Hi Nathalia .... welcome to a lifetime of fun and even some frustration ! I wonder if you looked in the Texas gardening forum you will find some ideas about how to handle the heat. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/txgard/
Also the vegetable forum might have some ideas for you.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/cornucop/
Here's link to the strawberry thread
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/edible/msg0323371521466.html?9

I take it that you can't dig into the ground of the rental house? Re: the summer heat .... can you give your plants some shade in the hottest parts of the day? Shade from the house or trees or fence? Another thing you may want to assess is the micro-climate in your yard ... cement or reflective surfaces, wind/air cirulation. I think that container-grown plants are more sensitive to these factors than ground-grown plants.

I've used those containers sunk into the ground to foil gophers. I also have a row of black 15 gal pots sunk into the ground ... In both cases, because they are sunk into the soil, I don't seem to have the same watering problems that I do with my other container plants. I've had good success with tomatoes, beets,bok choy,squash,bell & hot peppers,garlic, bush beans in these containers.

anyway ... hope this helps.

Tomatoes, green peppers and cukes will be the easiest for you to do in containers, especially since you're new. Of course all those are possible....once you get a little more experience. Make sure your containers have drainage and use a good soil mix. Good luck!

I'd look to your local extension office for informational handouts on what and how to grow various edibles. They will have all the scoop on soil prep, watering, varieties that do best in your climate, ones to avoid, etc.

FWIW, raised bed gardening is one of the easier ways of getting started - there are various kits on the market but you can easily make your own using inexpensive concrete blocks used to build foundations or retaining walls. If you want to start smaller, the tubs or any other plastic containers will work. Be sure to provide adequate drain holes and skip the part about adding a layer of gravel, rocks or broken pottery to the base -- it does nothing to improve drainage and can actually impede good drainage by elevating the PWT (perched water table).

There is a somewhat different approach involved with raised beds compared to planting in tubs - the tubs are containers, essentially a closed system and unable to share the advantage of melding with the actual garden soil. As such, there is a limit to what populations of beneficial soil organisms may be present and therefore, organically based fertilizers may not produce very satisfactory results. Just keep in mind that a 100% organic methodology may not be the best solution for a container garden.

You might want to visit the Container Gardening forum for additional information and recipes for a high quality potting soil.....you do not want to use garden soil or a cheap potting soil. Spend your money on the good stuff....if you are gardening in containers, a good quality soil is the most important ingredient.

g'day nathalia,

not wanting to reinvent the wheel, you are welcome to visit our site we are sure there will be some ideas there for you.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

Hi Nathalia,
All of those edibles you mentioned are pretty easy. The easiest way to grow them is in containers. The most important part of growing in containers is watering, in my opinion. In your zone and dry climate, you would have to be able to water every day, and in the very hot days, in the morning and evening. If you have the water, and it is not rationed, nor expensive, and you have the time to do it, you can get various cheap containers, or perhaps get them free from craigslist or freecycle or a garden center.
The next important thing is soil. You would want a good quality potting soil, perhaps with fertilizer in it, or you can add some organic fertilizers. I agree you would want to situate your plants where they get morning sun and afternoon some shade for relief. You can also do the raised beds which I do with Gardener's Supply raised bed kits. I got the most inexpensive one with the most square footage. It is made of plastic and easy to assemble but you definitely can make your own with bricks, cinder blocks, wood (not treated wood), altho wood will rot eventually. Peppers really like the heat and sun and dont' take much room. Potatoes especailly are easy in containers. Blueberries are perennial and deciduous, they will come back each year.
Laurie

I'm not sure I would spend my money on storage tubs for planting in when many different kinds of containers for growing plants in are readily available. Most of those storage tubs are 4 times the cost of many flower pots.
There are numerous places to learn about growing plants in containrs and good information can be found at the Organic Gardening magazine web site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Gardening magazine

You might be looking for information on homemade earthtainer or SWC (self-watering container) gardening. Do a search for "earthtainer" on gardenweb or go over to the container gardening forum there is a lot of info there.
One thread that came up is linked below.
Best of luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/sqfoot/msg021801303690.html

Old concrete blocks can often be had for free, and they make good walls for raised beds, and don't dry out so quick (be sure to fill the spaces for that reason).

