by pests, weeds and soil-borne diseases. The soil-less media are generally considered cleaner and sterile. These media, as the name suggests, doesn’t include soil; plants are grown in different organic or inorganic materials. Soil-less media are getting more and more popular particularly among container gardeners these days.

Some of the most commonly used alternative media are:

1.       Peat moss: It promotes good aeration and water retention capacity. It is light weight and sterile and ideal for germination of seeds. Usually used with other other media.

2.      Perlite: These are basically expanded volcanic rocks and white in colour. It is very lightweight and holds air. Unlike peat moss it doesn’t hold water so need to be mixed with other media for best use.

3.       Vermiculite: It can be used as a substitute of perlite. Like perlite it also doesn’t hold water. It can retain nutrients and help a mix resist changes in pH(a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of a medium).

4.       Coarse sand: It is another medium used by people. Though it improves drainage and aeration, doesn’t retain water.

5.      Coconut coir:Now a days this medium is getting more and more popular. It is the extracts from the coconut husk. It has the same properties as peat moss but with much less mess.

 Your own mix:

Depending upon your choice of crops you can prepare your own mix. Standard practice is mixing Coconut coir(or peat moss), perlite(or vermiculite), small amount of fertilizer(Soil-less mix doesn’t have much fertility by itself. So you need to provide fertilizer from outside) and ground limestone(so that soil-less mix will contain the nutrients also).  There are several other soil-less mix recipes available online which you can easily find. Also there are several ready mix available for you to buy.

For best results:

1. Lightly moisten the mix before filling the container.
2. Don’t pack the mix too tightly when planting.
3. Water thoroughly after planting.
4. In absence of fertilizer in the mix, start fertilizing two or three week after plantation.

Read more about soil-less media:
Why you should grow strawberries in Coir?
A Miracle grow called Organic Potting Soil: The best soilless potting Mix
Coconut Coir and its use as a Soil-less Growth Media 

I would be very happy if this blog helped you in any form. Please post anything you want to share.