Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Container Gardening
Even the smallest patio or porch can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of flowers in containers. Planter boxes, wooden barrels, hanging baskets and large flowerpots are just some of the containers that can be used. The container gardener is limited only by his imagination. Consider the following guidelines when choosing your container.
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Avoid containers with narrow openings.
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Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes.
?
Wooden containers are susceptible to rot. Redwood and cedar are relatively rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting. Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta or other toxic compounds since the vapors can damage the plants. One advantage of wooden containers is that they can be built to sizes and shapes that suit the location.
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Use containers between 15 and 120 quarts capacity. Small pots restrict the root area and dry out very quickly. The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots.
?
Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss.
In hot climates use light-colored containers to lessen heat absorption and discourage uneven root growth.
?
Set containers on bricks or blocks to allow free drainage.
?
Line hanging baskets with sphagnum moss for water retention. Keep baskets away from afternoon sun.
?
If you choose clay pots, remember that clay is porous and water is lost from the sides of the container. Plants in clay pots should be monitored closely for loss of moisture.
Growing Mixture
Make sure your planting medium drains rapidly but retains enough moisture to keep the roots evenly moist. Your compost will make an excellent potting soil. Check the requirements of the plants you grow to determine whether you will need to add sand. If compost is not available, purchase a good quality potting mixture or make your own from equal parts of sand, loamy garden soil, and peat moss. Commercial potting mixes are usually slightly acidic, so you may want to add a little lime.
Most container gardeners have found that a "soilless" potting mix works best. In addition to draining quickly, "soilless" mixes are lightweight and free from soil- borne diseases and weed seeds. These mixes can be purchased from garden centers.
When you add your soil to your container, leave a 2 inch space between the top of the soil and the top of the container. You will be able to add 1/2 inch or so of mulch later.
Sunlight
Your container garden will need at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and many plants will benefit from even more. As a general rule, leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce can tolerate the most shade, while root crops such as beets and carrots will need more sun. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers need the most sun. The amount of sunlight needed by flowers varies depending on the varieties grown. Check the flower guides for sunlight requirements.
Fertilizer
Since potting mixes drain water rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the container as you water. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes. It's a good idea to use a dilute liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed are great plant boosters, but remember that you need to provide your plants with a variety of nutrients. Check the labels on the products in you garden center to be sure that they contain a complete, balanced solution that includes trace elements.
Watering
In an exposed location, container plants loose moisture quickly. Some plants will need to be watered daily, especially during hot, dry weather.
What to Grow?
Annuals.
Vegetables
Small salad green such as oak leaf lettuce and mustard cress, or vegetables such as silver beet, which have a quick maturing period are ideal. You may be able to get several crops of a quick maturing vegetable from your container. Cherry tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables, including peppers or eggplant can be easily grown in containers, as can root vegetables such as baby carrots, radishes or spring onions. Try planting quick-growing small herbs and leaf lettuces around you larger fruiting vegetables.
Beans, Snap (Bush types such as blue lake, contender, montpellier), Use 5 gal. Windowbox
Beans, Lima( White Dixie Wonder), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Beets (Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Broccoli (Super Blend, Italian Green Sprouting) use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Brussels Sprouts (Evesham) use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 2 plants/15 gal. tub
Cabbage (Discovery), use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Chinese Cabbage (Michihli)
Use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Carrot (Short & Sweet, Danvers Half Long, Tiny Sweet, Baby Finger Nantes, Goldenhart, Little Finger, Royal or Red Cored Chantenay, Ox Hart, Baby Finger), use 5 gal. Windowbox at least 12" deep
Cucumber (Patio Pik, Spacemaster, Pot Luck, Bush Whopper, Bush Champion, Burpee Hybrid, Salad Bush, Parks Burpless Bush, Burpless Early Pik) use 1 plant/gal. pot
Eggplant (Slim Jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty, Modern Midget, Mission Bell, Small Ruffled Red, Thai Green, Bambino), use 3 gal. pot
Garlic (Most Varieties), use 8-inch deep container
Lettuce (Salad Bowl, Ruby, Grand Rapids, Oak Leaf, Buttercrunch, Dark Green Boston, Little Gem, Bibb), 5 gal. Windowbox
Onion (White Sweet Spanish, Yellow Sweet Spanish), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Pepper (Sweet Banana, Yolo Wonder, Long Red Cayenne, Bell Boy, Keystone Resistant, California Wonder, New Ace, Red Cherry, Long Red Cayenne, Jalapeno, Thai Hot), use 1 plant/2 gal. pot or 5 plants/15 gal. tub
Radish (Cherry Belle, Icicle, Champion, Scarlet Globe), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Spinach (Dark Green Bloomsdale, Melody, America, Avon Hybrid), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Squash (Scallopini, Baby Crookneck, Creamy, Golden Nugget, Gold Rush, Zucchini (most varieties)), Use 2 gal. pot
Tomatoes (Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Sweet 100, Patio, Burpee's Pixie, Toy Boy, Early Girl, Better Boy VFN, Pixie, Red Robin, Sugar Lump, Tumblin' Tom (hanging baskets), use Bushel baskets or 5 gal. pots
http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm
Even the smallest patio or porch can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of flowers in containers. Planter boxes, wooden barrels, hanging baskets and large flowerpots are just some of the containers that can be used. The container gardener is limited only by his imagination. Consider the following guidelines when choosing your container.