Congrats for getting into gardening. You can grow most of those things you mentioned in pots.

blueberries: I grow a variety called 'Sunshine Blue' in a pot. Sunshine Blue is a smaller blueberry. It also has a low chill requirement which I need here in Florida and you may need in Texas. I use a pinebark/peat soil mix.

tomatoes: Unless you get one of those tiny patio plants you should get at least a 5 gallon container. The bigger the container the less often you will need to water it.

cucumbers and green pepers: can be put in a smaller container than tomatoes, but bigger is better.

Do not let your plants get full afternoon sun in the middle of summer. This is important. Things that like full sun up north do not like it here in Florida or in Texas either I would assume. That is what is great about containers. You can move them. You can place them to get the most sun in the spring and early summer and move them to morning sun in the hottest part of summer. Also you should know that tomatoes will not set fruit in really hot temperatures so check with on the Texas forum about when you should plant them.

Good luck and don't be heartbroken if you have a setback in the garden. It happens to everyone.

Hi Nathalia. I live in SA, too, so I'm going to give you very specific suggestions.

First of all, it was only last year when we had a lot of 100+ degree days. Normally it would take years to accumulate as many really hot days as we had last summer. This is not to say you can ignore heat. From April through November we will have plenty of heat.

Start by listening to the radio. Turn on AM 550 (KTSA) radio from 6:30 - 9:00 am every Saturday and again on Sunday morning from 9:00 - 11:00. Bob Webster hosts the best organic gardening show there is anywhere on radio or TV. I don't agree 100% with him but he's light years ahead of other radio personalities when it comes to gardening. He is 100% organic, so his only advice on garden chemicals is to stay completely away from them.

You can visit with Bob Webster or his people at his nursery, Shades of Green, on Sunset Road between I-281 and Broadway (north of the Quarry Market). Yes he has an interest in selling you plants, but nobody in town knows more about plants, fruits, and organic gardening in Central Texas. The plants he sells are adapted to the area...unlike what you'll find at the red, orange and blue box stores. Webster sells ideas and leaves the plant selections up to you. He also puts on free seminars at his nursery on Saturday mornings. Call, listen, or visit to get the schedule. Be sure to attend the one on Tomatoes and peppers. You might have to camp out overnight to get a seat. He IS that popular.

If you live on the southeast side of town, visit Fannick's Nursery on Holmgren Rd. If you live on the west side, visit Fertile Garden Supply on Loop 1604 south of Bandera Hwy. Neither of these people will steer you wrong.

If you live in the north east, or even if you don't, visit Garden-Ville, one mile off of Nacogdoches Road outside Loop 1604 at Cibolo Creek. They only sell soil amendments, but Malcolm Beck lives adjacent to the offices out there. You can visit Malcolm's gardens on a casual stroll around the place. Look to see what he's done with his raised gardens and his row crops. He's been 100% organic since the 1960s. If you're lucky you can visit with Malcolm or his wife, Delphine, while you're there. They're retired from owning Garden-Ville but are still active in the operation. If you see either one of them, show an interest in greenhouse growing. They might take you to the most awesome greenhouse I've ever seen (and I've seen a bunch).

Of all the things you mentioned wanting to grow, blueberries are going to be the biggest headache. They like acidic soil with a pH down around 5. Our soil is limestone with a pH up around 8.0. Webster can help you with an adapted plant variety and some soil that will get you going, but don't expect buckets of berries like you'd find in Labrador.

For potatoes, Malcom is possibly the regional expert. Be sure to ask about his potatoes if you get the personal tour. His methods are...