Container, Balcony, Patio & other urban "small space" gardeners - Page 10

[CariOfOz]

LOL I bet Indigo! and then I come along and post that I hit the garden center and snagged half a dozen each parsley, basil, cucumber & bush bean seedlings and potted them up : Of course, then when I turned my head and got distracted, the 2yo UNpotted one of the bush beans into a great messy heap of dirt on the patio LOL. We shall see if it survives!

My zucchini are still battling this stupid powdery mildew lookin stuff (thats what it looks like to me anyway) and now any fruit that set get blossom end rot. *sigh*

ETA: I also have my first ripe capsicum (all shiny & red and gorgeous) that we're going to pick to have with dinner tonight, and ALL 3 of the other plants have flowers all over. The tomatos are also doing fab and have all got fruit & flowers popping up everywhere

[beansricerevolt]

Just a few more weeks and I will be planting our indoor garden. I just rearranged the rooms to prepare. A huge task! DH and I switched rooms with DD. She had the perfect windows. Now I just need to make some sort of a shelving unit. We are lacking space and will have to do miniature varieties this year and plants that grow up.

[Indigo73]

Well the last of the recent snow storm is almost melted.

The yard is a mess again. Going to have to borrow or buy a rake. Trash, cigarette butts and road debris that the plows threw over our fence.

Also want to run my idea of expanding my containers with my land lord. Last year he just moved them when he mowed, but this year I want twice as many buckets... so who knows.

[loraxc]

We have a regular garden but have had so many problems with persistent disease in our tomato plants that I am trying them in containers this year. Any tips? What do you all use for soil?

[Indigo73]

I had great luck last year, had three varieties: 2 Cherry, 1 Better Bush and 1 Bush Goliath.

1. Stick to bush varieties for containers.
2. Water from the bottom.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by loraxc

We have a regular garden but have had so many problems with persistent disease in our tomato plants that I am trying them in containers this year. Any tips? What do you all use for soil?

I had that problem as well last year, so far much better in pots this year! I just went to the garden centre and got huge bags of Searls garden or potting mix that has the soil wetter & dynamic lifter already in it. Everything that has gone into it has done REALLY well, even in my very inexperienced gardening hands And totally agree with Indigo on watering from the bottom... hubby got the crap startled out of him when he watered for me yesterday lol. He was watering from the top and I shouted STOP from across the yard hehehe.. he knows the proper way to water now needless to say

beansricerevolt.. your indoor garden sounds interesting, make sure you share some piccies when you get it going. Many houses in Australia are designed with wide verandas on 2 or more side so *most* windows don't get direct sun (except in new flash houses where filling up the entire lot is more important than silly things like... eaves LOL) so I could never pull off indoor plants. Then again we don't get much winter and can still grow a lot outdoors in july even


My zucchini has gone to pot... the powdery mildew is still hanging around, although lessened. But every time fruit tries to set it rots at the blossom end (ew) and something is definitely sneaking in and eating it when I'm not looking too :

[SeekingSerenity]

I just wanted to share...

My herbs are sprouting!! :::

First-ever success at trying the container garden! My DD is absolutely enchanted, because she helped plant the seeds and has helped water them. Now she sees the baby plants and she, too, is SO PROUD!

I'm still working on securing the containers for the rest. Judging by the weather this year, I will need to start summer veggies instead of spring ones. I found a june-bug last night... in early March. The bluebonnets are already coming up, a month early.

It's supposed to become cold in the next couple of days but not freezing.

Still... we're at least going to have some herbs!

[Indigo73]

Originally Posted by SeekingSerenity

I just wanted to share...

My herbs are sprouting!! :::

Isn't it exciting? I love that quickening feeling.

My DS doesn't get excited until there are flowers.

Although he liked being my model when I photographed the veggies.

He is helping me with my flower seed order. I have to keep gentlely steering him away from the 7 foot sunflowers, but we've found a few shorter varieties to try this year.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by Indigo73

He is helping me with my flower seed order. I have to keep gentlely steering him away from the 7 foot sunflowers, but we've found a few shorter varieties to try this year.

Hehehe I am DYING to grow some sunflowers, but I'm thinking I'll have to stick with the more dwarf varieties too..I can just see my flowers falling over the 6foot fence into the neighbors yard otherwise.

SeekingSerenity, : to your sprouting herbs! I am finding I love my herb garden almost as much as my veggies (maybe more at this stage because the scents from just brushing my hands across them are just delightful I could sniff basil forever I think

[quietserena]

Ok gals, I'm ready to fill these containers with something! Last year didn't work out because of a long trip in the middle of the summer, but I'm home this summer, and not pregnant so things should be easier!