?
Avoid containers with narrow openings.
?
Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes.
?
Wooden containers are susceptible to rot. Redwood and cedar are relatively rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting. Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta or other toxic compounds since the vapors can damage the plants. One advantage of wooden containers is that they can be built to sizes and shapes that suit the location.
?
Use containers between 15 and 120 quarts capacity. Small pots restrict the root area and dry out very quickly. The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots.
?
Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss.
In hot climates use light-colored containers to lessen heat absorption and discourage uneven root growth.
?
Set containers on bricks or blocks to allow free drainage.
?
Line hanging baskets with sphagnum moss for water retention. Keep baskets away from afternoon sun.
?
If you choose clay pots, remember that clay is porous and water is lost from the sides of the container. Plants in clay pots should be monitored closely for loss of moisture.
Growing Mixture
Make sure your planting medium drains rapidly but retains enough moisture to keep the roots evenly moist. Your compost will make an excellent potting soil. Check the requirements of the plants you grow to determine whether you will need to add sand. If compost is not available, purchase a good quality potting mixture or make your own from equal parts of sand, loamy garden soil, and peat moss. Commercial potting mixes are usually slightly acidic, so you may want to add a little lime.
Most container gardeners have found that a "soilless" potting mix works best. In addition to draining quickly, "soilless" mixes are lightweight and free from soil- borne diseases and weed seeds. These mixes can be purchased from garden centers.
When you add your soil to your container, leave a 2 inch space between the top of the soil and the top of the container. You will be able to add 1/2 inch or so of mulch later.
Sunlight
Your container garden will need at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and many plants will benefit from even more. As a general rule, leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce can tolerate the most shade, while root crops such as beets and carrots will need more sun. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers need the most sun. The amount of sunlight needed by flowers varies depending on the varieties grown. Check the flower guides for sunlight requirements.
Fertilizer
Since potting mixes drain water rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the container as you water. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes. It's a good idea to use a dilute liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed are great plant boosters, but remember that you need to provide your plants with a variety of nutrients. Check the labels on the products in you garden center to be sure that they contain a complete, balanced solution that includes trace elements.
Watering
In an exposed location, container plants loose moisture quickly. Some plants will need to be watered daily, especially during hot, dry weather.
What to Grow?
Annuals.
Vegetables
Small salad green such as oak leaf lettuce and mustard cress, or vegetables such as silver beet, which have a quick maturing period are ideal. You may be able to get several crops of a quick maturing vegetable from your container. Cherry tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables, including peppers or eggplant can be easily grown in containers, as can root vegetables such as baby carrots, radishes or spring onions. Try planting quick-growing small herbs and leaf lettuces around you larger fruiting vegetables.
Beans, Snap (Bush types such as blue lake, contender, montpellier), Use 5 gal. Windowbox
Beans, Lima( White Dixie Wonder), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Beets (Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Broccoli (Super Blend, Italian Green Sprouting) use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Brussels Sprouts (Evesham) use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 2 plants/15 gal. tub
Cabbage (Discovery), use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Chinese Cabbage (Michihli)
Use 1 plant/5 gal. pot or 3 plants/15 gal. tub
Carrot (Short & Sweet, Danvers Half Long, Tiny Sweet, Baby Finger Nantes, Goldenhart, Little Finger, Royal or Red Cored Chantenay, Ox Hart, Baby Finger), use 5 gal. Windowbox at least 12" deep
Cucumber (Patio Pik, Spacemaster, Pot Luck, Bush Whopper, Bush Champion, Burpee Hybrid, Salad Bush, Parks Burpless Bush, Burpless Early Pik) use 1 plant/gal. pot
Eggplant (Slim Jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty, Modern Midget, Mission Bell, Small Ruffled Red, Thai Green, Bambino), use 3 gal. pot
Garlic (Most Varieties), use 8-inch deep container
Lettuce (Salad Bowl, Ruby, Grand Rapids, Oak Leaf, Buttercrunch, Dark Green Boston, Little Gem, Bibb), 5 gal. Windowbox
Onion (White Sweet Spanish, Yellow Sweet Spanish), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Pepper (Sweet Banana, Yolo Wonder, Long Red Cayenne, Bell Boy, Keystone Resistant, California Wonder, New Ace, Red Cherry, Long Red Cayenne, Jalapeno, Thai Hot), use 1 plant/2 gal. pot or 5 plants/15 gal. tub
Radish (Cherry Belle, Icicle, Champion, Scarlet Globe), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Spinach (Dark Green Bloomsdale, Melody, America, Avon Hybrid), use 5 gal. Windowbox
Squash (Scallopini, Baby Crookneck, Creamy, Golden Nugget, Gold Rush, Zucchini (most varieties)), Use 2 gal. pot
Tomatoes (Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Sweet 100, Patio, Burpee's Pixie, Toy Boy, Early Girl, Better Boy VFN, Pixie, Red Robin, Sugar Lump, Tumblin' Tom (hanging baskets), use Bushel baskets or 5 gal. pots
http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm