Container Gardening

[slingshot]

Ooookkkkaaayyyy.
What do I do if I ALREADY used potting soil and not potting Mix? Can I save it from be coming brick like?

 

[FIREd]

Is that a cucumber plant I see climbing the back wall? I was thinking of setting up something for my cucumber and squash plants to climb...

That plant in the upper left with the large leaves is indeed a cucumber plant. It's actually not climbing directly on the wall. Under all the leaves, there is a staking system the plant can grab on.

 

[simple girl]

That plant in the upper left with the large leaves is indeed a cucumber plant. It's actually not climbing directly on the wall. Under all the leaves, there is a staking system the plant can grab on.

That is quite nifty! I want to do the same with my cucumbers and squash. Since I only want 2 of each, do you think I can put all 4 in the same row (one one side of an 18 gal tub) so that I can have them climb up a similar staking system? My concerns are (1) will it be too crowded and (2) will the squash grow in a somewhat shaded area (since this is what you recommended for the cucumbers)

 

[FIREd]

That is quite nifty! I want to do the same with my cucumbers and squash. Since I only want 2 of each, do you think I can put all 4 in the same row (one one side of an 18 gal tub) so that I can have them climb up a similar staking system? My concerns are (1) will it be too crowded and (2) will the squash grow in a somewhat shaded area (since this is what you recommended for the cucumbers)

Cucumbers and squash are big plants. You have to give them some room.

You can definitely put the 2 cucumbers in the same pot. But I would leave some separation between the cucumbers and everything else. Cucumbers will grab onto anything, including nearby plants, and you end up with a giant mess. In the picture above, the cucumbers ended up crowding the tomatoes on the left.

I don't know what kind of squash you want to plant. I tried zucchinis. They did best in the sunnier area of my garden. The plants were 3-4 feet in diameter, and maybe 2 feet in height at maturity. So, depending on the pot size, I would only plant 1 or 2 squash plants per pot.

 

[simple girl]

Cucumbers and squash are big plants. You have to give them some room.

You can definitely put the 2 cucumbers in the same pot. But I would leave some separation between the cucumbers and everything else. Cucumbers will grab onto anything, including nearby plants, and you end up with a giant mess. In the picture above, the cucumbers ended up crowding the tomatoes on the left.

I don't know what kind of squash you want to plant. I tried zucchinis. They did best in the sunnier area of my garden. The plants were 3-4 feet in diameter, and maybe 2 feet in height at maturity. So, depending on the pot size, I would only plant 1 or 2 squash plants per pot.

Thanks! Sounds like no more than 2 plants per tub for these babies, then. I want to do the yellow crooked neck squash, and from what I have read, they spread out all over, too.

I was just hoping to save some $ on the tubs/dirt. Hopefully I will reap my garden "dividends" over the years and this doesn't turn out to be a passing hobby for me that wastes a bunch of money!

So I guess this is what happens when you semi-FIRE and get too much time on your hands...

 

[FIREd]

Ooookkkkaaayyyy.
What do I do if I ALREADY used potting soil and not potting Mix? Can I save it from be coming brick like?

Hopefully someone has a solution. Unfortunately I don't...

 

[samclem]

Hopefully someone has a solution. Unfortunately I don't...

I don't think it can be saved. I'd dump it out and start over. If you want to try, maybe take about 50% out and add a 50/50 mix of vermiculite and peat moss. You'll probably spend more doing it this way and likelihood of success is low. Tge potting mix allows the water to wick up to the plants and also gets the fertilizer wet enough so that it provides nutrients to the plants. That won't happen with potting soil.

Cukes: I had some great looking vines last year, I got about 8-10 nice cucumbers and then the plants were overtaken by some kind of black plague--a creeping black crispiness that killed off both plants within a week. I'm going to try again, but do some searching to see what this might have been.

 

[Goonie]

Taking notes here! A few questions...I have been doing a bit more reading, and one site states you need to have an aeration screen or tube to allow the roots to get some air. In the design I linked to above, I didn't see anything that allowed for this. How important is aeration?

Also, regarding fertilizer, how do you add it? Do you mix it in with all of the soil, all the way through, or just in the top part of the soil? Or do you do a strip of fertilizer in away from the plants? How do you know how much to put in?

