Gardening Vegetable Tips For Upside Down Container Gardens
Lea's Upside Down Container Garden
The series of posts this week will be on gardening vegetable tips for upside down vegetable gardens. Everyone has seen the “Topsy Turvy” for growing tomatoes, peppers and strawberries right? Well, I am here to tell you that you don’t need to go out and spend 20 dollars every time you want to grow an upside down plant. My cousin has been doing this method for tomatoes for a couple of years now and has great success doing so. As you can see from this picture from last year she has done a fantastic job.
The main method is using 5 gallon pails as she did. The idea here is to get some kind of container that can hang and that is big enough for good root growth. The other thing is why limit yourself to just tomatoes. My challenge to you is to get creative and try growing other vine type vegetables. I have decided to give this a go myself and will bring you updates throughout the growing season.
My idea is to use plastic 3 liter bottles and what I am going to plant in them is peas, bush beans and pole beans. You can pretty much grow anything that has a shallow root system in containers but if you are using an upside down method I would choose more of a vine type plant.
Here are a few type plants that can be grown in upside down containers that do quite well. This is just a short list to give you some ideas and is by no means all you can do. The truth is you should experiment with many types of plants. Some may not do so well but you will never know until you try. Check back all this week for gardening vegetable tips for upside down container gardens.
• Tomatoes, All varieties
• Bush Beans
• Pole Beans
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant, Best to use smaller varieties.
• Peppers
• Strawberries
• Squash, All Varieties
All this week we will be talking about upside down container growing and detail methods and how to set them up. All contributions are welcome as usual. If you have tried some of these methods why not comment on your results.
Until tomorrow!
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April 11, 2011
· 
Don · 
4 Comments
Tags: container gardens, gardening vegetable · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
Vegetable Gardening Today In Pictures
Today’s vegetable gardening is a series of pictures on one container. What I wanted to show you is how I am planting this raised bed for maximum production. You don’t need to have an acre of land, although with an acre of land for gardening vegetables I would be setting up a booth at my local farmers market.
Today I am partially planting a 5 foot, 18 inch wide, 12 inch high, raised bed. I am planting snow peas as they don’t like the heat. They are easy to grow and fast, (About 60 to 70 days).
I planted them in two rows about 2 inches apart. All together I have about 19 plants. This should produce a nice amount of pea pods.
Here is a picture of how the seed location looks in the length of the raised bed. The soil used is about one half potting soil and one half peat moss that is why the soil is so light. It also is an airy soil so the root system will be very strong. Cover the seeds and give them a generous drink of water.
The soil is also very low acid and the peas just love it. I want to let you in on a little secret that will help your peas be very productive. I add coffee grounds right from the coffee maker and this helps keep the acid down in your soil. If you notice your stems looking very skinny and brownish, just add some coffee grounds around them and they will do just fine.
Tomorrow I will start planting the first row in the bag container system and you can bet that I will use every square inch of space I have. Remember when space is limited, its time to get vertical with your vegetable gardening.
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By following some simple strategies, you can have a garden of almost mythical proportions. And it doesn’t have to take all your spare time, or cost a fortune — in fact, you’ll be surprised by how easy, inexpensive, and rewarding it really is.
And if you read on, you can even get some freebies here!
====================================================
April 7, 2011
· Don · One Comment
Tags: growing from seeds, vegetable gardening · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
My Container Gardens And Gardening Vegetable Concepts For 2011 Day-3
My container gardens and gardening vegetable concepts are being posted for a starting point for anyone who wants to or is interested in building a space to grow vegetables. This is especially for those that have limited space. I hope you find this an interesting site and start getting creative yourself. If you have any questions just leave a comment. I will be glad to answer with my thoughts on the subject.
This will be a quick post today on Container Gardens as it has been raining for two days now and I have been halted. I finished the container bags yesterday by mixing 5 scoops of organic peat and folding the top of the bags down to make a flap. They are now ready for planting.
I will be adding a second row next week to the shelf system. This will be another 15 bags. Remember in essence by next week I will already have 30 places for planting and by the time I get done I will have 120. This is all done in a 56 sq. foot area. That my friends is plenty of herbs and vegetables to last my family all year.
The point I am trying to make here is you can grow your own food in very small spaces. All you have to do is think it through. Get 3 dimensional, think outside the box and you will find a way. Using container gardens and gardening vegetable concepts to put food on the table and take it out of the mass producers hands is a good thing on so many levels.
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April 6, 2011
· Don · One Comment
Posted in: Container Gardening methods
My Container Gardens And Gardening Vegetable Concepts For 2011 Day-2
Yesterday we covered the start of the growing season and what container gardens and gardening vegetable concepts I am going to use this year. I talked about creating space in a small area by going vertical. Now the fun begins.
