Container vegetable gardens are becoming more and more popular. People want fresh vegetables and they want to control how they’re grown.
Other reasons for growing a container vegetable garden.
- Too little space for a conventional garden
- Not enough spare time to cultivate, weed and water a conventional garden
- Not physically able to do heavy garden work
What kind of containers to use.
- Any container that provides a depth of about 12 inches for the roots to grow in. Earth boxes are ideal, but expensive
- Large clay pots. These will dry out quicker than plastic
- Large plastic flower pots or garden containers
- Five gallon buckets aren’t very sightly, but they’re the ideal size. Don’t use a bucket that has been used for paint or other toxic material, of course
- Any old large pan that leaks or has been retired from normal use for some reason Look around your house, garage, storage shed and see what you’ve got.
Things to know before you start your container garden.
- Your container must have good drainage. Holes in the bottom are ideal, but an extra layer of drainage can be added by putting a two inch layer of pot shards or pea gravel in the bottom of the container.
- Use potting soil with vermiculite or pearlite added. This helps keep the soil from packing.
- You must keep your plants fertilized throughout the growing season. They are growing in a small amount of soil and will quickly deplete the nutrients.
- Most vegetables require full sun or at least 8 hours of sun a day. Either set up your container garden to meet these requirements or put your containers in a cart that can be moved into the sun if the area gets too shady.
Whatever your reasons for growing a container garden, it will be an enjoyable tasty experience.
What is the typical range to pay someone for general yardwork such as mowing, trimming, etc.?
I own the equipment, so I am asking for only a labor rate to pay.
Container Gardening Indoors and Outdoors
by: Mary Hanna
For years people have been gardening in containers, mostly because they lacked space. For some it was because they lived in climates that wouldn’t allow them to grow year round. Container gardens afford you the option of planting outside until the cold forces the container inside, next to a sunny window.
Most container gardens were planted by people that lived in apartments but still wanted the addition of color and the feeling of accomplishment when seeing their plants grow. Big, beautiful showy flowers have a tranquil effect that soothes you at the end of a long day. Container gardening need not be limited to apartment gardening, everyone should have their own. Most certainly you don’t have to stick to flowers in containers. You can grow vegetables and herbs in pots.
By adding garden pots it allows you to put spots of color around green shrubs or trees to brighten any corner of your yard. Placing containers filled with your favorite flower adds loads of appeal to a walkway or paved patio. The fun part of that is you can rotate the pots to different locations adding a new looks or colors with every move. Putting autumnal colored Mums in pots or spring tulips in a container allows you to landscape by season keeping your garden bright and interesting.
Your container can become a mini garden. For example when we lived in Pennsylvania our front yard screened us from the road with 10 feet tall evergreens. Although it was good for privacy, it made it very hard for guests to find our house. To fix this problem I purchased a half of a whisky barrel painted our name and street number on it and placed on the lawn at the end of the driveway. Then I filled it with some organic matter, planted bright red geraniums in the center and placed trailing ivy along the outer edges. Not only did it help our friends find us but the whole neighborhood used it when giving directions to their friends and family. Everyone would come up to us and say, “Never move that pot of flowers, it’s our favorite landmark.”
Don’t limit yourself to a barrel, anything can be used, a watering can, an urn or big boldly colored ceramic pots, even a wheelbarrow. Use your imagination when it comes to the containers you will plant. A friend of mine would go to the Italian restaurants around town and ask them for their used large olive oil cans. She’d take them home and plant a bunch of mini gardens. This created an interesting and colorful spot unlike any in the neighborhood. She would plant herbs in some of them so this little garden had two uses.
For container gardening use a fast draining potting soil mixed with a little coarse sand. I always use pots with holes in the bottom to ensure good drainage. You may know exactly how much to water the plant but if you have a rainy spell it could be the demise of the mini garden that has no drainage system. Fertilize well and often, nutrients in a container can leech out.
Repotting will be necessary as the plants will become root bound as they thrive. Just go to the next size container and plant a new flower or herb in the original pot.
Go to your garden nursery center and look thru the selections. Choose plants that will harmonize and colors that go well together. Container Gardening is fun and easy and a great way to show off your handiwork..
Contact: mary@gardeninglandscapingtips.com or visit her garden site http://www.gardeninglandscapingtips.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and this resource box are unchanged. Copyright © Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2005 By Mary Hanna
About The Author
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives full time in Central Florida which allows her to garden and grow flowers, vegetables and herbs inside and outside year round.
Mail this post
i still prefer to use plain old clay garden pots instead of those that are made of plastic.`;,