Container gardening advice needed!?

musicimprovedme asks: Container gardening advice needed!?
I am really interested in starting an herb garden in containers that sit either in the windowsill of the kitchen, by the patio door, or otherwise inside, but I live in east Texas so I can probably take them outside every now and then, some days all year long, or if it got out of control.

I would also like to experiment with some breed of tomatoes that can grow relatively upright and stay confined to it’s container indoors so they don’t sprawl all over the house, drop and stain the carpet, etc.

Is garlic appropriate to grow indoors?

Any pointers for me? My fav herbs are dill, basil, rosemary, and I would love to grow some lavender for homemade bath treats, etc. When I look at the prefab kits, I don’t want them all. If I grew all these things together, would the flavors blend somehow, either from being in close proximity to each other, or from sharing the same soil?

I need allll the advice, details details, no experience. Plants, planting, fert, containers, sun, everything!

The answer voted best is:

Answer by jerseygirl421
ask “ilikethickchix”

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Ideas For Container Gardening

Ideas For Container Gardening

Container Gardening Ideas

So for my first official article, I would like to talk about the many reasons and ideas behind using container gardens. Some of these reasons are extremely straight forward, especially for those that rent their home and are not allowed to dig up a place in the yard. Or people living in big cities, dorms or other places where space is limited.

However the not quite so straight forward reasons are the ease in which a person can grow with containers. I use containers for my Peppers, my herbs and the more sensitive plants I grow. Herbs with many watering needs can be planted along side each other using container gardens. Not to mention you can bring anything you plant inside for the winter, extending your season year round if you desire.Now the key is you must use the correct containers with the correct soil.

I use container gardens to make an area more decorative, and to add scents to other spots. I keep one container garden on a counter in my kitchen so when I need fresh herbs I just have to turn around and pluck them, not to mention it looks and smells wonderful. Some containers are made with considerations for water foremost, while others are made to be decorative, and will stand on that merit alone.Most containers are made for practical reasons, such as strawberry towers.

I use container gardens because I love to touch the soil, and feel the leaves. I use container gardens to enjoy the sights and the smells, and even to take delight in the mud under my fingernails. And the rewards are many. Both in tangible harvests, and a difficultto define sense of well being.

Now for some container gardening ideas and tips.

Container Gardening Tips (from Container Gardening Zone) :
Want to keep the bugs off of your container gardens but don’t want to use harsh chemicals. Take a small containerin it, combine 1tsp. Combine thoroughly. Take a squirt bottle, mix 2tsp of the above mixture and 1C water. spray the above mix on any plants you may be seeing aphids or flies on.

Another wonderful thing to use as a Container Garden is an wooden barrel, cut the top off and put the soil in, the barrels give your yard an antique look and work great.

Container Gardening Ideas (from Container Gardening Zone):
Another fun thing to do is grow a “Tickle Me” plant also called a Sensitive Mimosa. If your not familiar with the Sensitive Mimosa , it is a plant that, well moves when you tickle it, I’m being serious it does. Best of all it is perfect for Container Gardens.

For more Container Gardening Ideas go to http://www.containergardeningzone.com

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How to Plant Gardening Containers Or Gardening Pots In Your Container Garden

How to Plant Gardening Containers Or Gardening Pots In Your Container Garden

When you are ready to mix ingredients for your container garden, be sure the soil is damp and workable. To determine this, take a handful, squeeze it and allow it to drop. If water comes out, it is too wet; if it breaks apart, it is too dry. But if the lump of soil retains its shape or cracks just a little when it is dropped, it is in good condition to work into your gardening pots.

Be certain your garden containers are clean when you start. Soak used or new clay gardening pots overnight so they will not draw moisture from the soil after planting. This is a very important step when you are beginning your plants life. If the pot draws off the moisture the new plant will be deprived. Clean dirty clay pots with a stiff brush and hot, soapy water. Clean gardening pots will be much more attractive in your container garden.

Though redwood, cedar, and cypress gardening pots may be left natural, they may also be stained or painted. First clean the surfaces then apply one or two coats of stain or paint. Let dry completely before planting. Concrete, metal, plastic, fiberglass, and similar materials all need cleaning before planting your container garden.

