The Vegetables Gardening : 4 Books In 1, How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year and Design Your Edible Garden Like a New Outdoor Living Room (The Complete Gardeners Guide) by Markham Roger & Holmes Mathews

Author:Markham, Roger & Holmes , Mathews [Markham, Roger]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2020-12-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 2: VEGETABLE INSPIRATION

How to Create a Container Garden

A container garden can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Once you learn how to choose your materials, what tools you need, and how to prepare your containers, you can get started.

Materials and Tools Needed

•Containers or pots

•Drill (if the pot doesn’t contain drainage holes)

•Potting soil

•Trowel

Containers come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. You can purchase containers, repurpose old gardening pots, use 5-gallon buckets, or invest in lightweight grow bags.

The size and depth of the container you use will depend on what plants you grow in them. Shallow-rooted plants (e.g., lettuce and greens) can grow in a space as little as 6 inches deep, but more giant vegetables (e.g., tomatoes) require larger, deeper containers such as a 5-or 10-gallon pot.

Preparing and Modifying Containers

Getting your container ready for planting can mean simply selecting the pot and filling it with soil. However, there are other steps you should take to ensure you get the healthiest vegetables and have a positive experience.

1. Select your containers based on the vegetables you intend to plant. Take note of plant spacing and mature plant size to determine if multiple vegetables or herbs can grow in one pot.

2. If you’re reusing gardening pots, wash them with a 10 percent bleach mixture to kill any pathogens remaining from a past crop.

3.Unless you’re using grow bags, ensure the pot contains several drainage holes. If the pot doesn’t have holes, drill several holes in the bottom. Beware of containers with self-contained drainage trays. During heavy rains, the water can fill the reservoir, and without the ability to drain, the saturated soil can kill your plants.

4. For containers deeper than 18 inches, you can place a smaller inverted pot at the bottom. This saves money (you use less soil) and reduces the weight.

5. Consider placing large containers on wheeled plant caddies, in case you ever need to change their location.

Filling Your Containers

For vegetables growing in containers, you need potting soil or potting mix. Garden soil (from your yard or in bags) should not be used because of its water-holding capacity and inability to drain well.

You can purchase a bagged potting mix or mix your own (see here ). If you choose a bagged mix, keep in mind that many nonorganic mixes contain synthetic fertilizer. If you choose an organic potting soil, you can add a granular, slow-release fertilizer, following the dosage instructions on the bag.

When you’re ready to fill your container, leave only 1 to 2 inches of space at the top. The soil will compact, giving you more space for watering and mulch as the season progresses.

How to Build a Raised Bed Garden

You can find a myriad of options and plans for building a raised bed, but I’ll share the most basic plan.

Preparing Your Site

The most important part of preparing your site is making sure it is level. Measure out the bed size and check its slope with a leveling tool. If there is any slope to the ground, you may need to scrape one side until the land is level on all sides.

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