pail o' garden

[AmythystMoon]

Howdy
I live in southwestern Ontario zone 5. I have access to pails but no garden. So here is my question what can I grow successfully in a pail. I also have access to a pile of compost bigger than most houses (two storey its big LOL) So I am looking for success and misses. Salad type stuff manly.
thxs
George

[Paquebot]

If it's mainly salad stuff, all of the greens can be planted in containers or pails. And I assume that we're thinking of 5-gallon pails or thereabouts. The limit factor would be the surface area. For example, if a plant is supposed to be spaced at 3 or 4 inches in rows, you'd only have actual room for 6 or 7 plants. However, a cut-and-come-back salad greens mix could be planted an inch apart with no problems. Spinach would be about 8, or chard with 5 plants for best results. A dozen or so cylindra beets or 8 round type would fit. Three parsley plants would fit. If tomatoes were desired, there are patio types for pots but don't go that way due to low production. Instead, almost any cherry tomato would do. Although many are known to sprawl all over, the limited root system prevents that.

Martin

[wy_white_wolf]

I use 10 to 20 gallon containers (old washtubs and double boilers) and have no problems with tomatoes (even the indeterminates). Some of them reached 8' tall last year and had lots of fruit. We usually put 2 plants of the same variety in per container. They take more fertilizer and water than ones planted in the ground. We also have to change the soil in the containers every year. I gets mixed in with everything else in the compost pile.

I've done potatoes in 20+ gallon containers with fair results. Harvested about 4 pounds per container so we're still trying to perfect that.

We also do green peppers but haven't had real good luck with them. Small peppers that seem to come on to late for our season (zone 4/5). We keep trying them as we make our own salsa.

I haven't tried salad type plants in contains because we just don't eat that much salad. If I did I think I would go with something shallow and flat. Like underbed storage containers as lettice and spinach don't need deep roots.

Several years ago my kids and I experimented with growing radishes in shallow flates (3 inches) and it worked real good. Plentiful harvest from 1 18" by 36" flat built out of 2 by 4s and plywood bottom. Had to water them 2 to 3 times a day though.

[Pony]

Hisenthlay has been perfecting her container gardening over the past couple of years or so. You can do a search, unless I come up with the link before you do.

Pony!

[Labrat407]

from another thread

Originally Posted by Labrat407

Upside-down Tomato Planter

You might like this use

[EDDIE BUCK]

If it is at all possible could you squeeze in a 4 foot x 12 foot raised bed anywhere? If so I would make one and try to get enough of that compost to fill it and the buckets. Eddie