Container Gardening

[freebird5825]

And....Filet bush beans in 2 successive plantings

I think I'm practicing for growing a balcony garden in my eventual condo.

[simple girl]

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Originally Posted by freebird5825 It is amazing what some sunshine can do for plants. Here is my mini garden 1 month later. Regenerated geranium slips and jalapeno peppers Tomato Alley (2 bush container types + Roma) Cucumbers climbing and just forming teeny tiny cukes Sugar snap peas in a tomato cage, escaping on the right side Garlic and another tomato plant

Looking great! I want to do sugar snap peas next year - love those!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 I think I'm practicing for growing a balcony garden in my eventual condo.

Smart! And as you can see, you can grow quite a bit on a balcony or deck!

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple girl Looking great! I want to do sugar snap peas next year - love those!!! Smart! And as you can see, you can grow quite a bit on a balcony or deck!

Thanks!
Growing the peas in a container is an experiment. The tomato cage is pretty tall, so all they need to do is wrap themselves around the cage tiers and do what they do best. I herded them away from the porch railing and back where they belonged, the little rascals.
Picking them will be interesting - I'll have to feel for them in the dense vines.
I have 1 Earthbox left to fill. I will plant some standard garden peas in that remaining Ebox in about 3 weeks.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 Thanks! Growing the peas in a container is an experiment. The tomato cage is pretty tall, so all they need to do is wrap themselves around the cage tiers and do what they do best. I herded them away from the porch railing and back where they belonged, the little rascals. Picking them will be interesting - I'll have to feel for them in the dense vines. I have 1 Earthbox left to fill. I will plant some standard garden peas in that remaining Ebox in about 3 weeks.

Please keep posting your progress and/or issues with the sugar snaps - it will help me for next year.

BTW, I motivated my next door townhouse neighbors with my "jungle garden". They said they have been admiring it and decided to start two planters of peppers. Oh, and I checked out this book from the library, which so far is pretty good - for anyone who is interested in container gardening:

McGee & Stuckey's the bountiful container : a container garden of vegetables, herbs, fruits and edible flowers [Book]

[freebird5825]

You can read the first 79 pages of McGee & Stuckey's book (TY for the link ) for free here

McGee & Stuckey's the bountiful ... - Google Books

Amazon has a Container Gardening for Dummies for the Kindle for $9.99 here

http://www.amazon.com/Container-Gard...9215456&sr=1-1

I think I will download the Kindle version. I am an experienced gardener, but new to container gardening. This will give me something fun to read until Mr B gets back.

I intend to continue some container gardening indoors when the climate turns to winter here. I will use grow lights indoors, using shop light fixtures I already own. I grow some of my own seedlings indoors, so all I have to do is put together a lightweight frame that will allow for taller plants. I have plenty of left over faux bamboo that will w*rk perfectly.

[veremchuka]

freebird5825,

I don't know if you are aware of these 2 things but in case not I'll pass this along.

Sugar Snap (my favorite pea) is a trellising pea. In case you wanted something that was free standing vs having to provide a structure for them to climb (if that's difficult) there are peas that grow from 18" to 30" that will stand up. I can't recommend any as the 1 I tried I did not care for.

Garlic needs to be planted in the fall then mulched. Now doing this in a container (planting in the fall) may or may not work. I'd suggest planting your cloves in early November and cover them with leaves. I'd use a 5 gallon pail as garlic grows deep roots. By Thanksgiving place the container on the north side of the house so they stay cold and remain frozen all winter ie out of the sun as a container may warm up enough to thaw the soil in winter. Come early March place the container on the south side. You can remove the leaves which normally would stay as mulch to suppress weeds, in a container you can weed them, garlic does not compete well with weeds. I'd be curious to know how those garlic plants do for you, this is the time garlic is forming bulbs at your latitude and those plants are tiny, I suspect they were planted in mid to late spring. I expect to be digging garlic in another 2 weeks + or -.

Best of gardening!

[freebird5825]

Good info, veremchuka

The sugar snap pea (trellising) experiment using a tomato cage and a container will be interesting as far as yields and ease of picking. I intentionally placed this planter on the west side so it doesn't get too many hours of daylight or too much midday heat. There is a roof overhang directly above it.

