I'm gonna try container gardening.

[trof]

The cheapest containers I've found are Styrofoam coolers.
$1.88.

I'll poke some holes in the bottom and line with landscaping cloth for drainage.

Bought four for starters.
3 bags of topsoil and one of composted cow manure.
That sounds like about the right mix.

Bought 2 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, red and green bell peppers.
I want a salad garden.
I'll start lettuces from seed.

What do you think?

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. onions - from onion sets - ya gotta have onions!

.
.
.

they grow fast, and don't take up much space

and I grew cherry tomatoes last year, got over 1000 tomatoes off TWO plants

check the pics

[LiberalEsto]

2. The mix sounds heavy

Maybe add peat moss and vermiculite? Roots grow better in fluffy light soil. Some places also sell bags of composted leaves that are an excellent soil additive.

Tomatos, peppers and eggplant need a very small amount of lime to supply calcium. I'm not sure how much -- maybe someone else on this forum will know.

Another source of containers: if you know someone who owns a cat, they might buy cat litter in big plastic buckets. The buckets make great planters. Punch holes in the bottom for drainage. These containers are also useful for storing planting materials like potting mix, lime, vermiculite and so forth.

[trof]

3. Many thanks for the info. I'll update my progress.

[trof]

4. Starting with 4 styro coolers. Cheap!

I'm winging this. Just coming up with my own ideas.
An apple corer is an excellent tool for boring neat drainage holes in the bottom of the coolers.
Line the bottom with permeable landscape cloth.

Tomorrow I'll mix 1 bag of soil ($1.75 at Lowes) with 1/4 - 1/3 bag of composted cow manure ($1.47) in a wheelbarrow.
That just looks/sounds about right.
Bought 4 bags of dirt and one of manure.
I think one cooler will hold about 1/2 - 3/4 bag of dirt/manure.
And maybe 2 - 4 plants, depending on what they are.

Also bought seedlings.
Grape and 'regular' tomatoes.
Ichi Ban eggplant, red bell peppers, green bell peppers.
Later I'll start seeds.
Especially a variety of lettuces.
I want basically a salad garden.
We eat a lot of salads with 'something on them'.
Grilled chicken, shrimp, beef, etc.
That's our evening meal many times.

We live on 1 1/4 acre, but the soil is not good.
We had a nice vegetable garden, nourished and built up the soil over the years. huricane Ivan flooded it with salt water and wiped it out.
That's why I want a 'movable' garden.

This kind of gardening is something that's NOT labor intensive, and I think you could do it on a patio or balcony.

My total outlay, so far, is $22.10.

Wish me luck.
:-)

[Blue Gardener]

5. I use containers for tomatoes every year

I have to water more often than plants in the ground, but it's easier to control the quality of the soil. I tried cucumbers in a pot last year, but that was a flop. The powdery mildew took care of them.

Good luck!

[WolverineDG]

12. Good luck!

I tried container gardening tomatoes last year without much success, so now I'm following SFG. My local soil is worthless, so I'm layering with newspaper & other mulch, then dumping bags of soil on top. So far so good. :)

BTW, you can grow potatoes in garbage cans, so maybe you can get a big cooler or two & plant some of those as well? :)

dg

[Gormy Cuss]

14. trof, I agree with Liberal Esto -- this mix sounds a little heavy.

Mix in a bag or two of potting soil (this type has vermiculite or peat moss and other light stuff blended in with soil. Container gardening generally works better with lighter soils. IMHO the exception is the tomatoes --they'll do fine in the heavier mix.

Try planting the lettuces around the peppers or eggplant. In a few months when the weather's warm that central plant will provide some shade for the tender greens and it'll take a little longer for them to bolt.

Plan on fertilizing your garden frequently with very light doses -- that seems to work better with container cultures.

Good luck. I had a container garden for the first year that I lived here in part so that I could move it around and find the best spots for the framed raised beds. My soil is heavy clay and in our dry summers that turns into adobe -- only the most ambitious roots ever break into the unamended soil.
That first year I grew tomatoes in 5 gallon containers and they did just fine. I supported the plants by using a cage in the pot and placing the pots near a retaining wall.

[hippywife]

6. I personally wouldn't let any of my food

anywhere near styrofoam. Also, they probably won't hold up.

[trof]

22. How come?

[hippywife]

24. Styrofoam is a non-stable

petroleum based product. Under the stresses of sun and water, how much and how many chemicals are going to leach into your soil, which is feeding your plants?

[Lorax]

7. 5 gal containers

Do you have access to any 5 gal containers, like pickle buckets? I have a bunch saved from laundry detergent. I plan on trying that out this year. I've also been thinking about calling some local burger places to see if they have any they will give me.

