Container Gardening Craze
There are many joys that can be found in gardening. Sadly, not everyone can enjoy such an experience. Space, you see, is one of the requisites for this passion, and not every household could afford such area for gardening needs. Urban dwellers, for example, have to contend with limited living space since cities are densely populated. As such, they don’t have backyards or front lawns that could accommodate their desired gardens.
Thankfully, those days are gone. Today, more and more people are jumping into a new addiction: container gardening. Container gardening does not require wide areas for landscaping and the likes. As its name states, container gardening is all about planting your crops in special containers that you could house indoors. This would ensure that you would be able to grow some plants that you like regardless of space allowance and regardless of seasons, as they would be cultivated inside your very own living quarters.
Here are some things you need to know to get started with container gardening.
• There are many types of containers which you could use. A lot are available through your favorite garden shop. Fiberglass, resin and synthetic containers can be availed of. Many are even patterned after ornamental designs so that they could complement the interiors of your house. Or you could simply make your own, however, using containers which you can no longer find any use for.
• The best types of containers are those made of redwood, cedar and cypress. They are resistant against rusting and rotting and they could serve their purpose for a long, long time.
• Not all containers are good for container gardening. There are two main considerations which you should ensure before using a container for such a purpose. These are:
1. The containers must have drainage holes as the soil that would be stored is quite limited and will not be able to hold water in excess of the amount that is needed.
2. You should be able to water your container plants regularly, as they drink a lot, and often at that.
• Use soil-less soil. Soil-less soil is a well-balanced blend of a variety of essential nutrients for your plants. These are peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite with added plant nutrients. Soil-less soil is capable of producing impressive results, and many gardeners actually swear to the efficiency of this implement. Soil-less soil is available commercially under many brand names.
• Make sure that the soil you would use would be able to absorb, and retain, the right amount of water. If you’re going to use soil-less soil, there would be no problem when it comes to this concern. Soil-less soil has a natural porosity that would allow your plants to breathe, that is, oxygen would be able to reach its roots, picking up nutrients along the way through the natural fertilizers that are already included in the setup. If you wish to use your own soil, just make sure that they are porous enough to hold water, and add natural fertilizers which are non-odorous on a regular basis.
• You could choose to use slow-release fertilizers. They produce fewer odors, which would be harmonious for the indoor environment, and they need little maintenance, as one application can last a long time.
• The ideal place for container plants are near the window, or on the windowsill if possible. This would give them the sunlight they need for optimal growth. Also, they would make great decorative pieces that would give some life to the otherwise neglected portion of the house.
Container gardening does serve a variety of purposes. Not only does it satisfy your planting passion, but it also beautifies the household in a manner that only green life can provide. It’s no wonder why container gardening has become the rave these days.
-joslyn rose
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February 20, 2006
Starting Seeds for Your Garden Indoors
February 20th 2006 Posted to Garden Tips
In much of the United States, the only way to take advantage of a full growing season is to start your plants from seeds indoors. In areas where the last frost can be as late as the end of May, and the first as early as the beginning of October, the abbreviated growing season can mean a short garden season and a severe limitation on plants and flowers that would otherwise flourish. One solution is to choose only native plants for your garden. A more workable solution is to cover your kitchen table with newspaper one day in March, pull out the potting soil, seeds and pots, and give your garden an early jump on the season.
What You Need to Start Plants Indoors
Location
Your best option is a room with south-facing windows that get direct sun at least 6-8 hours a day – but not having one is no excuse. Grow lights are fairly inexpensive and very easy to set up. Just be sure there’s enough space for you to move around and water the plants.
Equipment and Supplies
You can buy commercial ‘flats’ at any department or home supply store for under $5. They’re flat ‘trays’ with individual compartments each meant to hold one seedling. An alternative that works quite well are cardboard egg cartons. They’re biodegradable, provide drainage and can easily be cut apart when it’s time to transplant your seedlings outside.
Purchased potting soil is a good growing medium, but if you want to really give your plants a great start, you can mix up a batch of potting soil with compost and peat moss, or leave the soil out entirely and grow in peat moss, vermiculite and compost. Or you can do as my grandmother did if you’ve thought ahead. At the end of each growing season, she dug up several buckets full of rich soil from the garden and baked it in a 300 degree oven for a couple of hours to sterilize it. In spring, she brought it out to use as potting soil for her new seedlings.
Seeds – of course!
Basil, tomatoes, carrots, asters, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias and pansies are all good candidates for starting indoors, but you can choose any garden plant that can be started from seed.
When to Plant
Most garden plants can be started indoors about six weeks before the anticipated last frost. In most northern states, that’s mid-March. You can transplant the seedlings outside when they’ve reached 4-6” in height, after the last frost.
Nana’s Seed Starting Method
Loosely fill each egg cup with enough garden soil to just below the top. Do not pack down! Use your index finger to poke a hole about an inch into the soil. Drop seeds into the hole. For large seeds like beans, use ONE seed per cup. For tinier seeds, sprinkle a pinch into the hole. Lightly cover the seed by raking soil over it with your fingertips. Move trays to a sunny window (or beneath grow lights). Water well – but don’t over-soak. Loosely cover each egg tray with a sheet of clear plastic wrap. Now LEAVE THEM ALONE. Check daily for signs of moisture, and when you don’t see any, lift the plastic wrap and mist well with a mister, then recover. You can remove the wrap when seedlings have two leaves, or are touching the plastic. When the seedlings are 1-2 inches tall, it’s time to thin them. In any container that holds more than two seedlings, pluck out all but the hardiest so that they’ll have the best chance at setting root and growing. Water and mist frequently until the danger of frost is past, then transplant to your garden outside.
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