Yes, I do know about the garlic planting in the fall. I just didn't get to it last fall. However, there are several volunteers (stray cloves leftover from previous years' regular garlic bed harvest) out in the back garden that may be just about ready for plucking in July.
I am using 2 approaches with the cloves I planted in the containers. I have no idea if the single cloves will form full bulbs or not. They certainly have enough root space in the Ebox. The shallower window box garlic will be primarily for clipping tops for flavor.

[veremchuka]

As far as the strays in the bed since you mention them and being ready soon, you should cut the scapes when they have made 1 full curl at their base where they grow out of the plant. Scapes are good to eat especially grilled. Scapes are forming now (started a couple of weeks ago) and I have cut just about all mine. Cutting the scape improves the storage of the bulb and flavor.

If you planted cloves from a bulb ok but if you planted the bubils that form on the end of an uncut scape (they are round about 1/4" in diameter) it takes years for those to develop into bulb tho they may provide snipping greens. Bubils don't even taste good and are not good for planting unless you want greens only.

Pole beans want lots of sun, putting them on the west side reduces the length of sun light, not sure why you want to do that.

[freebird5825]

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Originally Posted by veremchuka Pole beans want lots of sun, putting them on the west side reduces the length of sun light, not sure why you want to do that.

Sugar snap peas are on the west side, not pole beans. I moved the peas there because the direct hot sun was a bit much for them. They get plenty of light, just not direct sun until the middle to end of the afternoon. They are very green and happy.

It seems every day, each plant has grown a bit more. It must be the homemade well-rotted compost I mixed in with the soil-less commercial mix I planted them in. I also scattered Osmocote pelleted fertilizer over the surface of each regular planter. The Eboxes I did according to the directions with the enclosed dolomite and fertilizer packages.

I have never had plants this healthy in the open garden out back. I'm hooked!

Garlic cloves came from supermarket garlic that I kept in a ceramic keeper in a dark cupboard. If it had a sprout, I planted it.

Backyard garden: No scapes yet on the volunteer garlic. I checked today when I was mowing the lawn.
Blackberries are just turning a bit pink and my 3 grapevines (cold hardy table grapes) are going bananas. I will go persuade the errant vines back onto the wood support planks tomorrow. I use soft cloth ripped into strips and/or thick cotton twine to attach them to the planks. I think my back garden is going to become a fruit and pumpkin garden. I have a self-pollinating dwarf Bing cherry tree and a blueberry bush in huge planters, both growing very nicely.

[freebird5825]

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Originally Posted by freebird5825 Amazon has a Container Gardening for Dummies for the Kindle for $9.99 here http://www.amazon.com/Container-Gard...9215456&sr=1-1 I think I will download the Kindle version. I am an experienced gardener, but new to container gardening. This will give me something fun to read until Mr B gets back.

I'm reading this book today. It is excellent! Well worth the $9.99 price.

I have gardened since I was a child, and through my adult years, but a good refresher on climate, soil, watering, and sunlight needs for different plants never hurts.
One of the chapters deals with container gardening for persons with physical limitations of any type, including the ability to stand or bend. If you know someone who could benefit from this information, please pass it on.

[simple girl]

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Originally Posted by freebird5825 I'm reading this book today. It is excellent! Well worth the $9.99 price. I have gardened since I was a child, and through my adult years, but a good refresher on climate, soil, watering, and sunlight needs for different plants never hurts.

I agree! I've been reading a bit each night. The details on the specific needs of different types of plants is really helpful to me. Also, it's giving me new ideas of things to plant. Like yellow beets. Also, I didn't know you could eat beet tops. Or the fact that putting an unlit match (for sulphur) and egg shells in the hole for each pepper is helpful for growth. So cool!

