Gardening can be easily done in small apartments with help of containers as discussed in our guide to apartment gardening. The pots should however be kept at places which get ample sunlight preferably in windows or front porch. These containers are rather heavy due to soil hence the chances of getting stolen are meager. Once the places are determined you can easily choose few plants and plant them in containers.

In our guide to plant selection we have discussed few plants which are easy to grow around your house in containers such as basil, chives & other herbs. These herbs grow well and can be used in daily cooking, vegetables on the other hand may take some time and special care to grow and harvest. Herbs can be plucked easily as per your need & the plant continues to grow this way a herb garden can be easily grown & harvested right inside small apartments where there is lack of open space or ground.

Places where open garden is available makes gardening fun & widens the scope. Seasonal seeds are easily available throughout the year at the nursery. Make a choice of plants then get the seeds, simply dig the soil & sow the seeds in. The seeds may be sowed around 3 inches below the soil then covered with soil again, water them & within few days they should germinate giving you a well endowed plant.

All required containers or few bags of planting soil along with seeds wont cost much. It is easily available and doesn’t require any specific know how, just get them and start experimenting. Few sellers or nurseries charge a lot in the name of organic which is not advisable, organic soil is easy to produce by composting kitchen scraps however if you wish to skip the process there are lots of cheaper and better options available.

Few things you should practice while planting in pot or containers is that they should have holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. If there are no holes the excess water may remain stagnant and the plant will suffocate to death due to that in such a container it is required to drill few small holes. Incase the holes of the container are big its equally necessary to block the holes with leaves or a stone before filling soil, this will prevent unnecessary drain of water and nutrients from the soil keeping the soil moist and rich. Once soil is filled in containers or pots it should be watered before seeding this will allow the soil to settle and the moisture will help the seed to germinate faster.

Another idea is to get a bag of soil which is compost enriched and fertilized. Keep the bag intact, don’t remove open it. The bag is to be kept horizontally sleeping on the ground, the base of the bag is to be slit few times here and there for the drain of excess water. The slits should be obstructed by statching leaves inside else the soil will continue to ooze out with drain water. The other side which is to be on the top should be opened or cut diagonally at three equidistant points horizontally away from the edges. Keep the bag in a sunny place neatly flattened and plant the seeds or insert germinated plants in the 3 cuts made on the top. This way 3 plants can be easily planted without much mess in a bag of soil without any container or pot. Water the soil well, the bag will help keep moisture and nutrients intact thereby promoting growth and reducing labour.

Gardening can further be advanced by spending more time and money which will surely help increase the produce. Proper know how and training in this phase will aid to the harvest and reduce your input efforts to a great extent. Many gardeners practice tricks which they have mastered throughout years, one such trick is to help plants allocate their energy at the required place. During their season plants start to bloom early however this is to be avoided until the plant is strong and healthy else most of the energy will be directed by the plant towards the blooming & fruiting which infact should had been assigned to strengthen itself. A strong and healthy plant will bear better harvest ultimately hence it is important to get rid of early blossoms. Few more practices to aid plant strength is to get rid of excess stems or weak plants growing alongside, this will enable the better ones thrive and enjoy all resources.

Fertilizers provide with the much needed boost to the plants and their produce however the balance of fertilizer is of much concern. Any excess use of fertilizer will disturb the balance of growth and end in hampering the plant growth as well the as produce. Fertilizing should be done monthly in the right quantity as specified or discussed.

Keeping plants away from pests is also an important thing, it is to be practiced with all concerns. Prevention is better in this case than cure, plants are to be protected from pests rather than curing or medicating them for the same. All new plants are to be quarantined for few days before bringing them to an already blooming garden. Recognizing pests is also as important as its important to keep our pollinators alive hence smart management is the key. The use of proper pest control measures is more important than exposing the whole garden to pesticides which may be harmful to the plant itself. However it is also important to tackle the pest menace as soon as it is noticed else this can lead to bigger damage than expected. Commercial insect traps are better options and can be easily purchased, few enthusiasts design their own traps which are helpful and give good results.

Once the harvest is out it is equally important to learn how to store the excess stuff. Most common practices include dehydrating, canning, fermenting, drying & cold storing. Few of these practices are relatively easy, however some need technically backed know how. Canning and cold storing may be costly hence cant be widely practiced, the best way is to socialize with other farmers or gardeners who already have a plan to store the excess produce cost effectively thereby retaining the nutritional value and curbing any damage thereof. Once the harvest is out and the plants have withered, the soil left in containers or bags can be rejuvenated by adding compost and other vital components which may get rid of unwanted seeds, pathogens and help enrich the soil again for the next season.