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Container Gardens: A Quick Way to Perk Up the Garden at Summer’s End

August 22, 2016

copperpotIs your garden showing the effects of this summer’s weather extremes? One way to perk it up is with containers—by either refreshing existing containers or adding new ones. Containers can add a bit of color by the front door, decorate a deck or patio, or fill bare spots in a garden bed. Nurseries generally have a good supply of plants suitable for containers from early spring to late fall.

You can use a grouping of small pots or one large container holding several different kinds of plants. Large pots will dry out more slowly than small ones. Terra cotta pots will dry out faster than plastic or ceramic. Any container will need more water and more frequent fertilizing than plants in the ground. Drainage holes in the bottom are absolutely critical. Use a good commercial potting mix in your container instead of garden soil which can carry pathogens and insects as well as being too heavy.

Designing container gardens is simple if you remember this rule: “Include a thriller, filler, and spiller.” Start with something tall to catch the eye, then fill the pot with medium sized plants, and finally, add something that drapes over the side. Think about color and texture. Get ideas for your containers at nurseries where appropriate companion plants are often grouped together. You don’t have to use flowering plants. There are enough varieties of coleus alone to meet all the design criteria. And a pot of hardy herbs by the kitchen door can last through a mild winter.

Article written by Joyce Weinberg, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Container Gardens Tags container gardening, containers

The Basics of Vegetable Gardening in Containers

April 16, 2015

Yes, you can grow veggies in small places, on patios, on terraces, even on balconies in containers. There are multiple reasons to do so, but I see it as a convenience. One can place a container almost anywhere, and assuming there’s enough light, almost any veggie can be grown in it. The only negative about container veggies is that they will require more frequent watering than in-ground vegetables.Container-box-planting-

There are some fairly specific “rules” to follow when growing vegetables in containers.

The container, whether it is plastic, wood, or terra-cotta, must have good drainage. If purchased pots are being used, try to get ones with drainage holes around the sides rather than in the middle. If you create containers from 5 gallon buckets, drill the holes on the side of the bucket rather than in the bottom. Vegetable roots will drown in standing water.

Growing medium for your vegetables can be a packaged ready-made, soilless mix, a packaged potting soil, or your own mixture of equal amounts of peat moss, soil, vermiculite (or perlite) and manure. Whichever one you choose, fertilizer will be needed throughout the growing season. Slow-release fertilizer should be added as you prepare the mix. Through the growing season, water-soluble fertilizer may be the easiest way to provide the nutrients your veggies need to produce fruit.BarrelVeggie

Sow seeds in your container as you would into the ground. Transplants are done the same way. Tall vegetables and vining ones are going to need stakes or trellises. Growing vegetables in a large enough container is important. Roots need space. Five gallon buckets or equivalent size containers are ideal for larger veggies.

Most important, container vegetables must not be allowed to dry out. Consistent moisture is the key to success. Let your finger be the judge of moisture. During warm and windy days, watering twice may be necessary. If containers are allowed to dry out completely, feeder roots are damaged and fruit production is minimized. Using mulch on top of your container will aid in moisture retention; soilless mixes dry out faster than soil mixes. Moisture beads can be added to the mix before planting. Soil dries out faster in terra-cotta pots.DeckVeggies

After production has ceased, plant material and growing medium should be disposed of to prevent spread of disease. Containers should be disinfected with a 10% chlorine bleach solution before using for your next crop.

Online informational brochures are available for selecting products and plants for container vegetables. There is information on what size containers to use for each individual type vegetable, plant varieties to use for best results, and recipes for growing mediums, etc. These are provided by universities who have done research on what works best. Links for some are:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-create-a-container-garden-for-edibles-in-the-north-carolina-piedmont

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/organic/files/2011/03/E-545_vegetable_gardening_containers.pdf

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1647.html

Article written by Patsy McNatt, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Container Gardens, Vegetables & Fruits Tags containers, vegetable gardens

Protect Your Potted Hardy Plants

January 4, 2014

Blog Post Borrowed (with permission) from Jason Reeves, Research Horticulturist at the University of Tennessee.

With the upcoming single digit temperatures predicted, you may want to think about protecting your outside potted plants.   I typically think of plants as being one full zone less hardy when in a pot as opposed to being planted in the ground.   Let’s take Loropetalum for example.   It is a zone 7 (0 to 10 ˚) plant.  If the temperatures drop between 10 – 20 ˚ (Zone 6) for any length of time, I would be concerned with it setting above ground.   A lot of hardiness has to do with the length of time that the temperature is held at such.   One night at 10˚ will likely do little to no harm but a few days at or below 10˚ could be the kiss of death.

Hardiness Zones are as below:

Zone 5 is -20 to -10˚;  Zone 6  is -10 to 0˚;  Zone 7 is 0 to 10 ˚;   Zone 8 is 10 – 20˚

There are several things you can do to help protect plants with questionable hardiness.  The most obvious is to move them indoors.   An enclosed garage usually does the trick.   You can bring them into a heated space, but it is best for them to remain dormant so don’t leave them in for more than a few days.   Other options include digging a hole in the ground and planting pot and all,  but that’s probably not an option today or tomorrow.   Raking leaves or pulling mulch around the pots is another option.   You can even pile leaves over the top for added protection.   If the plant is a conifer (needled evergreen), don’t leave the raked leaves over the foliage for an extended time (several weeks) or you stand a chance of causing damage to the foliage.

Typical Home Nursery
Typical Home Nursery

Any plant that is borderline hardy as well as plants that are considered hardy once established, but were fall planted (in the ground) would also benefit from some added protection of leaves and mulch.   Plants I would be most concerned with include loropetalums, crapemytles, gardenias, edgeworthias, less hardy cultivars of Encore azaleas, variegated chinaberry, ‘Florida Sunshine’ Illicium and purple muhly  grass.

Contrary to what many people think, most all plants, particularly those that hold their foliage during the winter need to be well watered before the soil freezes.   Once the soil freezes the plant cannot take up moisture but the foliage continues to need water and will desiccate in the winter wind.  Once the soil freezes the plant cannot take up moisture but the foliage continues to need water and will desiccate in the winter wind.

Another thing to keep in mind is that as temperatures begin to rise , the freeze/thaw cycles do damage to the root systems.   It is best if plants held in pots can be placed in a shaded location to temper the thawing process.

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Categories Container Gardens, Seasonal Chores Tags containers, freeze, hardiness zone, potted plant, protection, zone

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