Gardening Tips

Fix container garden drainage step by step: run a drain test, check holes and saucers, judge the potting mix, and know when to repot before adding plants.

Choose potting soil for containers by what the roots need: read the bag, balance drainage and water holding, and know when to refresh or replace old mix.

Grow a fig tree in a pot with the right variety, a 15 to 25 gallon container, 8 hours of sun and a cold winter spot, from planting to pruning and harvest.

Grow dwarf citrus in pots with the right pot size, 8 hours of sun, steady watering and a winter plan, from a grafted tree on the patio to your first harvest.

Chives in pots last for years with a 10 to 12 inch pot, 6 hours of sun and hard cuts to 2 inches. Learn when to deadhead, overwinter and divide the clump.

Grow parsley in pots near your kitchen: seed or transplant, pots 8 inches deep, 4 to 8 hours of sun, steady water, weekly picking and when to replant.

Cilantro in pots bolts fast in heat. Sow a new pot every 2 to 3 weeks in cool weather, use 8 inch deep pots and harvest right for leaves and coriander.

Grow rosemary in pots with 6 to 8 hours of sun, fast drainage and careful watering, plus a winter plan by zone, pot sizes, harvest tips and stress signs.

Grow mint in pots without it taking over. Pot size, sun, watering, when to cut and divide, winter care and pet safety for a mint plant that stays productive.

Grow basil in pots that stays leafy all summer: plant 2 weeks after frost, use an 8 to 12 inch pot in 6 hours of sun and cut every 1 to 2 weeks.