In was wondering this also. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems these things have a pool of water in the bottom. I always thought that was bad? I guess the spacers and limited channels of soil are what provide the wicking and keep the roots from drowning? Seems to really cut down on the soil volume available for roots.

Seems like punching a few holes in the plant containers and setting them in a pool of water (or a larger, shallow container full of water) would do the same thing?

-ERD50

Actually, there is an aeration tube in the design above: the water bottles you use to fill up the water tanks. In commercial self-watering containers, air is similarly introduced to the roots via the watering hole.

I add fertilizer as a strip, on top of the soil, and away from the plants (the strip is placed lengthwise, in the center of the pot). If you do that, it's very important to use a cover, otherwise the fertilizer will be released too quickly when it rain.

In the video she drilled a hole in the side of the big container as a water level control. I'd put at least a few 1/2" to 1" holes in the sides to not only control the water level, but to also allow air to get to the roots. And those holes should be a couple inches or so lower than the tops of the cut-off water jugs that make up the reservoir, thus allowing for a bit of air room. The small amount of potting mix that is squeezed into the little nooks and crannies will do a fine job of wicking the water upward into the rest of the container. Since the plants aren't actually sitting in the water itself, there should be no problems with root rot or things like that.

I have been container gardening for the last few years. I keep getting more and more containers. (I want to try more and more dif veggies... ) My issue are squirrels digging in them. I planted some seeds a few weeks ago and the plants have started coming up but the squirrels are wrecking it. Anyone have any ideas on what to do to keep them out? We have used mouse traps in the past when we have tomatoes.

ALso, my neighbor has been feeding the rabbits that are now living under her deck. THey ate all my crocuses this year! I told DH we need to get some chicken wire before we plant anything else at ground level. He thinks it looks ugly.

We used to have several cats in the area and that helped but they have moved on or were hit by cars.

For squirrels, I sprinkle ground cayenne pepper around the plants in the containers (and in the ground if they start digging there). They HATE the hot pepper, and usually learn to avoid that area. If they forget, I simply remind them with a bit more! If they are way to adamant about digging and destroying my plants, I cut chicken wire and put it in the pots. And I cut a couple of the wires and point them upward so the little bushy-tailed tree rats get poked in the nose when they decide to check it out!

As for rabbits, usually the stray cats and the redtail hawks have handled the situation for me. The few times they failed their duties, I sprayed some nasty, smelly, animal repellent around. I use Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent...smells like disgustingly very rotten eggs! It works though!

And for stray cats that come around to try to prey on birds, or to use parts of my garden as a litterbox, I spray a little cider vinegar around those areas, and the cats stay away!

 

[Goonie]

Oh, and fertilizer? I mix it into the whole batch of potting mix, since the plants roots will eventually grow all the way down through it.

And how much potting mix is needed? 1 cubic foot of mix will fill up about 7 1/2 gallons. So an 18 gallon container will hold about 2.4 cubic feet of mix. Ah, and then I see your talking in quarts of mix....umm, 4 quarts to gallon! Ha!

Ooookkkkaaayyyy.
What do I do if I ALREADY used potting soil and not potting Mix? Can I save it from be coming brick like?

It can possibly be saved, though no guarantees. If you already have plants in it, and they can be safely and easily removed temporarily, you could lift them out and mix in some compost and/or peat moss (moisten it thoroughly before you mix it in), and some perlite and/or vermiculite. Add in some slow release fertilizer at the same time. Then put your plants back in. It should be OK...but again, no guarantees.

If you planted seeds....I'm not sure what you'd want to do.

 

[freebird5825]

...Also, regarding fertilizer, how do you add it? Do you mix it in with all of the soil, all the way through, or just in the top part of the soil? Or do you do a strip of fertilizer in away from the plants? How do you know how much to put in?

I use pelleted fertilizer, the kind you mix into the soil per package directions before planting and it dissolves as the season progresses. Osmocote is a favorite of mine.
http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod70362&itemId=cat50116
I use it in my containers and in the open garden. I walk along a row in the open garden and shake it in a line a few inches away from the plant. I gently shake it off the leaves if any sticks. For my containers, I use a small coffee scoop to get it evenly spread on the dirt top surface. I don't dig it in to avoid disturbing the roots on mature plants.
I also use Osmocote on my houseplants. Same top surface aplication with the little coffee scoop.