Suiting plants to garden pots is very important in container garden design. Consider the shape of each container, its color, and texture in relation to the color of flowers and foliage, as well as the ultimate size of each plant in your container garden. Don’t choose material that is too small, and if you want a group of plants for a large container, select one tall specimen for the center to give height and scale. Don’t forget that you can plant vegetables in container gardens; try to incorporate them into your container garden design. And, for a tasty addition to your container garden plant herbs in garden containers or even hanging baskets, your recipes will become marvelous.

In low pots or bulb pans and in tubs, use low-growing plants like fancy-leaved caladiums, petunias, verbenas, Iantanas, ageratum and wax begonias. Hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils are also appropriate. In tall containers, plant specimens of geraniums, heliotropes, coleus, balsam, dwarf dahlias, fuchsias, and marguerites. Reserve the larger container pots and boxes for trees and shrubs or roses.

As a gardener, keep in mind the form of plants, particularly the evergreens which stand out boldly in winter. Rounded types, as clipped yews or globe arborvitae, look well in angular containers. Hollies or yews, sheared into squares or pyramids, look better in circular tubs. This contrast of the curving with the straight always gives interest to the garden and those guests that visit your container garden.

The first step in potting for a gardener is to place sufficient drainage material in the bottom of each garden container, allowing the water to pass through freely, but not so much as to interfere with the roots. An inch or two of flower pot pieces (rounded sides up), or chips of brick or flagstone, pebbles, gravel, small stones, or cinders can be used. The larger the container, the larger the pieces should be. Some gardeners spread a piece of coarse burlap and a layer of sand over large drainage pieces. A layer of Vermiculite or sphagnum moss over the drainage material is also fine to keep soil from clogging holes. If the holes clog the roots will drown in their gardening pot.

Above the drainage, spread a layer of soil, the amount depending on the size of the container and the root ball of the plant. Place the plant in position so that the surface of the soil will be an inch (more for big plants) below the rim of the container. This space is needed to hold water.

Fill soil in around the roots, firming gently with your fingers or a piece of wood so as to eliminate air pockets. Add more soil and firm, but do not make the soil too tight for fine feeding roots must be able to penetrate it with ease.

Finally, water your garden container plants well, let them drain. If water passes through the gardening pot very rapidly, press soil again to firm it; that means there are air pockets. If the soil holds water too long, loosen it a little.

Place the container garden in a sheltered spot out of sun and wind for the first week while they make new root growth and adjust to new conditions. This also helps to avoid shock. Once your plants have settled in, you ready to arrange your container garden according to your original container gardening design.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com or contact her at mary@webmarketingreviews

Plant Flower Bulbs For Beautiful Container Gardening

Plant Flower Bulbs For Beautiful Container Gardening

As a group,flower bulbs are outstanding plants—colorful, showy, and generally easy to grow for container gardening. Many have evergreen foliage; with others, the leaves ripen after flowering and the bulbs are stored and started again, year after year. Some flower bulbs are hardy, others, tender, though what is, and is not hardy, in a particular area is a matter of winter temperature averages. In cold regions, tender types—tuberous begonias, gloxinias, and calla lilies—can be treated like summer in container gardens. This gives the gardener a wide variety to grow from earliest spring to late fall.

Dutch flower bulbs include crocus, snowdrops, eranthis or winter aconites, chionodoxas, scillas, grape hyacinths, leucojums or snowflakes, Dutch hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, the pride of northern spring gardens. Though hardy, they are not adapted to garden containers outdoors where temperatures drop much below freezing. They require the protection of a shed, unheated cellar or cold frame. Gardening Pots can also be dug into a trench in the ground for the winter and covered with a thick blanket of marsh hay or straw. Where temperatures do not go below freezing, Dutch flower bulbs can be left outdoors in gardening pots over the winter.

For best results in a container garden, start with fresh, firm, large-sized flower bulbs each fall. Insure good drainage in the bottom of each garden pot and use a light soil with bone meal added. If in clay pots, plunge during the rooting period in damp peat moss to prevent rapid drying out. If this occurs too often, roots will be injured and flowers will be poor. When weather permits, after the danger of freezing passes, put your container garden outside where they are to flower or in a nursery row until they reach the bud stage. After blooming, move your container garden where foliage can ripen unseen.

