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If you are thinking about getting into plastic bin gardening, you have made a great choice. Plastic vegetable growing containers are cheap, lightweight, versatile and easy to use. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 of this series to learn more about the benefits of plastic tubs for gardening.

Ready to proceed? Before you start setting up, you should make sure that you have everything you need to be successful.

• Ample sunlight that isn’t excessive. If possible, you want sunlight which is south-facing. Why? Your plants will get most of their sun in the morning, but won’t get harsh afternoon light. This is especially important when gardening in storage containers since plastic isn’t breathable, and you do not want your plants to bake. Too much sun can also cause the water to evaporate from the soil before plants can take advantage of it as well. The result is wilting. So make sure your plants will get enough sun, but not too much. Think about buying shade cloths.

• Big containers. Volume is the most important thing when it comes to plastic bin gardening. The roomier your bins are, the more soil they can contain. That reduces the rate at which water evaporates, and it also allows the roots to expand, resulting in a larger root mass. This helps your plants to take in more water and nutrition from the soil. This is especially important for plants like zucchini, tomatoes, beans, or peppers. You can get away with smaller planting tubs and containers for herbs and lettuces.

• Organic soil and fertilizer. Either order a high-quality organic soil, or create your own from scratch using whatever healthy materials are available. Skip non-organic fertilizer; it works for a while, but ultimately destroys your soil. Be sure that when you fertilize, you don’t overdo it; this can be as detrimental as under-fertilizing. Getting the right soil and fertilizer mixture for different types of plants is probably one of the most complicated aspects of planting.

• Mesh and river rocks. You will add these to the bottoms of your bins to improve drainage.

• Netting. You are going to have problems with pests when you are growing your plants. This is a given no matter where you live. Thankfully it is relatively easy to screen off your plants when they are growing in plastic bins. Netting will keep out the majority of harmful insects, though you may still find yourself combating moths. The netting will also keep out deer and squirrels.

If you have everything you need to start gardening in plastic tubs, then you are ready to get started! For the most part, none of these supplies is going to be all that expensive, which makes patio gardening an affordable hobby that anyone can start. Plus, once you have your own fresh produce, that will help to make up for the modest cost. If you are eager to start planting, read onto Getting Started with Plastic Bin Gardening, Part 3: Getting Set Up.