Container Gardening

I have been looking at container gardening and wow there are a lot of ways to grow things and things to grow them in. There really are no rules about what you can grow a plant in. I saw gardens that were planted in old boots and shoes and in those vertical shoe bags. You know the kind that hung on the closet door? I found whole gardens planted in PVC pipes with holes drilled to plant seeds or a seedling every 4-6 inches or so. Plastic gallons laid on their sides and the top side cut out, tomatoes grown in shopping bags, potatoes grown in sacks, etc., etc., etc. There is just no limit!

Well it convinced me that where there is a will to grow plants, there is a way. If you just look around your environment I bet you could find something you could grow a plant in that wouldn’t cost you a thing.

When I was a kid, my grandfather started all his plants in tomato paste cans and then when the seedlings grew he transferred them to tomato cans. And those plants got pretty big before he put them in the ground and staked them. Well he staked the tomato plants I mean. He also grew peppers and cucumbers and other things, but I was most interested in the tomatoes. Nothing like sinking your teeth into a ripe tomato you just picked off the vine. Ah, I really miss that. If that isn’t incentive to start gardening, I don’t know what is. Most people don’t even know what a tomato is supposed to taste like.

I just have to tell you this story: My grandfather missed the fig trees he had in Italy and he was determined, against all the experts that said it couldn’t be done in NJ, to grow a fig tree. He had to do it in a container because it would have to come inside during the winter. So he used a 5 gallon bucket and a lot of burlap and a lamp to make it warmer and he did it! He made all us kids stand in line and one at a time pick a fig to enjoy. I think that was the first fig I ever had and I was hooked. So don’t underestimate what can be grown in a container! So do you have a favorite fruit or vegetable? Go for it!

Now, what can I tell you about container gardening? Well if you aren’t ready to dive into creating a whole garden in your backyard because you don’t have the money or the time, or you don’t even have a backyard, container gardening can get you started. The simplicity is that all you need is a bit of soil, a seedling and something like a pot to grow it in. 

You can use a potting mix of soil or get soil from the ground and modify it with perlite and vermiculite, pumice or any of the amendments I have mentioned in the amendments blog. The object is to not create root rot or have the plant dry out.  If there are no drainage holes you can grow plants that don’t mind wet roots or you can drill some holes in the bottom to let the water drain.

The three things to look at regarding containers are: 

Volume- is it big enough for the plant you are trying to grow. You can find out about this on the seed container or at the location you are getting the seedling from, or you can just google it. Most vegetables need at least 6 inches of soil depth for their roots, but more is better.

Material- if it is good for you and if the plant will thrive in it or not. Sometimes there is no telling and you just have to experiment. 

Drainage- especially important in container gardening to prevent root rot and also the opposite, drying out too fast. The smaller the container the faster it dries up, so if you don't want to have to water too often, pick a larger pot.

Here is some information about different materials:

Pottery- This is the most thought of when you say container gardening. It is the classic scene, beautiful terracotta pots with thriving plants. But it is important to know the downside of these pots too. They are heavy even before you put soil in them, so moving them around is difficult. They are also brittle. If you bang onto them or tip them over they can easily shatter. They can also crack during a freeze and they tend to be expensive. 

But they are beautiful and they are porous so air can get to the roots and if you tend to overwater the water can evaporate out and not cause root rot. And they protect the plant from sudden temperature shifts because they are insulating. 

You can also use a terracotta pot to create a watering system called an Olla by burying one near your plants so the top of it is even with the ground. And when you fill it with water it will seep out to provide a steady source of water. Of course you have to clog the drainage hole of the pot or use one that has no drainage hole and you have to have a cover on it to prevent evaporation.

Wood- A wonderful material for container gardens. It is natural and lightweight and durable, so you can move the container around to chase the sun or to bring in and out of doors. You can build cheap wood containers out of scrap wood. Wood pallets and pallet collars are often used for this. I read that places that get a lot of shipments are happy to get rid of these things. I wonder if Costco or even a supermarket would be a source.

The drawbacks of using wood are that eventually the wood rots and that you have to be careful to avoid chemically treated wood. Heat treated wood is not toxic so it is fine.

Plastic- It is all over the place. It isn’t good for the environment to throw away plastic, so it is good to reuse it over and over. Like plastic bags, people usually have an over abundant supply of plastic pots. You can ask around and probably get a bunch for free.

Plastic containers are light, durable and moldable. They are the easiest to move around the garden or the apartment. They also keep plants from drying out too fast.

Some plastics are better than others as far as safety is concerned. If the plastic has a 1 in that triangle of arrows it is PET plastic and is good for short term use, but as it wears it can release more and more chemicals. 

If the number is 3, it is PVC and it is OK to use as long as it does not get over exposed to heat and light.

And you want to avoid the number 7. It leaches BPA. 

All other numbers are considered safe.

Metal- is light, strong and not porous. It is easy to move around, and doesn’t dry out plants. It can be a drawback in extreme temperatures though. Although it can protect against frost and insulate and doesn’t crack it can also retain cold for longer. It also heats up and retains heat which could be too much in full sun.

Another discovery I made was the existence of Grow Bags. These may be the holy grail of containers. They look like cloth shopping bags. They have handles to pick them up by and they do something very interesting to the roots of plants. It makes them branch out more because the tips of the roots dry out so can’t keep growing like a tap root. This is called Air Pruning. This makes an incredible network of roots that creates robust health in the plant and you can just plop them down anywhere and move them like a shopping bag. You could have a whole mobile garden. 

Well I think you might agree that the only limit to your ability to have some kind of garden would be your willingness and imagination. But then that’s no surprise. It’s kind of that way with everything. I hope I have told you something to spark that willingness and imagination.