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Container Gardening Help - 2/18/2008 2:48:28 PM
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HisCovenant
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Okay... so I'm such a plant killer that I hardly know what to ask about gardening... I do know that I need some help!
Last year, I grew some herbs and hot peppers in containers on my porch. I had some successes and some failures. This year, I would like to expand to include more veggies and to have more success with the herbs that didn't make it. They all have to be in containers b/c we live on a rock. There is no soil at all for planting in the ground.
I would like any advice on what items to not plant next to each other... what plants take the same care and can be in a container together... how do you know when to water... how do you know when a plant is not getting enough water...what plants are good for a new gardener and which plants will dismay me because even experienced gardeners have difficulty with them?
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 2/18/2008 4:47:27 PM
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stamper_ben
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You could check out your local Extension office or take a look at this page and see if you can get any help.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 2/18/2008 5:15:46 PM
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HisCovenant
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Thanks! I've never heard of that. Looks promising.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 2/19/2008 9:15:20 AM
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HisCovenant
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That potato barrel is miraculous. I love that!
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 2/19/2008 9:27:08 AM
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agapetos
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I do too... I'm just not sure how successfully I'll be at growing potatoes in tubs ~ added to which, the cost of the barrel and then compost will be costs I can't justify as a possible one off this year. Added to which, you can't use the same compost for potatoes next year, so I'd have to use something else.
So, with the bags, I can (hopefully) grow potatoes this year in them and then use the compost in the rest of the garden or in tubs, or even throw it in my compost bin!
Oh, you can grow some fruit trees/bushes in containers too ~ you can buy dwarf apple, pear, cherry, nectarine, peach trees and figs, blueberries, citrus trees will all be happy in containers.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 2/19/2008 9:37:43 AM
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HisCovenant
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I hadn't thought of fruits. Good idea.
I plan on using my grocery budget to offset costs. I spend an obscene amount of money on produce. If I can keep from killing the plants, I figure I'll be saving money on my weekly budget.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 10:19:21 AM
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HisCovenant
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I have a couple more questions, but let me strat by saying what I have planned and have bought.
My first purchase was Gardening Basics for Dummies.  I've been laughing at myself, because there is a Vegetable Gardening for Dummies that I neglected to get. It's pretty sad when you are too dumb to get the right book in that series.
What tools for gardening do you see as a must? I want to purchase what I need, but not stuff that I won't use.
Yesterday, I bought seeds (yellow straightnech squash, scarlet carrots, black beauty zucchini, chives, California wonder bell peppers, jalapeno early, sweetie tomato, early long purple eggplant, bibb lettuce, & romaine lettuce), germination pots that discinegrate in the ground, and a new steel watering can (my old plastic one lost it's "shower head" and needed replacing.) We decided to build a raised garden.
When I plant in the germination pots, how many seeds do I use in each one? Is each plant different? I seem to remember in elementry school using three when doing this, but am not sure if I am remembering correctly.
How often do I water the germinating seeds while they are indoors? Is it OK to take them outside on mild days to make sure they get enough sun as long as they don't get too cold or too hot or too dry?
The seed packets give row spacing. If a eggplant says it's row spacing should be 3', does that mean 3' on each side of the seed, 3' on each side of the mature plant, or 1.5' on either side of the mature plant or the seed? Does the plant need that much room for it's health, or is it to keep it from shading other plants? Can I cheat and plant my lettuces closer to my tomato plants to get a bit more shade? Or should I just put my lettuces in a pot and keep them closer to the house to let the house shade them? I'm probably starting the lettuces too late for the growing season.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 12:58:40 PM
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Auben
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Raised beds are a lot of fun. I was going to ask you about that. They are less susceptible to drought than containers (that's my problem...go away for 3 days in July and half the plants die of thirst). I put a bunch of mulch on mine (dried leaves, grass clippings) and it helps the water stay in.
The spacing number is the final number for the mature plant. That is not the spacing the seed needs when you are starting it in a container.
I like to put 2-3 seeds in the starter pots because not all of mine sprout. If multiples do sprout I just replant them both in separate pots (at least the strong shoots). If the area is very small you may only want to plant one.
One thing that helps plants (especially tiny seedlings) is if you have a way to water them from below. They don't do as well being sprinkled from above. I have pots with holes in the bottom (that way they don't drown or mold either) and I put them in a tray. I put water in the tray and the soil and roots 'drink' it up.
I don't know where you live. It probably isn't too late for lettuce unless you live pretty far south. If that's the case you can probably plant it in September and get yourself a fall/winter crop.
It's good for little plants to go outside sometimes if your weather is mild. It makes them more hardy. There first times out they should keep to the shade and only for a short period of time (like babies) and as time goes on they can go out longer and get more direct sun.
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Tamara
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 1:08:56 PM
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HisCovenant
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Thanks, Tamara.
I live in AL, so I might have time to plant the lettuce if it stays mild in the first weeks of May. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. Last frost is April 23.
The only thing I didn't understand from your answer was if the row of the mature plant should be 3' total or 3' of space on either side.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 1:27:48 PM
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agapetos
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quote:
discinegrate That's an interesting American version
quote:
My first purchase was Gardening Basics for Dummies. I've been laughing at myself, because there is a Vegetable Gardening for Dummies that I neglected to get. It's pretty sad when you are too dumb to get the right book in that series. Can you take it back and swop it?
quote:
When I plant in the germination pots, how many seeds do I use in each one? Is each plant different? I seem to remember in elementry school using three when doing this, but am not sure if I am remembering correctly. How big are the pots? I've got lots of little ones (about 1") this year so have been nice to my seeds and planted 1 seed to a pot, a couple have 2 seeds though. It's not always likely that all the seeds will come up, so 2 or 3 seeds are fine ~ you can always pull the others out.
