Posts filed under 'Container Gardening'
Spring hopefully, is just around the corner and in anticipation you might be getting ready for some planting or pruning action. I know my husband is, he just pruned the roses, which I thought weren’t supposed to be done until March, but he says any time after President’s day is fine (unless you’re in one of those states that keeps getting hit by snow, then you better hold off a little while longer.)
But if you’re in Seattle (like us), or somewhere just a little warmer, now is the time to start your baby seedlings indoors and watch them grow, flourish, and become big and strong enough to take on the outdoors.
You can begin with seeds from a packet or seeds from last year’s harvest, or you can even take the easy road and purchase pre-sprouted seedlings from your local gardening supply shop. Whichever you choose, you’ll be watching over these little darlings in their first days and weeks of tender life, and that’s a precious time for any gardener.
So first of all, make sure that you have a safe, warm area for your seedlings, one which receives at least six hours of sunlight per day and won’t be knocked over by family members or wayward pets. Usually a window ledge or top of a bookshelf will do nicely.
Once you have the spot picked out, it’s time to set up the nesting area.
Ooh, speaking of nesting, if you have problems with birds (or other creatures) outside being where they don’t belong, here’s a site I just found that can take care of that problem. Get Rid of Birds Here.
OK, anyway, back to the PLANT nesting. . .
You can use a variety of containers for seedlings, anything from a black-plastic flat to Dixie cups to egg cartons. Last year Jeff bought a warmed seedling hatchery. It was a long flat seedling planter that you plugged in and kept the little plants warm. Worked pretty well!
But if you don’t have one of those, you’ll really be starting from scratch. So here’s what you need to do: Fill your containers with a little gravel in the bottom to assist with drainage and to keep the container from tipping over easily.
Then fill them the rest of the way with soil, and pop in seeds. Moisten each thoroughly, and cover them tightly with plastic wrap. This will help retain warmth and moisture, and quicken their growth.
Now all they need is sunlight, continual gentle moisture, and time. After a few days, or up to a week depending on the type of plant, you should see little sprouts beginning to peek through the soil. At this point you can remove the plastic wrap and say hello to your new precious babies!
If you haven’t gotten your seeds yet, Gardeners Supply still has their sale going on – Free Shipping at Gardeners Supply.
Get our Free Gardening Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
February 16th, 2010
Lasagna, or no-dig, gardening is a revolutionary new way to get great-tasting, nutritious vegetables and gorgeous flowers out of your very own backyard, but without ANY back-breaking digging or weeding. It’s so easy, it feels like cheating!
Lasagna gardening got it’s name because it refers to the layering involved in creating this pressure-cooker of organic power. To start up your very own lasagna gardening bed, you can build on top of an established plot or start fresh right on top of untilled earth. Either way, you’re going to need a few supplies, which you might already have if you’re currently doing square foot gardening.
- a wooden frame for containment
- fertilizer
- compost
- newspapers/cardboard
- hay/peat moss
- mulch
and, of course, you’ll still need shovel or fork to pile it all up with.
Now, you’re ready to start layering.
Build or place your containment box wherever it should go. This will keep the ingredients from falling out of your bed and wandering away. It should be about 8-10″ high.
Begin your layers with a slab of cardboard or thick newspaper mat, totally covering up the inside of the box. This will form the base and prevent grass or weeds from growing up into your bed.
On top of this, pile about 4″ of water absorbent organic material like hay, peat moss, or whatever you can find. This will act like a sponge, soaking up extra water and encouraging your plants to grow down into it.
On top of the hay, spread about an inch of fertilizer, or compost if you have plenty. The nutrients here will give your plants exactly what they need to grow big and juicy.
Above that, pile lots of hay or straw, or whatever you’ve chosen for your absorbency layer, -about six or eight inches of it. We’re keeping the moist levels separated, so they can breathe as they break down into rich soil.
On top of that, more fertilizer and more compost, forming a five- or six-inch-deep level of nutrients. Now it’s ready to plant!
Put your seedlings into this rich bed, and then mulch around them to prevent weeds and keep in the moisture. You shouldn’t plant root crops in a new lasagna bed, but plants with shallower roots will be fine. And after it has “cooked” for a year, it will be ready for root veggies as well.
