ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — In this edition of All the Dirt, we give you proof you don’t need a big yard to grow a garden!
Auyanna McBride is a social media plant and garden educator. She joined us live from Georgia vis Zoom to give us all the dirt on some container gardening basics.
When it comes to container gardening, Auyanna says “let your imagination be your guide. You can grow just about anything in containers. You can grow fruit, flowers, vegetables, and herbs and the great thing about it is many seed companies are offering varieties that are for containers.”
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Auyanna got us started with planting cilantro in a container! First, you need a container with a drainage hole. “This is very important as we don’t want our plants to sit in water,” says Auyanna. “Your container can be about 4-6 inches larger than the plant so that it has room to grow. If you get it too big, the soil can stay wet for too long.” Auyanna says you’ll also need some potting soil, your plant of choice, and some gloves to protect your hands.
To start, Auyanna says to fill your pot up with soil about 3/4 of the way and then create a hole in the center. “We have what you would call a transplant,” says Auyanna. “So we are going to remove it from the original pot and loosen up the roots just a bit to encourage it to get growing.”
Auyanna says to put the plant in the middle and make sure you cover the roots. “I put the plant level with the soil,” says Auyanna. “You may need to backfill a little bit. Press gently to get out all the air pockets and water your plant. I water until there is water coming from the drainage hole to ensure the plant is watering thoroughly. Make sure over the next few days you are checking on your plants to make sure they are watered and are adjusting to the new area.”
If you’re interested in learning about Auyanna and the services she offers you can find her on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or you can join Auyanna’s private Facebook Group.