Yesterday I also talked about the new concept of growing directly out of the bags of potting soil. Who needs containers? Well now it comes down as to where and how I am to place these bags of potting soil so it is not this ugly mess of bags. I bought 20 bags and took a picture of them spread on the shelves and believe me it looked pretty ugly. All is good though because I figured what I am going to do.
I narrowed the bags down to one row and I can fit 15 across a 14 foot shelf. Remember that now this is one shelf out of 4 complete. I’m not really sure if I want to do all 5 shelves this way or just the first two. Remember that the top shelf is 3′ off the ground and 4′ back so it may be a bit difficult to reach what is on the top two shelves. Anyway the fact is I am only working the bottom shelf today so let us just focus on that.
Here are the steps I am taking to ready the container bags for planting.
1. I lined the bags up on the bottom shelf upright so I get a fairly deep root system. I was able to fit 15 bags on one 14 foot shelf.
2. I have to poke holes into the bottom of the container bags for ample drainage being careful not to split the bags so the soil doesn’t fall out the bottom. Using a Phillips-head screwdriver works very well.
3. Now you know that whatever you buy in any container from the store is either half empty or half full right? It all depends on your mood for that day I guess. In my case the container bags are half full so I want to fill them the rest of the way. Cut off the tops of the bags just below the seal. A side note here: When you fill the bags they will spread out some and give you a larger growing space. This is a plus so don’t worry about the spreading of the bags.
4. Fill the empty space with good organic peat moss and mix it in with the potting soil slightly. You don’t have to go crazy as organic peat will help airate the soil and help to retain moisture. Organic peat will also help add nitrogen to your soil as it is organic matter and will decompose over time.
5. Now you are ready for planting. It is your choice weather or not you grow from seed or use seedlings. I myself use both as some plants are easier to grow than others, but that will be another post.
Ok now, our bags are set up and we are ready for planting. I am sure as time goes on there will be some tweaks to the new container system as I know that something will be able to be improved upon. In closing today I will leave you with a couple of things.
The world of gardening is wide and it has immense possibilities for those who want to explore it with the right zeal and enthusiasm. Home gardening means the ability to grow your own fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Home gardening will give you the ability to control what pesticides enter your domain, and most of all just how fresh your food will be when you take it to the table.
Remember, when using container gardens and gardening vegetable concepts in this way, even though you have a small space, you make the rules.
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If you’re like me you probably hate the idea of eating foods (and providing them for your family) that may have been grown with chemicals. “Here’s The Ultimate, ‘Take-You-By-The-Hand’ Manual For Creating & Managing Your Own Organic Food Garden – Even If You Know Nothing About Organic Gardening.”
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual
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April 5, 2011
· Don · One Comment
Tags: container gardens, gardening vegetable · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
My Container Gardens And Gardening Vegetable Concepts For 2011 Day-1
After careful planning of my container gardens and chart drawing I have come up with the gardening vegetable concept that I feel most comfortable with this year. I spent the winter visualizing and drawing up maps of what I thought would work pretty well. This is the layout with early pictures as to what will hopefully be a fruitful garden this year.
First of all I would like to start with the dimensions of the space I have to work with keeping in mind that I want a space to sit and enjoy the fruits of my labor. The space I have to work with is 14’ X 14’. Being I live in the heart of the city that is it. Last year I came up with a shelf system that suits me very well when it comes to space. The dimensions for the shelf system are as follows.
Shelf System:
5 shelves X 2 sections, each shelf is 8” wide and made up of 3= 2”X3”X7’ and
laid depth wise and spaced 1” apart then braced with 3 8” 2” X 3” scraps cut from the ends. (Nothing went to waste). I put this all together by spacing 3 5’ stringers 7’ apart. In essence I built a 14’ wide stairway. Think about it I now have a 231 square foot planting space. In other words, I took a 70 square foot of space and turned it into a 231 square foot space by using height to my advantage. Hey, when you don’t have the space get vertical…
Ideas:
In the long run I had planned on building wooden containers 3’ X 6” X 8” for the shelf system but that will have to wait for a season or two. The point here is frugality in a bad economy. Buying 2 X 3s is a cheap method especially when you can buy a 2” X 3” X 8’ for $1.24 each.
I saw on the news how another container method is becoming very popular, among us city dwellers that is. If you are container gardening why buy containers when the vary soil you purchase already comes in containers. When I saw this method this year I decided to give it a try. One of the local department stores was running a sale this week on potting mix. .99 for an 8 lb bag so I went ahead and bought 20 bags and that my friends is how I am going to fly this year. The boxes will just have to be built a few at a time until I have all 16 boxes.
In Closing:
Off to the right you will find a section called Useful links. In this section I am putting links to interesting and useful gardening information. I realize that this blog is new and the links are few but in time you will find some very useful information. I hope that you find this to be true and visit often. Until the next time we cross paths please check the Usful Links section for your zoning area.
