Container Gardening - moved from "other interests"

Calicolady

New member
NOTE!: these posts were moved from the "Other Interests" thread in Chit Chat.

Jim

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Original Post

Joec, we don't have soil. If you're born here, you don't know what soil is. Sand is our soil. That and coral and more sand. No joke!
I tried tomatoes when I first got my first house here.
They sucked even after ammending the soil. And the crop was minimal.
I can't take the weather and won't be mosquito meat in the dead of summer.
I do grow herbs and cherry and grape tomatos in pots on the lanai, and my orchids are fantasic this year, though they just started blooming a couple of weeks ago.
But gosh, do I miss my roses and fresh corn.
Also, we're in an Assoc. here, and they restrict what you can do with your property. Part of the fees go to lawn maintenance, and they don't want property owners impeding the landscapers. No clothes lines or fences either. And I DO miss the clothes line. (Just a hick at heart! LOL!)
 

GrantsKat

New member
Re: Other interests

Joec, we don't have soil. If you're born here, you don't know what soil is. Sand is our soil. That and coral and more sand. No joke!
I tried tomatoes when I first got my first house here.
They sucked even after ammending the soil. And the crop was minimal.
I can't take the weather and won't be mosquito meat in the dead of summer.
I do grow herbs and cherry and grape tomatos in pots on the lanai, and my orchids are fantasic this year, though they just started blooming a couple of weeks ago.
But gosh, do I miss my roses and fresh corn.
Also, we're in an Assoc. here, and they restrict what you can do with your property. Part of the fees go to lawn maintenance, and they don't want property owners impeding the landscapers. No clothes lines or fences either. And I DO miss the clothes line. (Just a hick at heart! LOL!)

calico have you had success with your potted tomatoes? I would really love to grow some, but as you said, all we have is SAND!:glare:
 

Calicolady

New member
Re: Other interests

Yes, GK. Not a bumper crop I could hand out to neighbors, as I have 1 plant per pot and they are "bush" variety. But they give me enough for salads and pop in your mouth.
I planted in 10"-12" clay pots (I like clay & use for everything)
with Miracle Grow Moisture Control Soil Mix, and feed every 2 weeks about with Miracle Grow Tomato fertilizer stuff.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Other interests

calico have you had success with your potted tomatoes? I would really love to grow some, but as you said, all we have is SAND!:glare:

We plant tomatoes and bell peppers in large pots on the patio. They do just fine, probably better than in a garden because they are so easy to care for. We had 2 grape tomato plants last year and had so many tomatoes we were giving them to all the neighbors.

I've got some pictures. I'll try to find them and post them in a new thread in gardening.

Jim
 

Calicolady

New member
Re: Other interests

I don't know about the guys, but I have. No hay here. I'd have to travel about 30 miles to Golden Gate Estates to find a feed store or horse farm. I don't think the farms would give up their hay.
Pots are okay for the lanai. Hay - I don't think so. I think I'd be inviting critters with a nice warm, humid environment.
Thanks, bt.
 

GrantsKat

New member
Re: Other interests

have yous guys with poor soil heard of growing tomatoes in hay bales? or small potatoes under loose hay?

here's some instructions, and a nice little ditty for your reading pleasure in the first one..

http://www.geocities.com/teman@sbcglobal.net/haytomatoes.html

http://www.tomatoweb.net/90/guide-to-growing-tomatoes-in-hay-bales.html


Yes BT, my Dad had a raised bed garden when we lived in Queens and grew the most amazing tomatoes using hay, but like calico said I would be inviting MORE unwanted critters, I think! lol..........that or my cats would use it as a litter box:shock:
 

GrantsKat

New member
Re: Other interests

We plant tomatoes and bell peppers in large pots on the patio. They do just fine, probably better than in a garden because they are so easy to care for. We had 2 grape tomato plants last year and had so many tomatoes we were giving them to all the neighbors.

I've got some pictures. I'll try to find them and post them in a new thread in gardening.

Jim

Thank You!!
 

GrantsKat

New member
Re: Other interests

Yes, GK. Not a bumper crop I could hand out to neighbors, as I have 1 plant per pot and they are "bush" variety. But they give me enough for salads and pop in your mouth.
I planted in 10"-12" clay pots (I like clay & use for everything)
with Miracle Grow Moisture Control Soil Mix, and feed every 2 weeks about with Miracle Grow Tomato fertilizer stuff.


sound good!!! Do the clay pots have drainage holes on the bottom, or is that not necessary?
I think Im taking this thread off topic, sorry!!
 

Calicolady

New member
Re: Other interests

Yes, holes for drainage are essential. But clay pots also dry out faster than glazed or plastic pots. But they are also cheeper. But I do like the look of clay and they all get watered at the same time, and you can see the water lines on the clay.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
Good container gardening info, moved from the other interests thread in Chit Chat
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
I use to create a pot garden for my mom and had no problems, either, even though they were in a hot sunny place. I just made sure to water twice a day if necessary. The flowers did very well as did the herbs strawberries, tomato plants and string beans. I used special soil like Calico lady and I also used miracle grow spikes. I must have had 40 pots. I did this for my mom because she use to be an officer in a Garden Club and loved gardening. This enabled her the pleasure without my having all the back breaking work. I set out a couple yard chairs and some citronella candles. It was a beautiful place to sit and relax.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
Re: Other interests

I planted in 10"-12" clay pots (I like clay & use for everything) with Miracle Grow Moisture Control Soil Mix, and feed every 2 weeks about with Miracle Grow Tomato fertilizer stuff.

