Question for you people who do container gardening. What all do you use for containers and what do you plant in them? I'm thinking about saving all my gallon milk jugs, placeing them on a bench of some type and plant pepper plants in them. Maybe try some other containers with other types of veggies. What pro's and con's have you found.
What to use for containers...depends on what the good Lord provides. Things I have used....5 gallon buckets, old wood boxes, plastic cement mixing containers, kiddie swimming pools, containers from the dollar store that hold about 6-7 gallons and have plastic rope handles. I wouldn't use gallon jugs myself as they would dry out so fast in the heat of summer unless you set up a drip system or the like. For planting medium I often fill the bottom with horse manure of any age and then add planting mix with added compost. The horse manure rots down and may even provide some heat plus it saves on the need for so much "good dirt". Of course you could put pretty much anything in the bottom of a deep container since few root grow that deep. I plant just about anything in containers, peppers, beans, tomatoes etc. In a shallow container, like a plastic kiddie pool, I'd do lettuce, radishes onions etc. In fact I usually have one of those going most of year with Remay over it for frost and deer protection with something in it. A buckt of herbs is nice too cos you can bring it in when frost threatens and have fresh herbs later in the fall. Use your imagination and have fun! Liz
Liz, your probably right about not using gallon milk jugs. I just got to thinking about those uv sun rays, those milk jugs maynot even last all the way through the summer. Especially here when the summer draught temperatures can reach 112 degrees. I'd probably would want to use something with a little more thickness, metal, or wood containers of some sort. I was thinking that maybe using milk jugs I could move them to a shadier spot when the hot summer sun starts getting real hot. I usually end up losing most of my garden when the annual summer drought hits, this is why I'm trying to find new ways of gardening.
Many of the expenditures that gardeners make for containers and equipment can be cut down by re-using items you already have at home. Margarine tubs, yogurt & cottage cheese containers and egg cartons are fantastic for seed starting. Old gardening boots, wheelbarrows, toolboxes, kiddy pools, old bbq grills, boats, tubs, toilets and semi truck tire rims can make whimsical substitutes for expensive outdoor containers. Window frames can be converted into cold frames and plastic milk jugs and pop bottles can be used to make a mini greenhouses or hot caps. I have about 4 washer tubs and dryer tubs that were picked upâ¦freeâ¦at the local dump. They are my favorite because they can hold so much. They can be made to look very nice. I have wrapped flexible plastic grill work around some. In my greenhouse I usually plant tomatoes in the tubs. On the floor below are kiddy swimming pools for the vegetable w/ shallower roots. The idea is just about anything that will hold the soil. Some interesting sites: http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm http://gardening.about.com/cs/msub24/index.htm?once=true& http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/wolcott61.html
Many of the expenditures that gardeners make for containers and equipment can be cut down by re-using items you already have at home. Margarine tubs, yogurt & cottage cheese containers and egg cartons are fantastic for seed starting. Old gardening boots, wheelbarrows, toolboxes, kiddy pools, old bbq grills, boats, tubs, toilets and semi truck tire rims can make whimsical substitutes for expensive outdoor containers. Window frames can be converted into cold frames and plastic milk jugs and pop bottles can be used to make a mini greenhouses or hot caps. I have about 4 washer tubs and dryer tubs that were picked upâ¦freeâ¦at the local dump. They are my favorite because they can hold so much. They can be made to look very nice. I have wrapped flexible plastic grill work around some. In my greenhouse I usually plant tomatoes in the tubs. On the floor below are kiddy swimming pools for the vegetable w/ shallower roots. The idea is just about anything that will hold the soil. Some interesting sites: http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm http://gardening.about.com/cs/msub24/index.htm?once=true& http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/wolcott61.html edited to add: oops....see what happens when not logged in. LOL The more I try to delete the more messed up....so....please delete the above post..many thanks.
I worked for a seed company that had a test plot of plants in containers. You can grow anything, but the water will be a burden. They had to water the containers twice or three times a day in the hottest part of the summer. You could shield the containers and surround/cover them with mulch. You'll also find some seed companies have seeds that are bred for container growing. I tried to grow parsley in a deep (15") container. It has a long tap root. Since it's a biennial, I thought I could bring it in. It lasted longer, like Liz said, but it didn't make it through the winter. gobug