For fragrance, concentrate on Dutch hyacinths, excellent for bedding large planter boxes or raised beds. Daffodils look well grouped around trees or large shrubs, as birches and forsythias. Tulips, formal in character, combine delightfully with pansies, violas, wall flowers, forget-me-nots, marguerites, English daisies, and annual candytuft in container gardens.

As already indicated, in cold areas, Dutch flower bulbs cannot be potted or planted in small window boxes and left outdoors unprotected for the winter. They can, however, be set out in large planters and boxes, deep and wide enough to contain plenty of soil. The garden pots should be one and a half to two feet deep and about two feet wide. Set flower bulbs, with at least six inches of soil above them, planting them early enough in the fall so that they can make root growth before soil freezes hard. In penthouse gardens in New York City, Dutch bulbs have been grown successfully in this way, but it is always a risk. It makes no difference whether garden pots are made of wood, concrete, or other material; it is the amount of soil they hold that counts.

Actually, it is not the freezing of the soil that injures flower bulbs (this occurs in open ground), but it is the pressure and counter pressure exerted by frost on the sides of containers, which are firm and do not give. As a result, flower bulbs are bruised and thrust out of the soil, their roots torn. Where there is no hard freeze, but sufficient cold weather, hardy flower bulbs can be grown successfully in garden containers of small size.

Here is a partial list of flower bulbs that thrive in container gardens. They will help you with your container garden design

Achimenes are warmth-loving trailing plants with neat leaves and tubular flowers in blue, lavender, red and white. Related to gloxinias and African violets, they are nice in hanging baskets and window boxes or in garden pots on tables, shelves, or wall brackets. Start the small tubers indoors and give plants a sheltered spot with protection from strong sun and wind. Achimenes, an old standby in the South, is worthy of more frequent planting.

Agapanthus or Blue Lily of the Nile is a fleshy-rooted evergreen plant, with strap leaves, often grown in tubs and urns on terraces and steps during the summer, when the tall blue spikes unfold. Culture is easy, but plants require a well-lighted, frost proof room or greenhouse in winter. This is an old-time favorite, often seen in the gardens of Europe. It is a perfect flower bulb for container gardening.

The Calla Lily is Showy, and outdoors in warmer regions, but a tender pot plant in the North. Most familiar is the white one with large, shiny, heart-shaped leaves. Start bulbs indoors in February or March in rich soil and, when weather settles, transfer to large gardening pots and take outdoors. Calla lilies do well in full sun or part shade, are heavy feeders and need much water. There is also a dainty yellow one with white-spotted leaves. Rest your flower bulbs after foliage ripens and grow again.

Colorful and free-flowering Dahlias provide bounteous cut blooms. Tall, large-flowering kinds can be grown only in large planters and boxes, but the dwarfs, even freer flowering, are excellent in small garden containers. Attaining one to two feet tall, they grow easily from tubers in average soil in sun or part shade. They may also be raised from seed sown indoors in February. If tubers are stored in peat or sand in a cool, frost proof place, they can be grown for years. Check bulbs during winter, and if shriveling, sprinkle lightly.

Gladiolus, the summer-flowering plant has spear like leaves and many hued spikes. Corms can be planted in garden containers outdoors after danger of frost is passed. Set them six inches apart and four to six inches deep. The best way to use these in container gardening is to planting a few every two to three weeks, giving you a succession of bloom in your container garden. Stake stems before flowers open. After the leaves turn brown, or there is a frost, lift corms, cut off foliage and dust with DDT to control the tiny sucking thrips. After dusting, store corms in a dry place at 45 to 55 degrees F for future planting.

Gloxinias, another Summer-flowering plant and tender with large, tubular blooms of red, pink, lavender, purple, or white, and broad velvety rosettes of leaves. Start tubers indoors and don’t take outside until weather is warm. Since the leaves are easily broken or injured by wind or rain, put plants in a sheltered spot. The low broad eaves of contemporary houses, with restricted sun, offer an appropriate setting for rows of pots or window boxes filled with gay gloxinias.

Now you have some great ideas for your container garden design. It’s time now to start planting your flower bulbs.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Can anyone advise on container gardening for tomato plants?

redneckwoman822 asks: Can anyone give me advice on container gardening for tomato plants?
I live in Illinois and I love home grown tomatoes. I don’t have the yard for a garden and would like to try growing them in a container. I’ve tried it in the past without good results and I’m hoping somone will have some good advice to get me started this year.

