Answers To Your Questions About Container Gardening
Lizzie asks…
Container Gardening?
I am an empty-nester, living in a city apartment in zone 5. I really miss my mixed borders and have started container gardening out on my terrace. Annuals just don’t do it for me, and I have had success with containers of daylilies, hosta, astilbe, lilac and PJM Rhododendrons. Can anyone recommend some good books or web sites on growing perennials in containers? Thank you!
Green Thumb answers:
MASTER GARDENER TO THE RESCUE
I started out as a container gardener in a small walk up 4th floor apartment in Chicago. It wasnt much fun lugging supplies up 4 floors, but I had the best darn 4th floor balcony garden in Chicago. One year I even grew sweet corn on the balcony. The folk on the 3rd floor weren’t very happy with me, but that’s another story…
Zone 5 or zone 15, inside or out, the best answers to all your garden or container garrdens still come from one place. Your local state univ extension service MASTER GARDENER. Always the best answer the very first time. Master Gardeners are trained to respond to the area they serve. So when you have a question for zone 5, that is only answer from experts that garden right in our own neighborhood..
Urban gardeners / container gardeners have unigue problem that need to be addressed. The urban Master Gardeners are trained to meet those unique situations. Most sights have special printed info to answer all your questions and problems. Not only will you get a live person on the phone to guide you, they will pop the printed info into the mail or via fax or e-mail right to your door. All the info will be just for your own local area. Like having a garden expert living right next door.
Find your state college extension office in your phone book under state government or get linked up locally by using…
Www.mastergardeners.org
or the name of your state and master gardeners on the web. Tell ‘um where you live and they’ll hook you up to a sight near by your home.
Carol asks…
Container gardening?
Hey there, so I live in a town house with my mom and brother, so we can’t plant a garden like we had at our old house, so I want to do some container gardening, I went to the farmers market, and bought all sorts of little plants to grow vegetables and herbs, any tips for container gardening?
Green Thumb answers:
Be sure whatever conainter you use has drainage holes.
Use a good quality potting soil ( I like Miracle Gro potting soil ).
Check at least once daily to see if the containers need water.
Pot up plants with similar light or water needs together.
With large planters, fill them half way with packing peanuts. This works both to make the planter lighter and saves on how much potting soil you use. I put a layer of weed block fabric atop the peanuts and then add potting soil and plants. When it’s time to change out the planter you can just lift out the soil, leave the packing peanuts in place and plant new things.
Nancy asks…
container gardening?
to those of you who are more knowledgable with tomatoes than i. (which should be just about all of you) which tomato is best for container garding that will also have the best flavor for cooking/sauces?
Green Thumb answers:
There are tomato’s called “patio tomato’s” Great for a little bucket and good tomato’s too.
Robert asks…
Do you have a book recommendation about Container Gardening for Vegetables?
I’m a novice gardener and I’m interested in starting a vegetable garden next year, but would need to do it in containers. Do you have any book recommendations for container gardening? I’m also looking for suggestions on how to get started and what would be easy to grow in containers. Thanks!
Green Thumb answers:
Lowe’s sells a great book on container gardening published by Sunset and that is how I got started. Although now I live on about an acre, I started gardening in containers on an enclosed condo patio. I still have over 200 plants growing in containers in my yard, including herbs, citrus and veggies. Tomatoes, peppers and herbs are great to grow in containers. I grow 5 different varieties of tomatoes, 3 pepper varieties and a host of herbs like thyme, sage, chives, basil, 2 kinds of oregano, tarragon, dill, mint, chamomile…and some others I don’t remember right now. I found growing vine plants like cucumber, pumpkin and squash is a little tricky in containers, but they do show you how in the Sunset book. For free advice on gardening in containers in your zone, you can contact a master gardener or the county agricultural extension.
Mandy 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.
Green Thumb answers:
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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