[freebird5825]

Harvest update...we enjoyed 1 fresh cucumber and 2 tiny filet beans.
Next week will be the real deal, with enough beans to serve 2 of us.
The taste of that 1 crisp cucumber, picked fresh off the vine, was enough to convince me to continue gardening this way. No backaches, no weeding, no pests (so far), and complete water, sunlight and fertilizer control.
Every tomato plant is forming green fruit and going bonkers with more blossoms than I have ever seen on 1 plant.
No flowers on the sugar snap peas yet. It may be too hot for them, in spite of their shaded location. I haven't given up hope yet.
The garlic is growing just like it would anywhere else. No scapes yet.
I have 1 more empty Earthbox and enough soil-less mix to fill it. I may grow some lettuce or mesclun mix greens once the temps get a bit cooler.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 The taste of that 1 crisp cucumber, picked fresh off the vine, was enough to convince me to continue gardening this way. No backaches, no weeding, no pests (so far), and complete water, sunlight and fertilizer control.

I agree, it's so rewarding, and much easier than I thought it would be! OK, I can't resist posting some pics of my garden harvest over the past few weeks:

[freebird5825]

Woooooo...nice looking veggies.

I am toying with the idea of cutting off some of those extra tomato and pepper blossoms so more energy can go into fewer fruits on a single plant. OTOH, the tomatoes are super fertilized with my own compost and tomato fertilizer stakes. The peppers and everything else are benefitting from compost and pelletized Osmocote.

Decisions, decisions...

The cucumbers don't need to be de-blossomed. Every single flower is producing a nice little cuke. The vines are now almost 4 feet tall with splendid leaf growth. I am out there every day gently training them to the twine I hung from the faux bamboo poles.

The filet beans are loaded with blossoms. No need to mess with them.

[FIREd]

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Originally Posted by simple girl I agree, it's so rewarding, and much easier than I thought it would be! OK, I can't resist posting some pics of my garden harvest over the past few weeks:

Looks like a great success for your first year!

[veremchuka]

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Originally Posted by freebird5825 No flowers on the sugar snap peas yet. It may be too hot for them, in spite of their shaded location. I haven't given up hope yet. The garlic is growing just like it would anywhere else. No scapes yet.

I don't grow in containers.

I am surprised that you haven't gotten any peas yet. I pulled mine 2 weeks ago after 3 weeks of peas.

No scapes yet? I cut mine 3-4 weeks ago and dug my garlic a week ago.

I am surprised by these 2 things. You are in the same latitude as I am.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by veremchuka I don't grow in containers. I am surprised that you haven't gotten any peas yet. I pulled mine 2 weeks ago after 3 weeks of peas. No scapes yet? I cut mine 3-4 weeks ago and dug my garlic a week ago. I am surprised by these 2 things. You are in the same latitude as I am.

I did not plant anything in my traditional garden. My hands have been bothering me, so I did not want to further strain them. I went thru all the bilateral carpal tunnel and tendinitis thing years ago. I have achieved a steady state on how much I can do manually without reinjuring them. Tilling and raking a huge garden is not on that list of possibilities.

I planted my peas (container) very late. I checked more closely today and sure enough there were 3 flowers. I am not expecting too much yield.
Garlic got planted in early summer, in the Earthbox, just as an experiment. It is acting just like it should. I expect scapes any week now. I will remember your advice to trim them back.

My regular garden will be devoted to large space crops next year. Once the weeds die down, I will get out there and weedwhack them down, followed by black plastic mulch to prevent a spring regrowth.
I plan to do early seedless watermelons, pumpkins, maybe some blueberry bushes, and transplant some of the abudant blackberry runners. The blackberries need more space than they have right now next to my grapevines. I will transplant the new plants and dig out/move the old ones before they get too big.

[freebird5825]

How my garden grows...
A few Before and After shots, and lots of tomatoes forming on a single plant in a standard round container.

[simple girl]

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Originally Posted by freebird5825 How my garden grows... A few Before and After shots, and lots of tomatoes forming on a single plant in a standard round container.

What's the tomato variety you planted? It's pretty robust in it's production!

BTW, my squash plant died:-((( Keeled over and wilted in just a half day. I suspect squash vine borers. A lot of my local friends have lost their squash plants, so it seems to be something regional.

[bruce1]

Got 4 Cherry tomatoes off the container plant. YUM Have had 4 Zucchini. Squash and other tomatoes in ground are doing well I am having to water every two days as we have had little to no rain.