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Aj~
i know what u mean… i did alright but had major problems w/ tom. worms. This year i found at Home Depot & Walmart.. patio tomatoes.. We have 3 & they r doing really well & so far ( knock on wood) no worms. ( i keep a close eye) we even have a tom. starting so we r excited. I hate store bought tom. They jst don’t taste the same.

I have them in 12″ pots & they bush tom.. Golliath… in partical sun. I live in heat.. 115o & i keep them watered every day & sometimes twice. If they look wilted i’ll move more in the shade more for the day. But so far so good. I’ve had them 30day & less. ( my pup ate the other one so we had to move them UP on a table) I planted them in Miracle Grow Gardening Soil that has feeding in them plus i jst bought some continuous feeding food as well.

I hope u can get some now b/c the season is almost gone for garden plants. They need to b in the ground or pots rt during after Memorial day.. ( i had a hard time finding to replace after the pup ate them but finally did ) So run & ck u’r garden spots.

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Any advice on container gardening?

snowy_gush_gush asks: Any advice on container gardening?
I’m new at gardening and since I have a small garden I’ve decided that I should do container gardening. It will be organic container gardening. I was wondering what size of pots I needed for the plants I wanted to grow. So far I have 2 strawberry plants and Iceberg lettuce, broccoli, and 2 different types of tomato seedlings growing.
Here is the list of plants I wanted to grow:
blueberries, carrots, cucumbers,(I will be pickling them to make pickles) celery, peppers, grapes, cantaloupe, corn, cauliflower, some others too ( but I really can’t think of them right now).

What are the sizes of pots that I’ll need for each plant and how big of a trellis or stake to hold up the plants will I need?

The answer voted best is:

Answer by lovinthe88
Use the largest pots you can afford. Don’t use any pots less then 12″ diameter. And plan to water water water. Container gardens need watering on a more frequent basis than in-ground gardens because the surface area off the pots is all evaporative.

You can grow lovely produce in containers, you just have too keep watering. And use a regular fertilization schedule. I also top any container grown veggies with a good layer of compost and then a thick mulch to fertilize and try to keep a moisture barrier over soil at the same time.

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Gardening Information – Add Color and Variety with Container Plants

Gardening Information – Add Color and Variety with Container Plants

Container Gardening Tips for Newbies

Even if you are a city person in the center of everything, container gardens an add a real splash of color and life on a busy street, rooftop, or balcony. You can make any space be it patio living room or rooftop more inviting and refreshing with beautiful containers of flowers and green foliage. No only will you be delighted at the effect of adding a plant here and there or grouping containers where there is space for a garden area, you will also have the enjoyment of choosing, planting and taking care of your plants.

The really cool thing is you can vary the color scheme of any area with flowers, the color of your choice to fit your mood. When the plant is done blossoming you can always replace it with another annual or store the container till next season. You may choose to harmonize or contrast colors and heights of your plants. You get to choose the shape and texture of leaves, tall thin leaves can contrast short wide ones the variety is endless. If you have the space you can
you can germinate seeds and start new plants. With containers and electric lighting you can garden all year round.

The containers themselves permit you to flex your creative muscles and really let yourself go. You can of course go to the store and buy the containers and there is a wide variety of pre-painted and decorated pots available. You may also use old bowls or urns you can create your own with tiles and wood there again, no limits to what you can do.

If you do buy ready-made pots terracotta look great and many are brightly painted to add a festive atmosphere without plants. If you like you can use dried flowers and make a beautiful corner piece, no watering, no fuss. Cheap plastic pots can be hand painted as you desire. You must have some saucers for the bottoms so water doesn’t damage or stain your floors and window sills. Don’t forget the benefits and possibilities of family togetherness or “quality” time when gardening. You spouse and children can all get in on the fun.

Good quality potting mix is available for your containers and insures you plants are happy and well fed. You will see signs of yellowing if you over-water or if the plants need more nutrition.

Healthy plants on the ends of each step leading to the front and back doors are pleasant can colorful ways to add a sense of welcome and hospitality to your home. Depending on your personality you can plan on where you want o put a flower decide which kind and color and then order the plant and have it delivered or you can order a bunch of plants and then decide where they fit the best. The “shotgun” method. You should at least have an idea of whether you want sun lovers or plants requiring shade, however or you may waste some money of plants that won’t do well fo you.

