container gardens

so you got a container garden? let's here what you got!

in my container garden i have

1bell pepper plant
1string bean
3 lettuce sprots
some alphalpha
1 datura plant
violets
1 oragano and basil and rosemary in the same pot

 

I have way too many things to list, even if I knew what all of them are. Mostly a lot of varieties of cacti and hot peppers.

 

kool, you live in a warm climate, or just a preferance?

 

Fairly warm climate, but really just my preference. I also have several small trees that I might make into bonsai's.

 

I built one of those Square Foot gardens last summer (2009) It has 16 squares in it 4ft by 4ft. Planted only half to see how it would work. Had one square for radishes one for string beans one carrots one lettuce and two for tomatoe plants and one for onion. I did two plantings on the radishes but both crops were pretty crappy netting only a couple edible radish each. tomatoes were tiney but I think that had more to do with the variety.I used miracal grow instead of compost. This coming summer im gonna use a compost mix and select the varietys better plus Id like to raise the height of some of the compartments as some of the carrots grew L shaped. Like to try some other veggies as well as some herbs perhaps.

I like gardening in the box as its low maintanenece, has no weeds, takes up little space plus its movable. I have it on an old pallet so I can slide it around. I could easily slide it in the box of my pickup, hook on to my hut and bug out...anytime.

I have a book called All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew which has a lot of useful information in it. Shows how many plants per square foot you can grow plus how to make a compost mix lot of other stuff as well.

 

I have a small yard so I want to try my hand a container gardening this year. I'm thinking of starting with; tomatoes (of course); lettuce; bush beans (green beans); cucumbers; cabbage and maybe one container with some herbs in it like basil; thyme etc.

I found this video on youtube that shows you how to make the self-watering containers if anyone is interested. In her instructions, she uses 3 bottled water containers. I will use another container (the same size). Cut out the bottom at about 6 to 8 inches above the bottom. Cut a hole for a pond or watergarden planter to fit in the center. Invert the cut out bottom and place it in the first container. Then, when you fill the rest with potting soil, the watergarden planter will act as a wick:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21381/21381-h/images/141.jpg

There are lots of other container garden videos on youtube. I'm looking forward to see what happens. If this works, I might have to try doing it in the winter with a grow light.

EDIT: After I posted this, I found another YouTube video that tells you how to make a self-watering container from a 5 gallon bucket. Perfect size for a tomato plant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7WANal8Jp0&NR=1&feature=fvwp"]YouTube- Self Watering Pots

 

Now that I'm settled in our new place I really want to try this. Last year we couldn't.

 

its pretty easy ... im sure you'll do well

 

I'm planting my first Square Foot Garden this year, and I'm stoked! It'll be my first gardening experiment, wish me luck

 

Good luck :d

 

When thinking about container gardening consider hanging baskets. Cherry tomatoes do very well in them and look good too.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

^ good advice, unfortunatly theres no where to hang them here we rent so we cant be drilling holes to hang things either.. good advice nontheless

 

Ive just begun container growing,I so far have all my herbs planted indoors along with some tomatoes and peppers and cayenne peppers and pach choi/mustard greens and spring onions.
Outside Ive just got giant bags of compost (70l) that I split in the centre and faced the hole up to make 2 containers and have sowed in some leeks and carrots.
I have another 70l bag layed flat on its side with the top taken out that I have sowed some broad beans in.
Ive got a large plastic pot for radishes too.
I have 3 bags left and Im going to use 1 for potatoes 1 for onions(flat on its side) and 1 for cauliflowers(flat on it side).On top of that Ive ordered a pvc greenhouse so I can grow my tomatoes and peppers outside soon.
Im going to grow some strawberries eventually but I also have lots of seeds left over that I would need to buy more compost for which means more £££

So anyway my estimation of what Ive ended up spending came to around £60 and everything was cheap,the green house was £20 and the compost was £20 for 350l (had to buy compost as the garden is grass gravel and patio) also Im renting so cant really go digging stuff up.
Ive done all the reading online and bought some 'readers digest book' on gardening from the charity shop so Ive clued myself up.
So now I just have to sit back and see whether it will pay for itself?

BTW my house is tiny! Ive pots everywhere even in my daughters room lol!

 

I moved so know I have to container garden. I have fairy tale eggplant, grape and black krim tomatoes,bell peppers,crawford reseeding lettuce,rainbow chard,lemon cucumbers, in my veg container. basil,cilantro,parsley,lemon thyme,tarragon,lavender,rosemary,pistou basil,marjoram,thai spicy oregano,thats in my herb container. My mint one has spearmint,applemint,chocolate mint,lime mint orange mint and mojito mint.

 

Mee too, my window sill is full of seedlings, I've got more germinating in my airing cupboard, got a mini greenhouse I bouht for £10 loads of 5 litre pots from £ land got a few ornimentals so some of them are gonna stay inside the rest can go out side to harden off in the greenhouse as well as the tomatoes even got some pointed peppers. Got a small yard so realy limited

Got some wildflowers, nesturnums, pansies etc to attract ladybirds to eat the aphids (if I get any)

 

I just dug out all the mirical grow out of my square foot garden today. Gonna mix up Peat Moss, Compost and am use Percilite instead of Vermiculite. I stiopped at a local nursery yesterday and talked to them about that. They use the perculite, its a lot cheaper and they will sell it $16 and some change for a 4 square foot bag. Home improvement centers sell it for $3.99 for a little 8 quart bag. That amounts to a lot of savings plus if you buy from your local nursery they get the money instead of some big box store.

So..I saved the old mirical grow, id used two big bags so probobly 4 square feet worth. Does anybody know if I can use this and start my own compost and mix it in? Good idea or not?...or would it be better just to dump it out like on a garden or out on the field?

 

I'd just put it on the compost and use it for the garden stuff lke flowers etc, start from fresh is what I would suggest.

 

I bought most of my stuff from poundland,I thought maybe as its my 1st year of growing with zero experience and knowledge Id start cheap so if things went wrong I had'nt wasted lots of money!

I planted some carrots outside 2 weeks ago but no show yet, but 2 leeks have sprouted YAY!
My green beans have gone beserk but they are inside in compost bags in the kitchen,I need a conservatory to put everything in!

Nom nom for pointed peppers!

 

I would suggest to start all of your plants inside untill we get the warmer weather, frost would impeed the germination process

 

Yeah I was going to put my carrots and leeks inside but I decided I would risk it as my space was so low so have covered them up with a fleece(poundland)at night, so far so good but I panicked a bit this week with some places getting snow.
Ive saved lots of seeds so if they dont germinate I can try again,although reading on some other forums some carrots are taking 3/4 weeks to sprout so I'll just sit tight and watch them