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Having the right sort of container for a certain kind of plant is vital to the life and growth of the plant. A pot of the wrong size can stunt the plant's growth, but size is not the only consideration: it is nearly as important to select a container made of the appropriate material. A different material is better suited to each different situation.
If you want to grow something perennial, such as an herb bush, especially a large one, then you probably want to use a similarly large wooden container. If you are growing plants for more than just one season, or if you are growing them outside where they can easily be seen, then wood is particularly attractive.
If your plant is large, or if it is in an especially visible location in your yard, then a wooden container would probably be best. While wooden pots tend to be among the most expensive kinds of containers, they are often very durable and long-lasting.
If you use wood, make sure that it has been treated around the outside and not in the inside. If the inside is treated, you may find unhealthy chemicals leaking into your soil and infecting your plants. This can damage the plants, but it can also make you ill if you consume them.
Most people tend to use plastic pots for container gardening, probably because they are usually cheaper than anything else. But it is important to keep in mind that cheaper may not be better.
If you do not plan on container gardening for more than a year, then plastic could work very well for your garden. But if you want to continue container gardening after this year, or even if you think you may, then you want something more durable than plastic.
Don't be fooled into thinking a harder or thicker plastic is going to be a more durable pot. Even if the pot is very thick and very hard, exposing it to the elements outdoors for too much time can warp or crack it--and then it won't be useful for anything.
Your second best option economically would be a terra cotta clay pot. They can be quite cheap, but they are also rather delicate and can break pretty easily. And they don't hold up too well under freezing temperatures, so leaving them out in the winter would not be a great idea.
Using fired ceramic pots can work pretty well for you. They can be delicate, but many are rather quite durable. They are generally glazed on the outside of the pot for decoration, but not on the inside, and this is great since the glaze could damage the plants if it got into the soil.
You could even make containers of your own using household items. Almost any cheap plastic container will work, as long as it is big enough for what you want growing in it. Don't forget to cut holes for drainage in the bottom.
For example, you can use milk jugs or soda bottles once you have cut off the tops and put holes in the bottoms. Empty margarine tubs, trash cans, or large plastic tubs with drainage holes added also work.
You can even use a bag of soil as your plant container, just by cutting a hole in the side of the bag once it has been laid down and sowing seeds straight into what's exposed. It isn't necessary to use the standard containers to be bought in stores. Pretty much any container works for growing plants, as long as it is safe and provides sufficient drainage for the plants.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Green
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