Using Fertilizers

Yesterday I discussed what fertilizers are and understanding the numbers on the label.  If you recall, fertilizers are either organic or inorganic and are labeled with the N-P-K content but some may also include the S content in the form of N-P-K-S.  It is important to choose a fertilizer based on the plant's needs.  If you want a nice, bushy plant with lush greenery, choose a fertilizer high in

Tips for Using Self-Watering Planters

Using self-watering planter for houseplants, on the patio or deck and in the garden makes a lot of sense.  They result is healthier, stress-free plants that are better equipped in warding of disease and infestations.  I have been busy repotting all of my houseplants and starting planted pots for outdoors using self-watering planters.  Here's a few tips for using self-watering planters:
size of

Why Use Self-Watering Planters?

There is a wide range of self-watering planters available or you can make your own.  Basically a self-watering planter consists of two chambers.  The upper chamber is the potting chamber.  There is a series of slits in the bottom of the upper chamber allowing water to be drawn from the lower chamber (water reservoir) by the plant roots using capillary action.  There is some type of hole at the

A Pot of Onions

Potted OnionsOctober 22, 2010

The milder weather has given me extra time to get plants indoors.  Yesterday I brought in a pot of onions.  I planted the onions in early June but by mid-July they were pretty much done.  I intended to dump the pot and replant but forgot.  When we returned home from our September vacation I was pleasantly greeted with some rather healthy looking growth.  It looks

A Small Picking

Mainly TomatoesAugust 12, 2010
Yesterday I noticed a few tomatoes were ready for picking.  I like doing a clean pick each day to prevent any problems and spoilage.  The larger two tomatoes to the top right are brandywines growing in the raised beds.  To the left middle the largest tomato is also a brandywine grown in a container.  There is a noticeable difference in size.  Much of this is a

Brandywine Tomatoes in Containers

Brandywine Tomatoes in ContainersAugust 12, 2010
Traditionally I have to work at growing tomatoes in containers.  I think it is more luck in picking the right variety though.  This year I have brandywines in two 5 gal containers.  In comparison to the brandywine tomatoes planted in the raised beds the vines in the containers are considerably smaller but they still seem to be producing rather well

Pickling Cucumber Update

I planted 4 planters with pickling cucumbers.  To date I have managed to get 2 pickle sized cucumbers off the vines.  I'm not impressed!  Tomorrow I will be replacing these vines with likely geraniums since the nursery has them at 50% off.  If it were closer to fall I would be planting lettuces but good gosh the summer this year has been just too hot for lettuces.  It has been a very frustrating

The First of the Zucchini Summer Squash

Zucchini Summer SquashJuly 16, 2010
I picked the first of the zucchini a couple of days ago.  The zucchini is growing in a 5 gallon container.  It has been looking quite promising but it will be interesting to see how the zucchini performs overall in the container.  I don't know the variety of this zucchini as the tag was missing when I bought it.  So far the squash is a bit misshaped but that

First of the Zucchini and Tiny Tim Tomatoes

Things are progressing nicely in the garden.  I am still planting but that is normal for the square foot garden method.  I have a lot more vegetables and herbs planted in containers this year.  This does seem to be the year of dealing with various insects and their damage but with the wild rabbits mysteriously absent there is no large scale damage so far. 

I only have one zucchini plant this

A Few Containers in my Container Garden

A Few Containers in my Container Garden June 10, 2010
My main gardening method is square foot gardening in raised beds using companion planting.  This is a high density growing method.  Currently my raised beds give me 80 square feet of growing space.  Two new beds going in will increase the growing space to 112 square feet.  In addition to that I have several large containers that tend to be

Mother's Day Herbal Gifts

There is no such thing as too many herbs!  The beauty of herbs is they can be grown indoors and outdoors without much effort.  If growing indoors the main requirement is light followed by proper watering.  Herbs tend to like to be on the dry side.  Many will grow nicely on a window sill or on the balcony.  A couple of our kids gifted me with two potted herbs for Mother's Day. 

The first potted

How to Grow Potatoes in Potato Planter Bag (3)

Once the potato foliage begins to die back the potatoes are ready for harvesting.  They can be harvested earlier as we do if you want the new, small potatoes.  Don't expect a huge yield of potatoes.  We grow mainly for the new potatoes and a bit of fresh eating, not for storage.  Potatoes routinely are on sale $7.99 for a 50 lb bag.  I can't grow enough for what we would need to store through the

How to Grow Potatoes in Potato Planter Bag (2)

I wanted to show you the entire method of growing potatoes in planter bags now so you have a chance to try it in your garden this year.  Yesterday's post showed the basic method of how to plant potatoes in bags.  This is quite a useful no dig method for growing potatoes perfect for patio or small space gardening.  Here is the second video that shows what your potato planter bag should look like

How to Grow Potatoes in Potato Planter Bags (1)

Growing potatoes is quite easy if you use a no dig method aka containers.  Most store bought potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting.  If you have some that were not treated and have sprouted you can use those or you can buy seed potatoes to plant.  You can use a plastic garbage pail with drainage holes or a potato planter bag.  These bags are meant for landscaping projects and some companies

How to Make A 5 Gallon Bucket Garden

There really is very little to do in my gardens right now other than a bit of spring clean-up on the nicer days.  I arranged to have several stumps and a couple of old beds completely ripped out yesterday morning.  This is being hired out so will be ready for top soil is less than half a day!  I may be able to do a bit of grass seeding but really it is too early yet.  At any rate I'm doing a few

A Gravity Fed Self Watering System

Keeping container plants sufficiently watered can be a problem especially on hot days or days you are away from home. I found this great video from a permaculture designer. The balcony garden plants water themselves, using 2,000 year old desert technology. The water travels from a rainwater collection tank through tubing to buried unglazed terra cotta wetpots via gravity then is distributed to

A Few Container Gardening Tips

Quite often urban gardeners are forced to grow in containers due to lack of ground space. The ground space may simply be non-existent as in apartment buildings or unavailable to use as in row housing, rental houses and residential areas governed by Home Owners Associations (HOA). While each container is small in comparison to a raised bed or traditional row garden it is surprising how

Balcony Gardening

Yesterday I introduced the topic of urban gardening. Urban gardening presents several issues because in most cases it falls into small space gardening. In some of these cases no actual ground is available for traditional row gardening and while raised beds may be an option for some those living in apartments and row housing may not be able to use raised beds due to restrictions of the tenancy.

Continuous Harvest

Commercial GreenhousesAugust 29, 2009The idea of growing edible plants indoors is not a new one. Archaeological excavations of Pompeii (79 AD) uncovered the remains of early greenhouses so they have been in use since at least that time if not earlier. The ancient Romans ensured the survival of vegetables and grapes by using greenhouses to protect produce from in-climate weather. They were the

Petunias

Common Garden Petunia(Petunia x hybrida)Very few gardeners are unaware of the common garden petunia (petunia x hybrida) with their beautiful showy, cascading trumpet shaped flowers. These plants are members of the family Solanaceae (nightshade plant) that originated in South America and are thought to be a hybridization between P. axillaris and P. integrifolia. There is a wide variety of