Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

containers

Online Seminar: Container Gardening – Seasonal Transitions, September 21

Gardening in the Mountains presents:
Container Gardening – Seasonal Transitions

Thursday, September 21, 2023
10 – 11:00 a.m.

Virtual attendance via Zoom video and audio internet connection

Presenter: Laura Carter, co-owner of Thyme in the Garden

We all love a beautiful patio pot, a garden creation. But seasons change, plants grow old, and our pots need rejuvenation. Laura Carter, co-owner of Thyme in the Garden, will show us how to extend the life of our planted pots and how to transition them from summer into fall and beyond. She will guide us with design tips, plant selection, and practical planting advice to extend the season and make the most of those small garden spaces.

Laura’s interests and background in studying nature, plants, and gardening, go back to her studies at Warren Wilson College and then onto her agricultural apprenticeship in the UK in 2003-2005. Through the last 15 years of helping her family with Thyme in the Garden, she has also sought time to build her own artistic and horticultural practice, with managing a community garden and creating journals, drawings and paintings focused on plant growth and cycles.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Register on Eventbrite

Zoom seminar access: After registration, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to join this online live broadcast via Zoom. The ability to access Zoom through a computer, tablet or smartphone with a reliable internet connection is necessary to attend.

 

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

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.

The Basics of Vegetable Gardening in Containers

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.

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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