 

[freebird5825]

I will never grow peppers in the open garden again. Between the cutworms and chilly East Nowhere NY nights up until first week of June, peppers never grew well for me.
The 1st pic is a 20" diameter plastic pot (on the left) from last year, housing 6 Portugal pepper nursery plants, in my screened in porch. The 2nd pic is the last picking of the year.
I will be growing mild cherry peppers and Anaheim peppers in the same way this year. I have pepper seedlings up already in my indoor growing flats and 10 gallon aquarium (on right of 1st pic) . I use standard plastic rectangular "window boxes" and the aquarium for seedling propogation. There is much more root space and no need to transplant twice. I pinch the top leaves several times so they will not get too leggy.

 

[veremchuka]

Are those cayenne peppers? They look like my cayenne peppers, I love the looks of twisted crinkled red peppers and imagine how hot they are. This year I'm toying with growing habaneros but that may be totally crazy! My cayenne plant produces a lot of fruits, dozens, I still have a lot in the freezer. They are pretty hot but I'm used to them and they are not that bad, that's why I am stupidly thinking about habs.

 

[freebird5825]

My little green friends....Roma and cherry tomatoes and cucumbers in the window boxes and peppers ( 2 successive plantings) in the aquarium. The labels are tiny yellow PostIts and wooden toothpicks.
The aluminum foil reflects the light inward toward the seedlings, i.e. intensifies the light inside the aquarium.
Once an Engineer...

 

[freebird5825]

Are those cayenne peppers? They look like my cayenne peppers, I love the looks of twisted crinkled red peppers and imagine how hot they are. This year I'm toying with growing habaneros but that may be totally crazy! My cayenne plant produces a lot of fruits, dozens, I still have a lot in the freezer. They are pretty hot but I'm used to them and they are not that bad, that's why I am stupidly thinking about habs.

Nope, they are Portugal peppers. Too hot for me but Mr B loves 'em.

Pepper Seed - Hot Portugal

Early and very productive in a small space. I have a short growing season.

 

[veremchuka]

Too bad they don't indicate the Scoville units as that'd tell me how hot they are. They look like they'd be hot but sometimes a pepper that looks like it'll burn a hole in you is not hot.

I like hot peppers tho just a few years ago I couldn't even put 1 drop of Tabasco sauce on anything. Now I can eat Tabasco like it's ketchup. But like I said habanero peppers are a whole different critter!

When I pick my cayenne peppers and they are fresh I often have wet hair from sweating after adding 1 to a dish! But while cayenne peppers are hot they are not all that hot relative to some peppers. I think the average person that does not eat a lot of hot peppers would think a cayenne pepper is brutally hot. I eat the seeds and pith cuz that's where the real heat is. I've told the folks at the Chinese restaurant to "make it so hot you'd find it too hot" when I order take out and it's barely hot. I guess they don't have really hot peppers as most people would not like them so I chop up one of mine and dig in!

 

[samclem]

My little green friends....Roma and cherry tomatoes and cucumbers in the window boxes and peppers ( 2 successive plantings) in the aquarium. The labels are tiny yellow PostIts and wooden toothpicks.
The aluminum foil reflects the light inward toward the seedlings, i.e. intensifies the light inside the aquarium.
Once an Engineer...

Wow, that's the first time I've seen Gro-Lights used to grow food. Who'd a thunk it.

 

[simple girl]

Thanks everyone for all the tips and the fun pics! I've decided that I'm not going to use the technique I posted in the first video, b/c I'd have to buy a ton of water jugs (15!) to fill the 5 totes I am going to make up...and there's no way we can drink that much water by the weekend (when I want to put them together). I asked for friends to donate any unused jugs, but haven't had a response.

So I am going to go the more difficult route and make the totes up using the plans in this link: http://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf

DH is going to help me with using a jigsaw and drill...kinda looking forward to expanding my skillz using power tools...watch out!

 

[devans0]

I quit container gardening. My plants thrive better in the ground.

 

[freebird5825]

Wow, that's the first time I've seen Gro-Lights used to grow food. Who'd a thunk it.

The light fixtures are inexpensive standard shop lights, 4' length. I replaced the standard white fluorescent bulbs with full spectrum grow lights when I caught them on sale at the end of the growing season. Big difference in price!

I forgot to mention that I put about 2 inches of small rocks or coarse gravel in the bottom of all of the plastic containers that do not have drainage holes in the bottom. I use smooth glass "stones" and marbles (on sale at the dollar store and craft store) in the aquarium bottom. It keeps the bottom dirt from compacting, for better drainage and avoiding root rot.