Stock up on all your supplies while Gardners Supply has FREE Shipping!
Get our Free Gardening Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
January 29th, 2010
This time of year I always have to brag about what’s in our garden, specifically our Avalanche Clematis and the Golden Lights Azalea.
We picked the Azalea up at a nursery about three years ago and it has never disappointed us! Right now, it’s the perfect plant for our medium container garden setting. The larger container gets to hold another favorite of ours, the Avalanche Clematis.
Both of these plants are doing especially well this year! They are the perfect plants for late spring color. And, even though they both lose their flowers after a long blooming period, they both keep beautiful green color on their leaves throughout the summer.
The Golden Lights Azalea seems to last forever. It blooms slowly, with just a few flowers coming out at first, then it goes into full bloom, as it is in the picture. Then, the flowers die very slowly, while more flowers continue to bloom. Overall, I think we get at least two full month of color out of this plant.
The Avalanche Clematis also blooms for a long period of time, but its flowers, for us at least, start out with just a few, the BURST into a gorgeous plant of white flowers. They last a long time too – probably as long as the Azalea, if not longer.
I haven’t found the Avalanche Clematis sold on-line lately, but you can find the Golden Lights Azalea at Wayside Gardens, as well as a lot of other types of Clematis – and you should definitely check out plants to get now for your summer garden.
There’s just nothing like having a container garden setting full of color - Good luck with yours!
Get our Free Gardening Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
May 16th, 2008
Now that Fall is arriving, I’m going to miss all of the fresh vegetables and herbs that I have been enjoying from the garden this summer. But maybe it doesn’t really have to be that way.
You see, herb gardening has become a very creative outlet for people, and no longer has to be done totally outside, now that Aero Grows’ AeroGarden® Pro-100
has been invented (thank goodnes!)
Before you do anything with herb gardening, decide which herbs to grow. You should thoroughly enjoy the herbs you decide to plant, since most herb plants are easy to grow, require little maintenance, and will reward you with an abundance of herbs!
Here are some of the herbs we suggest you start with for your herb garden (whether outside or as a container garden).
- Strong Herbs – These consist of herbs like winter savory, rosemary and sage (best grown outside).
- Accent Herbs - like sweet basil, sweet marjoram, tarragon and thyme (OK for inside planting).
- Herbs for blending – Our favorites – chives, parsley and summer savory (make excellent inside plants).
You can always add a variety of herbs to your garden later on. When growing outside, you can have herbs growing with other vegetables or make a nice container garden with herbs. You should keep annual and perennial herbs separate. And try adding a little color with attractive, and colorful, herbs like parsley and purple basil.
When you select the site for your herb garden, you should consider the type of soil used and the drainage system. None of the herbs will grow in wet soil; hence drainage becomes an important factor (this is one of the reasons the aerogrow has become so popular – it takes care of all of the drainage problems for you).
If gardening outside, improve the drainage by removing the soil up to a depth of about 15 to 18 inches. Next, place a 3 inch layer of crushed stone or similar material on the bottom of the excavated site. Before placing the soil in the bed area again, you should mix some compost or sphagnum peat and sand with it to lighten the texture. You should add fertilizer if needed.
This same process can be done in your container gardner, just use smaller amounts. And, here’s a tip I just received from a friend of mine.
If you have a lot of wine corks collected and don’t know what to do with them, use them in the bottom of your container plant in the place of stones. They make excellent drainage devices.
Next you need to plant the herb seeds. If possible sow the seeds in shallow boxes in winter. If you want to transplant seedlings outdoors, sow in the spring.
A light, well drained soil is best for starting the seedlings indoors. The finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown.
You may find that you can cut and divide current herbs to re-propagate them. Cuttings are the best choice when the seeds are slow to germinate. The fresh leaves on the herbs can be picked up as soon as the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth.
To ensure good oil content in your herbs, pick the seeds after the dew has disappeared, and before the sun becomes too hot.
Get our Free Gardening Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com
September 15th, 2007
If you plant basil in a container and have it outside in the full sun it may appear to wilt at times. Even though Basil is an herb, and herbs usually like soil on the drier side, it can sometimes look a little droopy. There are three factors you should consider when this happens.
Continue Reading June 19th, 2006
