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It covers:
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Space can be at a premium, especially these days when apartments and condos are so popular. A simple solution for those wanting to grow at least a few basic herbs and vegetables is to grow in containers. Maybe you don’t have the time to maintain a large vegetable garden, or you have a physical condition that prevents you bending down or using the usual gardening tools. Whatever the reason, container gardening can be a great way to produce some of your organic food needs.
While container gardening may have its limitations, there are some great benefits.
* You have the advantage of being able to bring containers indoors through the coldest part of winter.
* Your pots / containers can create a focal point on a balcony or patio area, adding interest, colour or foliage.
* Planters can be made from just about any type of container that holds soil and allows adequate drainage.
* Potting mediums are easy to work with as they are the correct pH.
* Weeds are much less likely to become a problem.
* Less likely to be attacked by snails and slugs or soil borne diseases.
* The tiniest space – even a windowsill can be used to produce some fresh herbs
Soil
You need to purchase premium potting mix for growing in containers. Don’t be tempted to use soil from the garden in your pots as it will become compact and heavy, not allowing water to drain well. A premium potting medium is a must. It is lighter and so provides excellent drainage.
You will need to provide all your plants nutrients as most potting mixes do not come with organic fertilizer. Remember that more is not better when it comes to applying fertilizer. Too much fertilizer in contact with your plant's roots will burn them. Always follow the directions on packaged fertilizers. There are many organic fertilizers available to choose from so look for blends suited to the type of plant you are growing - leafy, flowering, vegetables, etc.
Container plants need watering more frequently than normal garden plants, and as a result the water leaches away fertilizers. So container grown plants benefit from liquid feeds on a regular basis throughout their growing season. You can purchase organic liquid fertilizers if you don’t have room to make your own. Use them for foliar feeding and drenching the soil around your plants.
Watering
Because container plants are above ground the sun and wind will dry potting soils out quicker than plants grown in the ground. During summer you will need to take care that your pots do not dry out.
Water containers when the soil dries out to a depth of 1-2cm (1/2 inch). Apply water with a soft flow to be gentle on your plants and the soil. In really hot weather I usually re-water about 30 minutes after my initial watering. This is beneficial in containers as plants cannot always take up the water quickly.
It is important to make sure that your containers have adequate drainage or your plants will suffer and ultimately die if the roots are permanently sitting in water. If your containers sit on the ground bottom holes may not drain readily. If they are on a patio or are just off the ground, there should be no problem with bottom holes. If you’re not sure, make side holes.
Pieces from an old broken clay pot or fly wire placed over the holes will keep the potting mix from packing around the holes and reducing drainage, as well as keeping it in the pot.
You can add some mulch to larger pots in summer to help prevent them from drying out. I like to use pea straw.
Choosing the right plants
When you’re growing in containers you will need to look for varieties that are the most suitable for growing in small areas. Many herbs make excellent container specimens. You could start with some of the smaller vegetables such as radishes, lettuce, onions, capsicum or chillies, eggplant, short varieties of carrots, bush beans etc. Container planting is ideal to try out some companion planting techniques. You’ll have better success if your plant combinations are happy ones!
If you plant in three weekly successions you may be able to achieve continuous production of some plants.
You can also try some climbing plants providing you have some trellis or railing for support. Strawberries grow well in containers, particularly hanging baskets if they are not allowed to dry out.
Location
Choose a position for you container plants where they get about six hour sun each day, preferably morning sun rather than afternoon sun.
You may also need to protect your plants from falling over in strong winds. If you have many pots they might provide some protection for each other. Place the tallest plants along walls or trellises.
Many conventional gardeners find themselves with more than just a few plants growing in containers. I wouldn’t think of any other way to grow mints as they are just impossible if they escape into the garden. And how many people have the space for a full grown bay tree, when they only use a few leaves each week?
Yes, they take a little extra care, but we are well rewarded with our bounties. Try growing a few pots together. They look great and they provide a suitable micro-climate for each other. Good luck with yours!
