With garden space hard to come by in the city and suburbs, many folks have turned to Container Gardening to grow their own vegetables – with great success! The growing popularity is two fold:
(1) Many people are turning to this method of gardening to take more control over the produce they eat. The trend is for a growing number of people to garden organically, free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
(2) This method works anywhere. Whether you live in the city, suburbs or just don’t have enough room for a traditional garden, Container Gardening solves the problem no matter where you live.
Where To Place Containers
Container Pots can be place anywhere that recieves six hours of sun or more. That includes:
- Decks
- Patios
- Window Sills
- Driveways
- Front porchs
- Roof Tops
- Fire escapes
What Kind Of Containers To Use
Almost any container can be used for this gardening method. For the best growing results pick containers that are greater than 12″ in diameter that also have adequet drainage. You can add drainage holes to almost any type of container you choose. Plastic buckets, wooden buckets, cinder blocks, glazed ceramic containers and raised bed stands are all very popoular containers for gardening.
Soil and Compost
Do not transfer dirt from your yard into a container pot. Instead use a good quality potting soil and organic compost.
Water
Like all plants, your vegetable containers will need to be watered often but not without thought. Over watering can drownd your plants and also robs the soil of valuable nutrients needed for optimum harvest. You can test your containers by checking the soil. It needs to be moist but not wet. And remember the water needs of your containers will vary over the course of the growing season.
Vegetables That Respond Well To Container Gardening
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Herbs
Advantages To Container Gardening
- Portability
- Pest / Disease Control
- Easy Weeding
- Solves not having garden space
Disadvantages To Container Gardening
- Over Watering
- Soil Depletion
- Not All Veggies Grow Well This Way
Even though we have three small gardens at home, we’ll be taking advantage of some sunny spots in our yard to increase our crop production. Using a combination of container pots and raised bed racks will allow us to grow vegetables and herbs we wouldn’t otherwise grow.
The Garden Rack pictured above can help you utilize space without bending over to prepare, plant, weed or harvest you garden vegetables. Click the following link to see how it works.
http://85542cyqjrg2cx5h2c8wem3te3.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=XPK2PVZ5
No More Frost, No More Frost!
Take Care and Get Prepared,
Casey and Lynn
“Things Do Not Change; We Change.”
Henry David Thoreau
This Weeks Sorta Off The Grid Recipe
Homemade Playdough
Our friend Poppy just sent us this recipe and we had to pass it along. I made my own “stress ball” last weekend and have gone to it often in the last week. It really does work – and I made it myself!
Poppy says, “This is a great tip for sensory integration. Calming and entertaining, your child can squish their little fingers into warm lavender playdough that they helped make. Making playdough is so simple and fun for kids. They get to choose the color, mix the ingredients and help kneed it once it’s cooled a little. With the addition of lavender essential oil, their warm little hands are left with a calming fragrance. My kids would play with this for long periods of time and it can be kept in the refrigerator in a plastic bag so it doesn’t dry out.”
Recipe for Stove Top Playdough:
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon food colouring
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium size pot. Add water, food colouring, and oil. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes. Mixture will look like a globby mess, and you’ll be sure it is not turning out, but it will. When it forms a ball in the middle of the pot, turn out and knead on a slightly floured surface Add a few drops of the lavender essential oil. Store in an air tight container or plastic bag.
Visit Poppy’s blog site for unique parenting tips at: poppy-lifeintheshire.blogspot.com