Try different combination of plants together in groups of even and odd numbers and see what you like many say that groups of odd numbers are more attractive but I think it is up to you. Say isn’t that just so.. you decide which flowers, which pots, where you place them, how many you place, boy are you feeling the power here?

No doubt you will have a garden your friends will admire and, sadly, some poor souls will envy, boo-hoo.

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Container Gardening: A Basic Guide Containing Small Garden Ideas

Container Gardening: A Basic Guide Containing Small Garden Ideas

There are a lot of reasons why home owners should get a guide for container gardening. Just like with other small garden ideas, planning is necessary when it comes to gardening. That is why home owners who are planning to make a container garden should get a guide for small garden ideas that will help them with the planning process.

For home owners who are interested in making their own container garden, these reasons may help motivate them to try their best in using various small garden ideas for their container garden:

1. Container gardening is easy
For home owners who have not tried other small garden ideas such as raised gardening, container gardening is any easy way to start gardening. With the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book, home owners will be provided with container gardening tips and small garden ideas such as how to create a soil mixture for the plants and how to care for them.

2. It is economical
With container gardening, home owners can try out different small garden ideas such as using old buckets with holes punched at the bottom as containers. For home owners who want small garden ideas in choosing the right materials for their container, the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book will show 14 different materials that can be used for making containers.

3. Space is not limited
Even a small corner of a home can be made beautiful with container gardening. There is no need to worry about the amount of space that can be used. With the small garden ideas at the Easy Outdoor Gardening book, home owners will be shown 16 different places around their home that they can use for their gardening.

When it comes to container gardening, it is not as simple as planting a seed and then watering it daily. It involves considering various small garden ideas such as how to make a container garden, how to care for the plants and other things. With the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book provided by Easy Outdoor Gardening, container gardening will become easy with the small garden ideas provided on the book.

For more information and small garden ideas in container gardening, please visit http://www.easy-outdoor-gardening.com/

What vegetable is best for container gardening?

Sierra asks: What vegetable is best for container gardening?
Two years ago I tried tomatoes, and they turned out well. Last year I tried tomatoes again, and all three of them died.

The answer voted best is:

Answer by simmran1
pepper plants. bell or hot take up little room and have compact roots.

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Organic Container Gardening Tips

Organic Container Gardening Tips

Organic container gardening can be done even in the smallest apartment. Gardening in this way gives you a fresh supply of herbs that are chemical-free as well as decorating your apartment or patio.

You can control your herbs environment by moving the pots into the sun or shade whenever needed, giving you the chance to create perfect conditions for growing herbs even in poor climates.

Another advantage of organic container gardening is that you can give the herbs just the right soil and nutrients to thrive and do not have to depend on garden soil for a great harvest.

Potting Mix
Herbs do well in potting soil because it is free of insects and diseases that might be found in the regular garden soil. Garden outlets and landscape places sell organic mix, or you can mix your own soil. Just blend equal parts of:

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- natural compost like dry cow or horse manure
- purchased organic potting soil
- washed coarse builders sand.

Containers
Next, in establishing your organic container gardening is to clean the pots with soapy water and rinse them out well as this minimizes any chance the pots become contaminated. Then line the bottom of the containers with pottery shards or small rocks and fill them 2/3 full with the soil. Allow some space for inserting the plants, then finish filling the pot with soil and remember to leave two inches of space under the rim of the pot for watering the herbs.

Pests and insects
One of the advantages of organic container gardening is that it attracts fewer insects than herbs grown in a conventional garden. If you do get insects however, spray them with some soapy water or some leftover black tea.

Favorite Herbs
Organic container gardening is easy and gives great results provided that the basic requirements are met. Some ideal herbs for organic container gardening are mint,oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram and basil, which grow well in pots.

Invasive herbs
Be careful not to grow the more invasive herbs together with slow growing herbs like sage. Mint is an example of an herb that should be grown in its own pot because it does eventually take over the space thus preventing the other plant to develop fully.

Organic container gardening takes only a little effort and in return it will beautify your home, provide a wonderful aroma and fresh healthy herbs to enjoy.

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