First Steps
Wildlife gardeners can provide breeding places and shelters for a wide range of animals including insects, amphibians and mammals. It is possible to buy nest boxes and shelters for all manner of creatures, from mason bees, bumble bees, bats and hedgehogs to ladybirds and lacewings. It is also possible to construct effective shelters economically using materials found around the garden. For instance, a great hibernating or breeding shelter for hedgehogs can be made by piling up some dry leaves in a quiet corner and leaning a sheet of plywood over it to keep the worst of the rain off.
Similarly, shelters for insects and other invertebrates can be made in a variety of simple ways, for example by drilling holes of different sizes into a piece of hardwood and leaving it undisturbed in a sunny corner of the garden or by bundling together a number of hollow stems, e.g. bamboo canes that can be left in a quiet corner. Log and stone piles also provide myriad breeding and shelter opportunities for wildlife.
Commercially produced bird nest boxes are now available for a wide range of species. Take the time to investigate the wild bird species found in your area and you can then be sure to buy the right box.
A log pile is a fantastic habitat for a whole range of creatures. Not only does it provide shelter, but as it rots many wild animals and plants will find it a rich and welcome source of food. These include stag beetles, wood wasps, woodpeckers, tree creepers, shrews, wood lice, hedgehogs, mosses and fungi. In addition, a damp log pile can provide an ideal habitat for amphibians such as toads and newts.
A Log Pile
The best time to construct your log pile is autumn. By late October many animals and insects will be looking for a safe, damp place to hibernate before the really cold weather sets in. Any wood can be used in a log pile, but native hardwood will support the widest range of insects. The size of the logs is not important, but to make a rich habitat bury the bottom layer of logs in the soil - preferably to around 10 cms deep. Many insects, such as the stag beetle, will only lay their eggs in damp, decaying wood deep in the soil. The log pile does not need to be very tall, since the top of the pile will be dry and less attractive as a habitat.
It is better to have two or three low piles than one high pile. Once your pile is established it is important to leave it undisturbed. Moving the pile disturbs wildlife and can undo all the good work you have done. A log pile may take years to rot away, but it remains an important habitat throughout its life cycle. For instance, when the stag beetle eggs mentioned above eventually hatch, the larvae may spend up to five years chewing their way through wood rotting beneath the soil. Stag beetle larvae look rather like huge white maggots. The beetles are still common in the south-east of England although they are declining dramatically due to lack of habitat. Wherever you live, you will find a wide variety of beetles inhabiting your log pile.
Some gardeners add soil to their log pile, creating a 'loggery' - the wood equivalent of a rockery. This idea works best in a cool, shady area of the garden, where it can provide an ideal habitat for ferns and other shade-loving plants.
Herb gardening is becoming more and more popular every day and for good reason. Herbs have practical value, serve a purpose and with herb gardening, you can actually get to use your plants. When most people think of herb gardening, they automatically think of cooking, but herbs are also grown for their pleasant aromas and their beauty.
One important part of herb gardening, is drying the herbs, for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them. First, the tops of leafy herbs have to be cut, washed, and hung up, for the water to evaporate. Then, tie the stems together and hang them up in a paper bag, to dry properly. After two, to three weeks, they can be removed. Crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven and store in a glass jar.
One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening, is Basil. “Dark Opal” and regular Green Basil, are beautiful additions to any garden and are often used as decoration. Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red leaves. Basil isn’t just used for its looks, it is used for extra flavour in tomato juices and pastes.
Chives are very petite looking and resemble a blade of grass. They are much stronger than they look however and will grow well, through a drought. Their toughness and sturdiness makes Chives a perfect plant, for herb gardening, especially if the gardener doesn’t want plants that require a lot of hassle. Chives are good when used in salads, egg dishes and many different sauces.