According to The USDA Map I am zone 6b and it is time to start growing.
All this week I am covering my container gardens and gardening vegetable concepts For 2011.
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“Your Garden Bursts With Flowers, Plants, And Vegetables… Even If You’ve Never Gardened Before!”
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April 4, 2011
· Don · No Comments
Tags: container gardens, gardening vegetable concepts · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
Gardening Vegetable Container Idea’s
Ever since I moved to the city I have been using gardening vegetable idea’s to compensate for the loss of the large space I used to have for gardening in the country.
Container gardening is a fun and rewarding hobby that is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. Not only is it relaxing and enjoyable, but you get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re growing your own plants and you know where they came from! With more and more stories on the news about various outbreaks of food poisoning from things like lettuce and green onions, many people are finding it important to start growing as much of their own produce as possible.
Here are a variety of vegetables that I have successfully grown using my own container gardening.
Tomatoes are a very hardy plant that can survive in many conditions. Depending on the variety and size of container you are almost guaranteed a fruitful experience.
My wife personally likes growing Bell Peppers. If you want a nice healthy plant that produces up to 20 or so peppers give it a try.
Here is an idea that works really well.
- Buy 2 cheap plastic laundry baskets. You can usually find them in your local dollar store.
- Put them together so the holes in the sides of the basket become smaller. This also serves to strengthen the container.
- Line the container, Sides and Bottom with a cut up brown paper bag from the supermarket. This will keep the soil from spilling out of the holes on the sides of the basket.
- Fill with potting soil and plant seeds or seedlings. It’s your preference. I find that seedlings are much faster as peppers take quite a long time to reach maturity.
You may consider planting an herb basket. Now that the spring is here the time is right to start a basket filled with a variety of plants from the herb family. You may want to combine some parsley, basil and dill in one basket. They seem to do really well together.
There are many things you can do with a small space that will benefit you in so many ways. Gardening vegetable container idea’s can be both healthy and rewarding on multiple levels.
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March 29, 2011
· Don · 3 Comments
Tags: Gardening Vegetable Container Idea’s · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
Gardening tips For Container Gardens
Many people in this day of age are searching for gardening tips for their container gardens. Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you’ll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden.
I am finding that more and more Container gardens are replacing the silk and plastic variety you see in so many windows around the city streets. How many times have you walked by a window display and just had to stop to enjoy the view? Seeing these displays has sparked ideas in my head and caused me to experiment myself. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you’d rather make something really modern with timber or tiles. If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don’t want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores. If you are considering purchasing pots, don’t forget to buy matching saucers to catch the run off from watering. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors and window sills from rotting.
Some other things you may want to consider when setting up your container garden:
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If you’re like me you probably hate the idea of eating foods (and providing them for your family) that may have been grown with chemicals. “Here’s The Ultimate, ‘Take-You-By-The-Hand’ Manual For Creating & Managing Your Own Organic Food Garden – Even If You Know Nothing About Organic Gardening.”
March 29, 2011
· Don · No Comments
Tags: Gardening tips · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
Container Gardening Methods – Idea 1 – Using An Old Dresser
Dresser Container Garden
There is immense satisfaction in creating your own garden plan when it comes to small space gardening– the satisfaction derived from relaxing or entertaining in the garden as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The effort that you expend in planning and executing a design unique to you will add to the enjoyment your garden provides for years to come.
Here is an idea that works really well and will get you on your way in a very short time:
1. Find an old dresser that you no longer use. Before you put it to the curb you should re-think the uses for it.
2. Head on down to your local Home Depot and pick up a cube of peat moss, a couple of bags of gardening soil and a bag of compost. Note: This works for a small dresser. You will have to use your judgment on how much soil you will need.
3. Pull each drawer out so it looks like a stairway remembering to only have the bottom drawer pulled out only 3 quarters of the way.
4. Take some self driving wood screws probably about 1 half of an inch in length. Put 4 screws in the sides of where each drawer is. 2 front of drawer and 2 to the back. This will keep your drawers from sliding back and forth.
5. Fill each drawer with 1 part peat, 1 part compost mix and one part gardening soil and you are done.
6. Now all you have to do is decide on what you want to plant. All I know is that what-ever you plant will look really great when it is in full growth. Give it a try.
Remember, when using creative Container Gardening methods for small spaces, you will be very surprised at just how much space you actually have. Make sure you check back for more ideas and how to set them up.
================================================
By following some simple strategies, you can have a garden of almost mythical proportions. And it doesn’t have to take all your spare time, or cost a fortune — in fact, you’ll be surprised by how easy, inexpensive, and rewarding it really is.
And if you read on, you can even get some freebies here!
================================================
March 29, 2011
· Don · 3 Comments
Tags: container gardening methods · Posted in: Container Gardening methods