I discovered last year watering is a dodgy process! I thought my cucs were dying of thirst so I watered them and found out later I'd drowned 'em to death  I think they need very little water in reality, the compost shouldn't be really wet. What is the rose ('shower head') on your watering can like? Some of the holes in a rose can be really big and will harm the delicate seedlings ~ you can get really fine roses though ~ or you can use a spray gun (which is all I do, and the spray gun was cheap).
quote:
Is it OK to take them outside on mild days to make sure they get enough sun as long as they don't get too cold or too hot or too dry? I've never done this but am thinking of doing in when they are bigger and then bringing them in at night. Right now, it'd be too cold for them (here anyhow), but it may pick up soon. I have some cloches and I may keep them under there (during the day) just to make sure they don't get cold!
quote:
If a eggplant says it's row spacing should be 3', does that mean 3' on each side of the seed, 3' on each side of the mature plant, or 1.5' on either side of the mature plant or the seed? It needs to be 3' on each side of the plant ~ so it can grown properly and produce plenty of fruit.
quote:
I'm probably starting the lettuces too late for the growing season. Nah, you're not. Lettuces can be grown for a long time, as long as the weather holds. I grew loose leave in seed trays last year, through the summer. They were all mixed (except some rocket, which I was given) and whenever I wanted some, I went out and picked!
quote:
What tools for gardening do you see as a must? I want to purchase what I need, but not stuff that I won't use. You shouldn't really need a spade and a fork (as you're container gardening) ~ I don't actually have either, I have one of these and one with a short handle, a trowel and hand fork and a dibber (it was free ) which is really useful! I've got a really tiny pair of snippers too ~ when I grow more than one seed in a tray, I kill the weaker ones off by snipping them (leaving the root behind). I think it saves root disturbance.
Carrots don't always take kindly to transplanting ~ you may be better off growing them direct where you want them to grow.
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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 3:55:52 PM
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Auben
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How is the ground right now? Wet? You could probably sprout some lettuce (and other cold weather veggies) right now and stick it in the ground before your frost date as long as your ground is dry enough. By the time you build your raised beds they'd probably be ready to plant. (If you have them built already you could direct seed.)
I think you can do this with the lettuces and cabbage family (which includes broccoli). Potatoes and onions too.
I'm a newbie myself though and only used to gardening in WI.
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Tamara
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 6:02:20 PM
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Auben
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That must be agepetos with the raised beds then.
You should be fine to start cold weather crops out at any time.
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Tamara
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 6:03:07 PM
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HisCovenant
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I have two other questions:
I just remembered that we sometimes have a rabbit friend who visits at night. I don't know what type, if that makes any difference. We usually hear him and see a flash of tail, but don't get a good look. What can I do to deter him? What plants that I mentioned (yellow straightnech squash, scarlet carrots, black beauty zucchini, chives, California wonder bell peppers, jalapeno early, sweetie tomato, early long purple eggplant, bibb lettuce, & romaine lettuce) will a rabbit naturally leave alone? I prefer natural and organic methods over conventional if there is an option.
I feed birds. Will they harm a garden? Is there anything I should do to to protect my plants? We live near a river and woods, so we have lots of variety as well as migratory birds. I can make a list, if that helps... but it would be a very long list, so I hesitate to even start it. 
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-HisCovenant/ Zipporah
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/11/2008 6:27:46 PM
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HisCovenant
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Thanks. We haven't decided about the depth of the bed yet... one idea is to build onto a hill, so the depth would be sloping, maybe to 3' at it's deepest point. Dh thinks that part of the hill isn't slate and would be easy to dig into for supporting part of the bed and using less of the flat yard. I like that idea, but suspect that he is still going to get into the slate and we will end up with plan B... which isn't formed yet.
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/13/2008 1:29:26 PM
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Auben
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When we built our bed last year I just laid some unused logs in a rectangle and filled it with compost, dried up leaves, and more compost. No digging.
Other things that deter critters are dog hair (you can get some at the local humane society) and Irish Spring soap (maybe that's more for deer but my dh's aunt swears by it).
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/13/2008 10:20:49 PM
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HisCovenant
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What about supports for squash? What type works best?
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RE: Container Gardening Help - 3/13/2008 11:46:34 PM
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deermousie
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You can do great gardening in containers! The good thing about the rock all around your house is you'll never struggle with gophers and voles! 
Raised beds are great for your situation; lots of pots for containers are good, too. If your pots have holes at the bottom, the water can drain out and the roots won't drown. I put scraps of fabric over the holes so the dirt doesn't drain out, either.
Check the pots every day (I think of mine as pets). Stick your finger in the soil a little; if it's dry 1/4" down, water. If it's damp, don't water. Try again every day. 95% of people with "black thumbs" just don't water enough. Things in pots dry out quickly, so it's critical you check daily.
Lettuce is great, and you can grow tons of it. Around here, at week 7 (or so) from seeding the lettuce starts getting bitter. Pull it out and throw more seeds on the soil (they need light to germinate so don't bury them). You'll see green dots in three days! Put the bitter lettuce on your compost pile.
I have pots of things growing on my deck in the sun, and I put a potted plant into another pot (same height) so there's an inch or two of space between them. Then when the sun hits the pot, the outer one heats up but the inner one stays cool and doesn't cook the roots.
Have fun growing things!
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. Beans grow easy, but slugs like 'em ~ but slugs don't like tomatoes! 
I'm really bad at growing stuff, but even I figured out that doesn't work. We had to build a "french drain" using a jack hammer and pick axe to keep the backyard from being a bowl that retained water. 
