Mona Lisa,

If you haven't already, go and read all the posts and discussions around tapla (Al's) container mix/watering posts.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0201290112896.html?111

Regards

I hadn't found that page yet. Thanks a million! I'll go check it out right now.

Have a nice day. Thanks again for helping me.
Gardeners are the nicest people.

Welcome to the GL region.
{{gwi:3289}}
MI by any chance?

My best advice for becoming a successful container gardener:

Learn all you can, without boring yourself to death, about container soils. Learn what makes a good soil, and a bad. The soil you use is the foundation of every planting. A poor soil makes a poor foundation and what you build on it will be far more work and more likely frustrating in the end than if you'd started with a good soil. Learn proper watering techniques. Finally, learn how plants work - what makes them tick - their physiology.

If we learn these things, we can grow almost anything, with the only major limiting factor being the amount of ambition we have and the time we can afford. Good luck, ML. ;o)

Al

Thanks,
I'm in OH.
I'll definitely take your advice.
Soil first! Isn't that pretty easy? Don't you just but a bag from the store for container gardening?
Mona Lisa

Potting soil in an Earth Box type of container. Several on the internet, unless you prefer nonself-watering containers. Many folks do. 'Course, some professionals probably see this as cheating. I see it as easy and "nearly" fool-proof.

Depending on how much time you want to spend on learning a new hobby in the short-term and long-term, you could also build a simple passive sub-irrigation hydroponic system that technically removes any gardening limitation and can help a gardener grow more plants in shorter amount of time in less space and with reduced pollution. One can, however, make one's hydroponic system as simple or as technically complex as you want with your initial investment.

With hydroponics, you would bypass the need to understand and manage (or lift and store) potting mix. Your focus and expertise would be entirely on the horticultural needs of the plants you are growing (nutrient management and simulated sunlight/darkness if required) and some sterile techniques. Because some monitoring and knowledge of plant nutrient management is involved to be successful, one probably would get to know symptoms of plant nutritional deficiencies, toxicities, and pathology very well in the process.

Mona Lisa, you can use store-bought potting mix in a bag if you would like, but I've had better results mixing my own. That way you can amend it depending on what kind of plant you're going to put in each container. For example, a cactus wouldn't like the same mix as a cucumber. Some plants like more lime than others, etc. It's really not difficult to mix your own stuff, and I would really encourage it.

This is sounding very complicate!
I read the thread that was attached up above and most of it went right over my head! ha-ha
I think I will try to find a beginning point and ease into the water....
thanks so much for the help

I made my own homemade earth boxes last year and used them for all my vegetables. Only the tomatoes really used them to the full potential. So I am using Square Foot Gardening this year along with my containers. I am really enjoying gardening again and the containers are the reason.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Container Tomatoes (PICS)