Container growing

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I have also seen where the actual bags of soil werre laid on the ground
and the tops slashed and the plants were set out directly into the bags
of soil. I suppsoe you might also need to poke some holes in the bottom
side that was on the ground for some drainage. Just thought I'd share
the idea.

[BiggerPiggyBank]

Hi Ladies (and gentlemen, too!)

I had to chime in on the container gardening issue. We live in an area where
there is nothing but red clay mud to plant in, and I have been so frustrated
year after year when the things I planted in the clay did not do well. I read a
book called Lasagna Gardening, which works on the principle of raised beds or
gardening in containers. You basically build layers... no tilling needed. I
have built three beds so far with one more to do, and have about a dozen
containers I am building up.

This is the system, in a nutshell.

If you don't want to build a framed bed, simply select an area of your yard or
garden area. Lay down sheets of wet newspaper, 2-4 sheets thick... this keeps
any weeds that were already started from coming thru, yet it is biodegradable
and will break down slowly over the next few months. Then just start layering.
A layer of potting soil, a layer of peat moss, a layer of compost... potting
soil, peat moss, compost... then potting soil and top with peat moss. Layers
can be 2-3 inches thick but need to be at least an inch thick. This is rich in
organic material and should work for anything you want to grow. She recommends
mulching after your plants go in. Also these beds will condense down from about
18 inches deep when you start to about 12 inches deep as the material breaks
down a bit.

You can do the same thing in a container -- just make sure there is adequate
drainage.

This year, between my beds and containers, we will have a variety of flowers, as
well as lettuce, chives, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, yellow squash,
parsley... and perhaps green beans, if I can figure out a way for them to climb
adequately from containers.

[BiggerPiggyBank]

if you are tight on space plant ITALIAN TOMATOES - romas or what ever more
tomato less gook .. cuts down on processing time if you can too

use 3x5 boxes not 4x4 - it'll save you back - reaching across 3 feet is
easier .. I used my 3x5 for squash etc .. I have gone down to 18 inch wide as
I'll
gotten older - my arthritis and back hurt to much for the wider boxes now ..

make some 2x10 boxes these are wonderful for tomatoes - I run 3 rows of
tomatoes in them 11 down the center and 10 on the sides - total 31 plants ..
they
end up shading out the weeds

PT has warnings out for use with foods/gardens ..

garden boxes in windows through the winter for greens

plant mini tomatoes in hanging baskets

make an A or H frame for cukes the cukes will hang down through the 2 x 2
holes of fencing

plant peas on high wire fence, pick peas that have edible pods they freeze
well

5 GALLON drywall mud containers work well for container gardening -- toss in
a few healthy inches of packing peanuts, then I do a layer of tea bags, then
dirt .. you can plant one tomato or green pepper and plant around it 2-3 cukes
(if you also have floor space) or carrots, onions, greens, flowers, herbs ..

ria

[BiggerPiggyBank]

OK I would like to plant cucumbers in pots. l don't have alot of ground
right now. Will it work? Do you use those tomato type cages around it or?
Thanks for the help.
Carol in So Cal

[BiggerPiggyBank]

Cucmbers are great to grow upside down. They are a vine and tomatoes grow this
way too. It is good for people who don't have lots of room. If you grow in a pot
they do need to be tied up on something, netting is what we use. Hope that
helps.
Janet

[BiggerPiggyBank]

yes, you can plant cucumbers in pots minds did well last year. but be sure
you put a very long stick in the pots because they like to climb. this is only
a suggestion, but put you a corn plant in the pot and they will grow well
together, but only one corn plants, because more will need more room then what
in a pot.


Elva

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I have a friend who took an old wooden dresser, added a few holes in the bottoms
of the drawers, and used them as planters. The dresser drawer on bottom is
completely open and supported underneath so it isn't front-heavy. Then the
drawers are staggered back as far as openings so the top one is only open a few
inches, and the middle ones are partially open.

I have an old wrought iron chair that was once (about 40 years ago) used as
outdoor furniture. Now it is rusty in places and not in great shape -- but it
holds an old galvanized tub which happens to work GREAT as a planter for
trailing plants.

My neighbor has an old giant clay pot -- the kind that is about 2 feet tall,
which she painted and flipped upside down. The accompanying saucer sits on top
of that and is used as the planter itself.

I have taken that idea a bit further and done the same thing, but added a
shallow dish on top and am making a mosaic bird bath. This will be one of the
interesting pieces in the garden this year.

There is an old fireplace screen which I am using as a sort of climbing area for
some vining plants I am planting in a container.

Also an old wrought iron fireplace box for wood which now has a coconut husk
liner and geraniums growing in it.

Another friend has a wooden birdhouse which she cut an opening in the roof of
and is using as a planter.

Our porch and the ground around it is covered with unusual "planters" -- old
easter baskets, a pair of galoshes growing daisies out of them, a wooden wishing
well... even a couple of those outdoor tiki torches which have ivy growing out
of them and down the sides (one of my personal favorites!).

Anything, ANYTHING, that you have that can hold something is fair game in a
container garden. The more unusual, the more interesting! Don't limit yourself
to what is usually thought of as a gardening container -- bird cages can hold
ivy, dry gourds hanging from a tree can grow clematis vines, and old birdbaths
can be used to grow kitchen herbs.

:O) Think of gardening as an outdoor shabby-chic movement. Take things that
may not be good for their original purpose and give them a new purpose.

Blessings,
Angie

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I grow tomatoes every year in pots, but they do very well , but last year my
tomatoes lasted year round, because when it turned cold we put them under
the carport and they was still growing tomatoes, but they died this summer past
dued to thirst, because I was working a lot and did not water them a lot.

Elva