Mint is also very simple to grow and is good to use in mint jelly, mint juleps, lemonade and any other kind of fruity drink. Mint is also good in herb gardening, for its unique minty smell. Two herbs that appear in nearly everyone’s herb garden, are Thyme and Sage. Both of these herb gardening favourites, are used for flavouring soups, chicken, turkey, pork and other sausages. Sage is also grown sometimes, for its beautiful blue spiked flowers.
Lavender is probably the best smelling herb, in all of herb gardening and is often used in candles, as a perfume scent and to improve the smell in linen chests. The light purple flowers smell absolutely lovely.
Other types of herbs often grown in herb gardening, include Borage (used in salads), Chervil (used in egg dishes), sweet Marjoram (flavours lamb, fish, salad, and soup), Sesame (flavours crackers, cookies and bread) and Dill (flavours meats and used in pickles). Herb gardening allows gardeners to use herbs from their own garden, for cooking, looks and smell. Herb gardening will produce much fresher herbs, with more flavour than store-bought herbs and are a lot cheaper.
Many people are interested in gardening, but do not know the basics on how to get started. You may not be a dummy, but many people refer to themselves in that manner when they are not well versed in a subject. This is a simple way to learn how to garden when you know little about the hobby.
To get started, you should decide on what type of garden you wish to plant. Choose between a vegetable and flower garden and set aside a portion of your yard to put down the plants or the bulbs.
When choosing a spot, make sure you will get adequate sunlight for the type of plants you decide on. Once you decide on these aspects, you can purchase the necessary items to plant including a hoe, shovel, rake, spading fork and watering can.
The next step in the gardening process is to prepare the soil. You must remove the weeds and grass and till the soil. Once the ground is ready, you are ready to begin planting. It is best to plant during an overcast day to avoid the sun’s rays causing damage to your plants. To know how deep to dig your holes, you should simply plant to the depth of the pot that the plant was bought in.
Cover the plant with soil and then water it generously. The final step in the gardening procedure is to perform daily maintenance upon your garden. Continue to provide water for the plants, at least an inch a week. Remember to continue weeding and also remove the dead blossoms from your flowers. With these tips, you can start your own fun and easy garden.
Right, you're knee deep in your garden, all engrossed and blissed out, so are you going to break the spell, get up and search around for exactly the right tool to complete what you're trying to accomplish?
Well, if that tool isn't conveniently to hand, then chances are, you're going to improvise and make do with what you can lay your hands on in the immediate vicinity.
That shiny new gardening tool might look really cool, and well it's the latest thing so you've just got to have it, right? Before you part with your hard-earned cash, I suggest you think long and hard about whether you'll actually use it. Or, whether you'll use it often enough to actually justify the expense.
It's certainly tempting to buy all of the new-fangled gardening gadgets that you see advertised in the catalogues or at the garden center, and the advertisers will certainly do their best to convince you that you really can't possibly do without their super-deluxe widget. But, just stop. You've been managing perfectly well without this watchamacallit device for a long time, haven't you? You've probably already developed your very own tested way of doing whatever this device promises to do.
Now, that's not to say that this wonder gardening device wouldn't make your life easier or shorten the time it takes to carry out that essential gardening task. But, hey, this gardening lark isn't exactly a sprint is it? You're doing it because you love it, aren't you? It relaxes you and enables you to forget the other stressful aspects of your life for a few hours, so who cares if this particular task done your very own patented way takes ten minutes longer to accomplish than it would with wonder-widget?
Be honest with yourself, if you spend all that money on this ultra-modern gardening contraption, aren't you just going to go back to doing that task your own old way in double-quick time? And that expensive gardening device will just end up as the star item in your next garage sale.
With all that said, it's certainly true that some gardening jobs are definitely easier with the right equipment. If you have some disability it is also sensible to get hold of some specially-adapted gardening tools to ensure that your gardening hobby doesn't aggravate your disability.
Just be sensible and spend some time thinking about what you really need rather than emptying your wallet on something that some clever advertiser has convinced you that you want. That way your garden shed won't end up being some kind of garden implement museum, full to bursting with shiny tools that never get to justify their existence with some honest toil.