 

[freebird5825]

Too bad they don't indicate the Scoville units as that'd tell me how hot they are. They look like they'd be hot but sometimes a pepper that looks like it'll burn a hole in you is not hot.

Heat (Pungency):
Hot (5,000 to 30,000 Scoville Units)

according to this site
PlantFiles: Detailed information on Chile Pepper Capsicum frutescens 'Hot Portugal'

You can have my share of hot peppers. I can handle jalapenos only if I have cheese to soothe the burn on my tongue. Ouch!

 

[Corporate ORphan]

For squirrels, I sprinkle ground cayenne pepper around the plants in the containers (and in the ground if they start digging there). They HATE the hot pepper, and usually learn to avoid that area. If they forget, I simply remind them with a bit more! If they are way to adamant about digging and destroying my plants, I cut chicken wire and put it in the pots. And I cut a couple of the wires and point them upward so the little bushy-tailed tree rats get poked in the nose when they decide to check it out!

As for rabbits, usually the stray cats and the redtail hawks have handled the situation for me. The few times they failed their duties, I sprayed some nasty, smelly, animal repellent around. I use Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent...smells like disgustingly very rotten eggs! It works though!

And for stray cats that come around to try to prey on birds, or to use parts of my garden as a litterbox, I spray a little cider vinegar around those areas, and the cats stay away!

Great suggestions and great thread! I like the idea of pointing a couple of the wires upward. I think my husband would love that part. How much cayenne pepper do you use? Last year I made a spray and put it on the leaves of my zinnas. I put too much in and it burned the leaves!

Have you ever tried to make your own spray with the eggs? I have a bunch of egg yolks that I could use (won't let my DH eat them because of cholesterol.)

 

[Orchidflower]

Honestly didn't know Goonie was a champ container gardener, and I apologize for that oversight. I'll have to go back and search his threads now.

Last year in Illinois I had a tiny garden that produced everything from beets to sugar snap peas to different types of tomatoes, etc.
This year in Phoenix I just planted 6 basil plants and one rosemary in containers until I get into the swing of this heat and learn how to do it out here. So far, tho, eating lots of pesto cause damn! the plants out here grow sooooo much faster than in Illinois...wow! It's unbelievable! Course, in the dead of summer I will have to move all to the shaded area of the patio or the basil will dry up.

 

[simple girl]

H This year in Phoenix I just planted 6 basil plants and one rosemary in containers until I get into the swing of this heat and learn how to do it out here. So far, tho, eating lots of pesto cause damn! the plants out here grow sooooo much faster than in Illinois...wow! It's unbelievable! Course, in the dead of summer I will have to move all to the shaded area of the patio or the basil will dry up.

YUM - pesto! Man, there are so many things I want to plant. Trying to "contain" myself (yes, bad pun) this first year, though, since I"m a newbie.

Do you use self-watering containers? I think they would be critical to have in the kind of heat you have there (and here in AL, too).

 

[simple girl]

Instead, I just put about a 1" layer of cypress mulch on top each container to hold in the moisture....as I've done with all of containers and planting beds for years.

I went to Home Depot today - they were out of cypress mulch, so I bought pine mulch. Will the pine type be ok? Wasn't sure if maybe it could change the pH or hurt the plants in some way. If so, I'll return it and seek out cypress mulch.

 

[simple girl]

So I purchased all of the supplies I need for my container garden today (except the plants). Since this is an ER board, and we love to talk money, I'm going to share what this little project/hobby is costing us so far for 5 self-watering containers:

The containers:
2 - 18 gallon tubs (have 3, so only bought 2)
1 - 10' X 4" long piece of PVC pipe (will be cut into supports and wicks)
1 - 10' X 1" long piece of PVC pipe (for water entry)

The growing medium:
4 - 2.5 cu ft bags of Miracle Grow potting MIX (may end up needing 1 more)
1 - bag of polymer moister crystals
1 - container of Osmocote fertilizer
1 - 2 cu ft bag of pine mulch

Total cost for the above, with tax: $109.58

So, about $22 for each container with medium. I will buy plants soon and add that cost.

Not bad, especially if this turns out to be a long-term hobby, b/c I won't have the "start up" costs for the containers every year.