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You
are probably already thinking "Oh, yeah,
gardening in pots. Like, big deal. I'll
get a bunch of little clay pots and begin
a garden. That'll produce a lot of
veggies!"
No, this article is about gardening in
pots...in a big way. First, let's explore
the benefits of gardening in pots, then we
can move on to how it's done in such a way
that you can produce quality fruits,
vegetables and herbs.
- With
pot gardening, you will use less water
because you can water directly into the
pots and not waste water trying to
saturate the ground around the
plants.
- There
are virtually no weeds with pot
gardening, and if there are any, they
are easy to identify and
remove.
- Less
space is needed. Most planting
instructions tell you to plant so many
feet apart. With pot gardening, you can
put one or two plants in a large pot
and cram the pots right next to each
other. Since the roots cannot
intermingle, distance apart does not
matter.
- Pest
control is more efficient. Varmints -
especially the boring kind - cannot
bore into the roots because the pot
protects them.
- There
is greater flexiblility. Have you ever
planted something, then when it comes
up, wish it were in another part of the
garden? Just move the pots! I even
adjust the pots so that sun-sensitive
plants benefit from the shade of
sun-loving plant.
- Adding
nutrients is more efficient because
they go into the pot, not over a large
area.
- No
need to keep track of crop
rotation...you rotate the soil,
instead.
- You
can pot garden anywhere. I first
started this because, even though I
have six acres of land, the land is all
rocky. Even if you live in an
apartment, you can garden on your
balcony.
- You
can get an earlier start with pot
gardening. Plant indoors while the
weather is still cool, then move the
pots outdoors when warm. You can even
move them to a warm protected area on
those unexpected cold
nights.
- Fewer
harmful bugs, especially if you start
off by using clean potting soil.
Your
initial investment might be greater with
pot gardening, because you have to aquire
the pots and probably the soil. However,
once aquired, subsequent investment is the
same as ground gardening.
The pots should be plastic.
Clay simply will not hold up in the long
run. The best plastic pots? Paint
buckets...no, not the one gallon variety.
Get five gallon paint buckets. If you
don't know a painter (they throw them away
after using the paint), then you can buy
them at most paint or hardware stores.
And, they are usually cheaper than plastic
garden pots - and more durable. An added
bonus with paint buckets is the handle.
This makes it easier to carry the precious
cargo. Paint buckets are also deeper than
plastic garden pots, which allows the
roots more space. Always drill at least
three - 1" diameter holes in the bottom of
each pot before filling.
If you have good soil available, use
it.
However, make certain it does not pack too
tightly in the pots. Add vermiculite or
light potting soil to your soil. The top
of the pot should be covered with light
mulch, just as is preferable in a regular
garden. I use potting soil and mix
different types together. Some potting
soils are heavier than others and you will
want to keep the soil light. Also, while
you are mixing, throw in some manure.
Leave about two inches free at the top of
the pot. This allows you to pour in plenty
of water and allow it to slowly soak into
the pot. At the end of the season, I dump
all the soil into barrels for storage and
mix up the soil as well as possible - this
is better than crop rotation.
What can you grow?
Almost, but not quite as much as in a
regular garden. Obviously, melons,
cantaloupes and other ground vining plants
will not do well. I have had little luck
with squash, because it wants to vine on
the ground, also. Most other vegetables
and all herbs do very well. I believe that
tomatoes actually do better in pots. This
may be because they require so much
nutrient additives and the pots will
confine the nutrients and localize the
benefits in the roots.
Peppers, eggplant and asparagus do very
well...any vegetable that grows up and
high will do well in pots. Root vegetables
such as potatoes, onions and carrots
should be grown in the ground - pots do
not allow enough root space for them to
expand. However, shallots do very well.
And, if you are into herbs, you will be in
heaven with pot gardening. Every herb I
have tried has grown bigger and better in
pots than in the ground. Especially
parsley, basil, dill, catnip, bay and all
varieties of mint.
Did
you like this article! Rate
it.
About
the
Author:
Jack
Farley has written several articles as
well as his monthly newletter, Healthy
Lifestyles. You can see his website at
http://greatmalls.net
As seen on The
Family
Corner
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this article to a friend (or yourself)
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