GROWING BASICS
Your first container.
Start with drainage, the right mix, and enough room for one plant.
1. Let water out.
Use a pot with drainage holes. A nursery pot can sit inside a decorative outer pot; empty collected water. Gravel does not fix poor drainage.
2. Buy potting mix.
Choose a bag labeled “potting mix,” not garden soil or raised-bed soil. Follow your plant’s mix: lavender uses a different mix and blueberries need acidic potting mix.
3. Know what is already in the bag.
Fresh mix with starter fertilizer? Skip extra fertilizer at planting. Follow the actual bag’s directions before starting a feed. “Feeds for up to 2 months” does not mean a fixed two-month wait; ask the manufacturer if the start point is unclear. An unfertilized mix has no starter-feeding period.
Then use your plant guide’s named US product, measured dilution and interval. A gallon batch is not a whole-pot serving: use enough to wet the roots and let excess drain. Do not combine full feeding programs or feed dormant, waterlogged or stressed plants. Check light and moisture before treating yellow leaves with fertilizer.
4. Water the plant you have today.
Check outdoor pots daily at first. If still damp, wait. When needed, wet the roots and drain excess. If an indoor plant wilts while its mix stays wet, check drainage and roots first. Compare the indoor snake-plant routine with watering an outdoor basil pot; they need different checks.
5. Match the project to the space.
Choose a plant for your light, climate and pot size. A container recipe does not transfer to a garden bed. For a rectangular raised bed, calculate the unfilled soil volume first, then choose a suitable bed mix. See growing tools →
Choose a plant and follow its plan →
Sources & editorial notes
University of Maryland: container growing; University of Minnesota: choosing a mix; manufacturer’s US potting mix page.
Published · Updated
Common questions
Do I need drainage holes in every pot?+
Yes for almost every beginner container. Without drainage, water sits around roots and raises rot risk. Use a saucer to protect surfaces, and empty standing water after watering.
Can I use garden soil in a pot?+
Use a potting mix made for containers. Garden soil often compacts in pots and drains poorly. The growing basics guide explains mix vs garden soil and when to repot.
How often should I fertilize a new container plant?+
Follow the plant guide feeding section. Many starter mixes include a light charge; wait until the guide says to begin a named fertilizer schedule rather than feeding immediately.
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