they won't let me dig.
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Posted: Jan/06/2008 9:36 PM PST
Well, I am a college student who has escaped from the confines of the dorms and I have a cute little house with 3 of my friends. One of the biggest excitements about this other than having a kitchen and a shower is being about to garden! Unfortunatly, i'd be violating me lease if I dug up a garden in my yard, so I am confined to containers, something i've never done. I grew up on a farm with plenty of tillable land, so i'm in foreign territory here! I've found plenty of good resources on how big the containers need to be, and I'm going to talk to my gramma's on what breeds of plants I should get, (although suggestions for what veggies grow well in containers will definitely be welcomed!). So my question (finally) is on recycling containers to plant in. My dad is a farmer, so I'm sure i can kype some of his old big buckets to use, but I don't know how clean they need to be, etc. Any other advice would be more than welcome too! Angela |
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Posted: Jan/07/2008 7:10 AM PST
I am sure your gramma can give you some good tips. Just be sure any container you use has drainage holes in the bottom. Don't want those babies to get water logged roots. Have fun and keep posting on the forums. Lots of good advice here. Since you just signed on, how about going to the Introduce forum and let people know you are here and what you are trying to do. You will find lots of help once we know you are on GG. Welcome!  Linda B from Sc |
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Posted: Jan/07/2008 11:13 AM PST
Tomatoes and leaf lettuce grow very well in containers, as do strawberries. You'll have fresh, tasty veggies before you know it! Have fun with it. |
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Posted: Jan/07/2008 6:13 PM PST
To clean your containers, I find it best to just use a good strong mix of clorine bleach and warm water. I use a lot of galvanized containers (buckets, watering troughs etc.) and love them. I also use old granite cooking pots and even a pair of old leather work boots. Just make sure you have drainage holes in the bottom. And make sure at least once a week to give them a good saturating watering. Don't just watch for run thru. As soil in a pot dries it will shrink a little and regular watering will often only water around the outside edges. You want to make sure you can get the soil soaked all the way thru. If I have small pots I will actually fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of water and sit my pots in it one at a time for about 20 minutes each to make sure I get them well soaked. For my larger ones, I will water once, wait 20 minutes and water again. I do this until I can fill the container faster than it drains. If you have LARGE containers and want to keep weight and soil volume to a minimum, fill the bottom with styrofoam peanuts (just make sure they are not the biodegradable ones. I learned that one the hard way LOL). Now put in layer of the fiber glass weed barrier fabric and at least 6 inches of soil to grow in. |
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Posted: Jan/07/2008 6:16 PM PST
PS - if Dad's a farmer try to get some good old DRY horse poop to add to your soil. It is a GREAT soil admentment. Especially for potted plants. I go as much as half-n-half soil to horse poop in mine. |
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Posted: Jan/08/2008 11:08 AM PST
MamaBearBSA, Do you poke holes in the bottom for drainage, or on the sides of the container, about one to three inches up? The reason why I'm asking is I have a book that says to do both. It says to lay the drainage material down about one to three inches as well. That this gives good drainage for big pots. This was the first time I've heard of this. Another tip was to take clean crushed soda cans and use them in the bottom of the container to both make it lighter and to help with drainage. I think this one was a reader's tip in a gardening mag. |
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Posted: Jan/08/2008 7:54 PM PST
For my buckets and smaller things, the holes are in the bottom but I keep them raised up off of the ground. I use the front and back safety screens off old box fans to sit them on. (I like to re-use old things whenever possible too.  ) The larger water troughs, I use the drainage hole that is already in them and it is on the side. I think the key is to make sure the drainage holes stay clear and by lifting them off the ground I think you will achieve the same goal.As for the pop cans, we have a refund on them so I go for the money. I have heard about using old plastic bottles with the lids on too but I find that these expand and contract with themperature changes and will disturb the roots of your plants.
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Posted: Jan/13/2008 8:22 PM PST
Thanks, MamaBear. I catch plastic canvas on sell and use it to cover the drainage holes, then put down my layer of gravel and another layer of plastic canvas on top. It makes it easier to keep the drainage material out of the soil when I empty the pots. I think this year I'm going to make sure all my pots are raised up off the ground. |
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Posted: Jan/15/2008 7:44 AM PST
Hi, I also cover the drainage holes with a piece of old nylon stockings to keep any critters from crawling into the hole. ( earwigs,slugs etc.) I've planted tomatoes in containers with a couple different herbs around them. You can use basil, parsley, oregano. Or make an entire herb garden. Add edible flowers with the herbs for color, like violas, calendula. I put organic soil builder&fertilizer,worm castings in the soil mix to get my plants off to a good start and also drink it up later when they need it. Peppers work great in container too. Plant cilantro in with hot peppers. You will have to plant the cilantro in succession planting so you have some that is ready closer to the time the peppers are ready for making fresh salsa. ( cilantro goes to seed or bolts quickly and becomes coriander.)  Containers are a lot of fun. There's so many combinations to try and every year could be a little different. Here's a tropical one That I took at Ball Seed Trials.
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Posted: Jan/15/2008 6:40 PM PST
Hi, Angela! I've been checking out container ideas, too, because our raised-bed garden is only 70 sq. ft. or so and I always want to plant more! I found some great info at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1647.html (Ohio State University site) and http://containerseeds.com (they sell seeds, also post lots of free info). Last year (the first year for our urban garden) I tried some wicker baskets as planters; I also lined milk crates with newspaper and used them as planters. I placed milk crates of cucumbers on top of my garbage-can compost-bins, and let them trail down the side. I found a wicker bassinet at a thrift store, took out the mattress pad, and that made a great planter. I got a good crop of catnip and radishes out of the bassinet, and even from a much shallower container. Tip: when using a very big container, make sure you have it exactly where you want it before you fill it! Or have your own crane. 
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