Want to start a container garden. Need advice about winter, please.
Tara
5 years ago
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Need advice on how to start tomato gardening in containers
Comments (7)Hi darcyd, In case this stuff about self watering containers seems a bit much at first, don't let it deter you from just enjoying the experience of growing tomatoes in a simple pot. My 5 year old got a lot of joy putting some seeds in a wet paper towel (she copied daddy on her own) and seeing them actually start to grow something. If you make things too complicated with kids at that age, they often lose interest. Although my main tomato plants are in homemade earthboxes (aka "self watering" or "sub irrigation planters"), I had a couple of extra sweet 100 seedlings and planted one in a spare pot and another in the ground by my composting area. Growing the one in the pot was the simplest thing to do as I just put some potting mix in, transplanted the seedling from the plastic cup, put a handful of cheap 9-12-12 fertilizer (not too close to the plant), put a couple of handfuls of pine mulch on top, then watered it occasionally. I later bought a tomato cage and used some twine to secure it against the fence and this is what it looks like now: It's not in the best location since it doesn't get direct sun all the time but it still grew like a weed and has all kinds of tomatoes on it. Last week, I pinched off all of the growing tips near the top and am not expecting a full season of tomatoes from this guy but it's all still worth it and it's a great thing for kids to experience....See MoreNew garden advice needed, please. (Not about plants)
Comments (25)I garden on 3 country acres that have lots of sloped spots. We have worked with what was there and have not terraced. We have put in two sets of stairs on our steep slope (like yours but wider and shorter from top to bottom). One set of steps is brick and 3 ft. cement pavers: the other is a wooden staircase with a landing and change of direction. (Wet wood can be slick). I can't say enough good things about groundcovers and I am happy with some that smaller, flatter gardens do not need. 1.First I would push yellow Archangel--Lamiastrum galeobdolon- green and silver foliage with yellow May blooms. It looks wonderful with daffodills or other spring bulbs pushing up through it. Part to full shade. I got mine free at a Community plant exchange years ago. It took on a steep slope like yours that was covered with poison ivy, tree of heaven and nettles!! 2. Lamiastrum Herman's pride-- less aggressive.-same colors 3. Lamium--I have White Nancy, and Beacon Silver--part shade. There are other colors. 4. Vinca--It sort of just comes. When it comes with gift plant or appears in my perennial border, I always have a needy place to put it. Can be sheared. Shade 5. Lysimachia nummularia--Creeping Jenny. The golden form is sold for ground cover or container planting. The green form comes around here by itself where ground is moist. Both can be useful.Sun or shade. 6. Ajuga--any and all. Bronze/purple ones are good for color contrasting with burgundy foliaged stuff. 7. Waldensia--Barren Strawberry--mostly a weed but an interesting one for smaller space carpeting. Yellow flowers, red no-edible "strawberries" 8. Ferns 9. Violets--weeds in perennial border, welcome on hills. On West-facing slope with 4-6+ hours sun.(4th year) 1. clumps of ornamental grass across top of hill. Need shearing in spring. 3 clumps of grasses on slope. Tricky to shear in spring but very helpful in look, either from distance or from windows above. 2. Swaths of black-eyed susans (near base of slope) 3.Swaths of cluster bell flower (near base) 4. Common purple cone-flower--swath slanting up hill. 5. Meadow sage (half up) 6. Yarrow gold plate(Near grasses at top of hill 7. Ox-eye daisy--near base 8. Gooseneck lysimachia (this has not done very well because soil is too dry to encourage it much. In addition, without my interference, dry land forget me nots, columbine, vernonia, perennial yellow foxglove, and ladybells have "come". Some live in other parts of property. Some of these are not technically groundcovers but they increase by root and self-seeding, can be left with seeds to attract birds, can be weed-whipped. It's been some work to establish but each year gets easier....See MoreStart of a cottage garden-need advice please!
Comments (11)Lovely gardens, both Kathy's and Libby's! Derrick, you are at the really fun part of making a cottage garden and that is the planning part. I suggest you look at lots of pics and gardening sites, books, as well as seed catalogues, and make a list of your fav plants. The ones that are easy to grow from seed should be started first and others can be purchased as you find them. Curving beds, various plant heights in undulating waves, and whatever colors you choose will make your garden cottage style as well as your personal statement. Make a drawing to scale of your yard if you are so inclined. It will help you to remember what you have planted from year to year and also where you might add other plants. A birdfeeder and bath will bring those garden helpers in. A nice place to sit and enjoy your work is always nice. Oh, and my personal garden essential, I hope you have or will start a compost!...See Morewant new winter varieties in garden...seeking opinions/advice
Comments (6)Thank you both for your attentive answer to my inquiry. I don't have too much issue with the SVB. They usually destroy my first crop of zucchini right around the time I get tired of picking 5 or 6 new squash every 2 or 3 days... I just pull the plants and start new ones in their spots and by the time I am missing having zucchini, they are back in business again! They also usually take out my pumpkins (regardless of the type) before I get more than 1 (sometimes 2) nice pumpkins from the vine. It's sad, and unfortunate but I don't really mind. I might have to stick with moschata types though, since I was able to harvest 4 nice sized butternuts without any attention being given to them last summer (lots of traveling, little time for gardening). As far as the ability to get creative with my plants... The area I grow them in my tiny little yard is right next to the south side of my house. It is the farthest corner of my yard from my backdoor, and it is very warm there - reflection off the WHITE exterior of my wall certainly helps, I think. Anyway, this area is about 9 feet wide by 12 feet long. I put a bed in there, shaped like an "E". The Backbone of the "E" runs along the side of my house and is 12 feet long. The backbone is about 3 feet wide. Then the "spokes" coming off the E are each about 4 feet long and about 2.5 feet wide. This gives me just enough space to be able to access each area via a walkway. Two of the spokes have 7 foot trellises "permanently" in place. The trellises are 10 feet long 4x4's from recycled wooden pallets, with a cross brace and nylon garden netting for the vines to grow up. Last year this space was used for onions (the base of the E - no trellis), a cheyenne bush pumpkin (I got one nice sized pumpkin from it) and two butternut squash plants. The area got completely overgrown with weeds, as I was unable to really get in there to tend it given my schedule this past summer, but I still got 4 nice sized butternuts out of it. No weeding, no watering, etc. I just went back there to harvest when the time was right. So, creativity wise, I think I have it covered (although I'd be interested to hear other suggestions). I have another area I "could" run the vines if necessary, but that area has been decided will become a "naturalized" flower bed for my wife. The bed will kind of hide the squash vines running up and over the trellising from the street view. So, I don't want to actually have the plants running on the ground in there... kind of defeats the purpose....See MoreTara
5 years agoTara
5 years agoTara
5 years agoTara
5 years ago
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zekeafroid (Z7 - South Jersey)