We do the same except we use 24" fiberglass pots to keep the plants from becoming root bound.
 

babe

New member
i think i posted about my in the planning stage of "crops in pots" but i don't know where. that is the name of book i bought. really easy readable book with lots of info. got my containers yesterday and my upside down tomato thingys should be here soon. ordered on like. gonna do lettuce first i think and go from there. i have always had flowers in pots, rather than the yard so know the general rules. lots and lots of info on line. as well. i only cook for me, so what i grow in pots should be plenty. in so calif. almost anytime is a good time to plant. hope to have all do by fifth of march. as always have to wait for the bucks to buy seeds, plants etc.

wish me luck guys, i am really excited about this.
babe
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Babe, if you have a spare bedroom, I'd be HAPPY to come out there and help you plant!

Do you have nice weather ALL the time????

What do you guys talk about to strangers during elevator rides?

Lee
 

Calicolady

New member
Oh babe, you'll have to show pics of that upside down tomato thingy. I heard about that last year. It sounds fun. Good luck.
 

babe

New member
doesn't it sound like fun. still isn't here . i ordered it on line. when i went to store for other containers, there it was. i could have saved the shipping . it is one of those "as seen on tv things"..wish i knew how to post pictures. maybe my computer savay granddaughter can help me.
 

babe

New member
Babe, if you have a spare bedroom, I'd be HAPPY to come out there and help you plant!

Do you have nice weather ALL the time????

What do you guys talk about to strangers during elevator rides?

Lee

not many elevators here, earthquakes you know, pretty much we do have nice weather. rained for two weeks here and we all were depressed. to spoiled. no extra bedroom but do have a sofa. so come on out. 67 here right now at dusk. :wave:
 

PanchoHambre

New member
i think i posted about my in the planning stage of "crops in pots" but i don't know where. that is the name of book i bought. really easy readable book with lots of info. got my containers yesterday and my upside down tomato thingys should be here soon. ordered on like. gonna do lettuce first i think and go from there. i have always had flowers in pots, rather than the yard so know the general rules. lots and lots of info on line. as well. i only cook for me, so what i grow in pots should be plenty. in so calif. almost anytime is a good time to plant. hope to have all do by fifth of march. as always have to wait for the bucks to buy seeds, plants etc.

wish me luck guys, i am really excited about this.
babe


good luck babe... I'm all in containers... had some luck last year and some disasters. Trying to learn from my mistakes this go round.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Pictures of this year's container garden. I haven't harvested much of anything yet, except for radishes and herbs. I love sitting out there after work and gazing at it, though. The flowers are particularly prolific this year!

Lee



Sunflowers and pole bean teepee.



Tomato varieties and Japanese eggplants



About half of my herbs



Dwarf sunflower



Rust-colored sunflower
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I get SUCH a kick out of my little urban container garden!! It's my oasis of peace in a den of cacophony.

This evening, I picked the first crop of Kentucky Wonder pole beans from my bean teepee (three pots with tall wooden stakes that are all tied together at the top). This was the variety that my grandfather always grew, and our family's favorite.

I also picked about half of the Ichiban Japanese eggplants from my six potted plants. I'm going to make a roasted eggplant, tomato and onion salad to take to friends' house this weekend.

I adore sunflowers, and think that a garden is not complete without at least one. My "Mammoth" variety doesn't grow as enormous in my big pot as it would in-ground, but they are about 7 feet high and smell wonderful! Look at the seed formation - isn't nature beautifully symmetrical????

THE most exciting thing is that I've seen a hummingbird at my feeder TWICE this summer!!! After 21 years of planting all the flowers hummingbirds love and faithfully putting up a hummingbird feeder, only seeing a hummingbird here maybe 3 times, I finally saw my hummingbird twice this WEEK! And tonight, my neighbor saw him, too! This was the first sighting where I had a witness - every other time I'd been alone and have been the subject of ridicule among my friends, neighbors and brother! The blur to the left of the red feeder in the photo is the hummingbird, LOL!

I hate this heat, but I love the cooler evenings, when I can enjoy the beejeezus out of my garden!

Lee



Kentucky Wonder pole beans



Ichiban Japanese eggplants



Mammoth sunflower and honey bees



Beautiful sunflower seed design



Hummingbird blur, LOL!
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Oops! Looks like when I removed some of my photos from ImageShack, to make more room, they disappeared from this forum, too!

Here are a couple of pictures of my container garden this summer. It's been so hot and tropical for so long this June and July, that the plants are booming.

The first photo is of about half of my garden (all my pots are against a chain link fence), with my neighbor trying to train a pot of morning glories around the trunk of the birch tree.

It's still too early for most of the tomatoes and the sunflowers, but I've harvested Italian squash, Japanese eggplant, and jalapenos. And herbs ... many, many herbs!

Lee
 

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