Hi miamimaters! I'm also in Miami! Your pic's didn't post though, try again. I can't wait to see what you have going on! PJ

If you have a recycling center or collection point near you, you can often find 45-55 gallon plastic barrels that can be cut in half and have holes drilled in the bottom of them for drainage. I have several that were apple juice barrels (make sure it was a non-toxic liquid in them) cut in half and painted that make very nice planters. Farm and feed stores also sell large plastic tubs with rope handles that make good containers, and any of the Rubbermaid storage totes can be converted to containers too. As a general rule when it comes to container gardening, especially if you want more than one or 2 plants in it, then the bigger the better. It costs a bit to buy all the soil-less potting mix to fill them so be sure to factor that into your budget too. And be sure to check out the Container Gardening forum here for even more helpful tips. Dave

I never did any container gardening until a few years ago, because I have plenty of garden space available. Quite a few of my urban friends and family members were having problems growing container vegetables, so I decided to take on the challenge and find out why they were struggling. I very quickly found the main problems and how to avoid them. My container gardening is now another fun but out of control hobby. :) The following are my observations and opinions regarding why my acquaintances were not being successful: 1.) Pots were undersized. I agree with others that this is the number one problem. Follow established container size guidelines for specific varieties. If in doubt about a pot size, go larger. A person must also be willing to adjust mid-season and carefully transplant a plant into a larger container if the current one is found to be lacking. Container gardening is not necessarily a "plant once and watch it grow" hobby. 2.) Plants were not being watered enough. Often during the heat of summer, containers will need to be watered as much as twice per day depending on the circumstances. If plants are wilted every day by watering time, chances of success diminish rapidly. 3.) Plants were being placed in very hot microclimates. Container plants in full sun on the south side of the house on a deck or patio on a 90 degree day will cook, roots and all. Heat-stressed roots do not happy plants make. Doubters should simply place a thermometer where the plants are and check the temperature a couple of times between noon and 3:00pm on a hot, sunny day. Trust me, vegetable plants are not happy living in 120 degree temperatures. Best scenario is as much full sun as possible, avoiding the hottest part of the day with the highest sun angle. Easier said than done, I know. 4.) Not enough sun. Full-sun plants need full sun. Half a day is not good enough. This issue should take the number 3 comments into consideration. 5.) Container plants can have high fertilizer requirements, but folks should know what they are doing. Dumping a bunch of miracle grow on your plants because "it is good for them" is not a recipe for success. A little bit of self-education is important here. 6.) Plants not given enough general attention and maintenance. Container plants need quite a bit more attention than garden plants. They should be inspected every day for disease and watering issues as well as maintenance such as pinching, pruning, staking, tying, etc. Anyone who attempts container gardening because they think it is "easy" or is a shortcut or way to "cheat" will soon be disillusioned. Personally, I have never understood this attitude. Why bother with plants if you are not interested enough to watch them grow and care for them? 7.) Be realistic. In most cases container vegetables simply will not produce as well as their garden counterparts. This is not failure. Experience will advise a person what to plant more of next time in order to compensate for reduced yields. 8.) Try to use container varieties bred for the purpose, and dwarf types if available, as well as vining types that have been bred for a bush habit rather than vining habit. As skill level increases then certainly experiment with true garden varieties. Experimenting is one of the joys of gardening, but not with the plants that are expected to provide fresh produce for the dinner table. Baby them and you will be rewarded with good eats. Good luck, and have fun. -Tom

If one were to compare compost with the common soilless mixes used and made from peat moss, ground bark fines, and/or coir one would find that compost is often as coarse, if not coarser, then those ingredients, unless the compost was screened through a very fine mesh screen. Adding perlite or vermiculite can help with drainage issues, if any. The nutrients in compost are not very readily available, soluble, so they do not show on any of the current tests iin any real numbers, but many of us that have used only compost/organic matter as our source of nutrients have found the plants we grow are usually healthier then the plants growing in "conventional" gardens and have fewer problems with insect pests and plant diseases. The best way to find good compost is to grow plants in some and look closely at them to see how they do.