 Welcome to Alabama's Smart Yards. We're creating beautiful landscapes that protect natural environments. Why? Because it's the smart thing to do. Today, Danny Carroll will talk about container gardens. Whether it's vegetables or flowers, you need to know your mix. Container gardening for both flowers and vegetables has become increasingly popular. And once we've chosen the right container for our plant, it's time to choose the correct potting medium. The best potting mix for containers is one that is soilless. Literally, it contains no soil at all. An all-purpose commercial potting mix composed of peat moss, vermiculite, and or perlite is generally recommended. It drains well, but also has moisture-holding properties. These soilless medias are free of disease pathogens, insect pests, and weed seeds. Pay attention to the bag when you're purchasing in the store. It's very easy to confuse a potting mix with an in-ground garden soil. Bagged garden soils contain topsoil. Also organic materials, but they are used for amending in-ground gardens. These are not well suited for container gardening, as they will become compacted and too dense for plant roots to grow. The same is true for compost. Compost alone should not be used in containers. While compost can be used in a potting mix, it will become compacted as well. Shredded pine bark, another ingredient in a potting mix, should also not be used alone. It will not hold any water or nutrients in the container. Be sure and thoroughly wet the potting mix before you plant and fertilize accordingly if your potting mix does not have a fertilizer incorporated. Container gardens can be really successful with the right supplies.