[Blue Gardener]

9. Find someone with cats

I have plenty of leftover buckets form buying cat litter. I give them to whoever will take them.

[hibbing]

10. cat litter

Hi,
I too used the gigantic cat litter containers. I had five containers of tomatoes. Oddly enough the one plant that was a "container" one produced the least. This year I am going to try some other things, I am not sure what, but I'll have to decide soon!

Peace

[hippywife]

13. I tried that last year

and it didn't work out so well. Most of them get their stuff in cans now instead of the pails. I was only able to round up a few. But as Blue Gardener suggests, cat litter pails were easy to find. I eve posted in the Wanted section of Craigslist and got a bunch.

:hi:

[Lorax]

15. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the tip about containers. I just might post an ad in my Craig's list. Good idea.

[Blue Gardener]

16. If you were in Eastern Iowa

I could give you a whole stack of buckets. :hi:

[Dover]

8. Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention - A Discussion About Soils

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg010937265978.html?99

[BOSSHOG]

11. I think you have a great idea Trof

Hope you have a bountiful harvest.

[lib2DaBone]

17. I tried the "upside down" tomatoes this winter (in Florida)

You know, where you hang the 5 gallon bucket on a tree and plant the tomatoe plant upside down so it hangs like a vine?

Not so good. The frost killed the first 2 crops. Then I swutched to just plain old tomoato plants in a regular 5 gallon bucket (right-side up) and they are doing great. I used potting soil and Blackcow.

The secret is to keep them wet all the time.. they seem to love water..

I also starfted Onion sets in 5 gallon buckets and Green bell peppers in 5 gallon buckets, and they are doing great.

If you need 5 gallon buckets, just look in the dumpsters or where they are paining a house. They throw away really nice plasic 5 gallon buckets from paint. Rinse them out and they work great.

[pengillian101]

18. I always try something new.

Years ago, I did traditional gardening with mostly success. Raccoon and deer damage to crops don't count, eh?

Experimenting is ALL the fun! Go for it.

Edit - spell.

[pengillian101]

19. Styrofoam coolers

I just don't know. I don't think they will breathe enough for your plants. Poking holes ain't the same as breathable containers.

Good luck to ya :-)

[amerikat]

20. I get 5 gallon spackle buckets for free at the recycling center.

Most times they have plenty. If they don't I ask them to save
some for me, and they do. Very easy to clean. I leave them out
in the rain to loosen any spackle and then scrub them clean and rinse.

I agree with the other posters about the soil being to dense/heavy.
You should add some vermiculite or pearlite.

Also you must keep them watered, once the plants are damaged by to little
water they never really recover to full strength,

Good luck and happy gardening!

[Kolesar]

21. Is it necessary to have an "overflow tray" to store a little extra water?

Commercial pots usually have an overflow tray that is snapped to the bottom or as a discrete part that you set the pot on. If you are gardening indoors, you certainly need an overflow tray to keep the water off of your floors. I would think that outdoor containers would benefit from having an overflow tray to store an extra pint of water, though.

[trof]

23. I could use the tops to the coolers.

[wildeyed]

25. Here is a picture of mine from last year.

I used an old utility sink, diaper pail (done with that, yeah!) and some pots that once held shrubs from the garden center. Cost, $0. The Styrofoam will be very fragile and probably not last another year. Keep you eyes out for second hand containers that will convert into large pots for next year. Someone here did a great roof top garden last year with bulk containers that previously held kitty litter :)

Some hints, add waterwise crystals to you soil. The hardest part of container gardening is keeping the plants form drying out on hot days. Also, save 1 and 2-liter soda bottles. Poke tiny holds, bury the end in the soil and water through those. The water trickles into the soil slowly, giving the plants an opportunity to absorb the moisture. Good luck!

[trof]

26. Looks great! Thanks for the tips.

[Zoigal]

27. Definitely second the addition of water absorbing granules in the

mix. A little goes a long way in keeping the roots moist. Or, i've found that a small drip system
works well, too. Usable for quite a few years. Good luck. I'm going the raised bed route again this
year. z

[mod mom]

28. I've bought fiberglass pots @ Target on clearance over the years and have been very happy.

I have a walkout flat roof and moved my garden up there after my puppies raided the ground garden (jumped over the fence). I have found using worm poop (can be purchased at Target) has helped provide nutrients for our plantings. Tomatoes grow very big and heavy so make sure you have a container than can withstand wind as well as hold strong enough stakes to support the growth.

:hi:

[NJCher]

29. Here's a great deal of information on growing container tomatoes

http://www.dailyherald.com/special/givinggarden/tomato.asp


Cher