Thursday, January 23, 2014

PATIO GARDENING

For those of you who would like to try their hand at growing some of their own food but don't have a lot of space here are some ideas.  Container gardening does not have to be just for flowers.  One fair size pot can raise quite a lot of fresh herbs.  Potatoes and sweet potatoes grow in pots quite well.

I have several Geo-Pots, a fabric pot that breathes and keeps the plants from becoming root bound and I have been very successful growing tomatoes and peppers in them.  After the season is over it is best to empty the pots, wash and dry them well and put them up for the winter.  With that care they will last for years. I usually put the used potting soil back in bags or a trash can and reuse it the next year.  I will add some fresh potting soil, compost and fertilizer to reconstitute the soil before refilling the pots.

A good potting medium would be as follows:
1/3      Good quality potting soil or Peat 
1/3      Good quality compost or well composted cow manure or homemade compost
1/3      Vermiculite - Vermiculite is a mineral that absorbs and disseminates water so your watering lasts                    longer.
Mix the above ingredients (In a tub or on a tarp) before adding to the pot.  Most potting soil has fertilizer so fertilization will not be necessary for a month or so.
Depending on what you are growing, i.e. tomatoes, you may need to add stakes or tomato cage or grow beside a fence.  As they grow just tie the plants to the fence and wait.  Oh, and be sure they get plenty of sun. Try mixing some epsom salts in the soil when you plant your tomatoes.

Dripworks.com has lots of information and supplies for building an automated drip system for all your plants.  You can also buy drip products at Lowes or Home Depot.

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