But before I go out and get some plants, I should probably put some sort of dirt in these containers. What should I put in there? A friend is pushing me to do just ye regular potting soil from Walmart but that doesn't seem very ... organic to me.

[AlwaysByMySide]

Originally Posted by quietserena

Ok gals, I'm ready to fill these containers with something! Last year didn't work out because of a long trip in the middle of the summer, but I'm home this summer, and not pregnant so things should be easier!

But before I go out and get some plants, I should probably put some sort of dirt in these containers. What should I put in there? A friend is pushing me to do just ye regular potting soil from Walmart but that doesn't seem very ... organic to me.

What are you planning on growing? I put my flowers in soil, but my fruits and veggies are in a soilless (also peat-less, FTR) mix.

[quietserena]

Tomatoes, some sort of summer squash, green beans, perhaps cucumbers. Food, basically. I guess I should have specified that... Can you tell I'm posting here and not going to bed?

[Indigo73]

Originally Posted by quietserena

But before I go out and get some plants, I should probably put some sort of dirt in these containers. What should I put in there? A friend is pushing me to do just ye regular potting soil from Walmart but that doesn't seem very ... organic to me.

I buy "soil" really potting mix from my local gardening center. I buy it bulk. We bring a couple 30 gallon totes and shovel it in. Way cheaper than buying the bagged stuff and and don't have to worry about what is in Miracle Gro potting soil, since that seems to be the bags that are always on sale around here.

[quietserena]

Originally Posted by Indigo73

I buy "soil" really potting mix from my local gardening center. I buy it bulk. We bring a couple 30 gallon totes and shovel it in. Way cheaper than buying the bagged stuff and and don't have to worry about what is in Miracle Gro potting soil, since that seems to be the bags that are always on sale around here.

Last time I went, they wanted to sell me a scoop of it - like use a digger and drop a scoopful onto the bed of a pickup. I like your idea better because.. I don't have a pickup truck and my little saturn with a load of dirt on it would lose most of it on the way home.

Thanks! I'm off this coming week to find out how this can be done.

[kittywitty]

I need to join here!

I am in zone 5/6. I am a couple miles from zone 6 and much more so 6 than 5 weather wise. I bought all my seeds, some bone meal, blood meal, and some soil. I have 5 big-ish containers (18" diameter or so) and I am trying to collect more. I am getting a late start since so much of my stuff has STILL not gotten here from Peaceful Valley (outrageous shipping and takes *forever*) and my legume inoculant is still not here.

I am using the Bountiful Container book which just rocks and I really need to get started planting!

Has anyone had luck with getting 5 gallon buckets from fast food places or using those big rubbermaid boxes for faux earth boxes? We may move soon if we find a house, so I don't want anything immobile. We don't have a yard to speak of but a couple of sq. feet outside our rented house to place some pots. I will be growing a little of everything and can't wait to start!

[mistymama]

Hi everyone!!

Well it's almost time to start my patio garden again. In another 2-3 weeks all risk of frost/freeze should be gone and I will be ok to plant.

We recently moved to a larger apartment, same complex. Imagine my delight when I discovered the balcony is about 2 feet longer & wider! Yippee!!

This year I'm going to do two hanging baskets, growing tomatos and orange peppers upside down with herbs on top. That will leave me room for a few large containers on the balcony, I'm thinking I may do squash & zuchini.

I'm very excited & so ready to get started.

[Indigo73]

I used to get my 5 gallon buckets from Dunkin' Donuts, but now the local ones charges as much as Home Depot for ones that tends to be more heavy duty (strong sides when I drill drainage holes), so I've been sticking with the HD ones.

I have used a kiddie pool, unused paint cans, various tubs, all with good luck.

[AlwaysByMySide]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

Has anyone had luck with getting 5 gallon buckets from fast food places or using those big rubbermaid boxes for faux earth boxes? We may move soon if we find a house, so I don't want anything immobile. We don't have a yard to speak of but a couple of sq. feet outside our rented house to place some pots. I will be growing a little of everything and can't wait to start!

Like a previous poster, it's actually been cheaper for me to buy the buckets. I also have Rubbermaid totes going too. I started a thread about this a couple of days ago, since I consider them to be a whole different thing than container gardening.

[Indigo73]

I have a question... since I started the thread.

Would you guys like to start a new thread for 2009? Or stick to this one?

It's not terribly long, but I'll go with what you guys want.

[purplegirl]

Originally Posted by Indigo73

I have a question... since I started the thread.

Would you guys like to start a new thread for 2009? Or stick to this one?

It's not terribly long, but I'll go with what you guys want.

I vote for starting another thread!