Container Vegetable Gardening Cynthia Sandberg Love Apple Farms www.LoveAppleFarms.com
Container Vegetable GardeningCynthia SandbergLove Apple Farms
www.LoveAppleFarms.com
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Class Introduction
Advantages of Container Gardening:Best Sunlight
Gopher-proof
Disease-resistance● Verticillium Wilt● Fusarium Wilt● Hard to get rid of diseases in soil
Bad soil● Lead● Salt● Boron
● Clay● Sand
Renters or Apartment Dwellers
What Is a Container?
● Anything with a bottom! ● Good volume for most veggies = 2 cubic
feet
UV Fabric Pots● GeoPots● Soft form, fabric container, but
holds shape● UV rated - durable● Lasts for years● Come in all sorts of sizes
Earthbox● Water reservoir in bottom of box ● Fill to top with soil● Black plastic "shower cap" keeps moisture in and weeds out● Don't follow instructions for number of plants - cut in half (1
tomato per box)● Make your own!
Wine Barrels
● 3 cubic feet● 2 tomato plants per half barrel ● Don't let dry out - shrinks● Use automatic irrigation
Half Drums
● Craigslist Farm+Garden● Non-toxic● Drainage holes● Paint designs
Neoprene tube to cover jagged edge
Big Plastic Pots ● Shade: June - September○ Shade cloth clipped to tomato cages○ White sheet
● Sources:○ Home Depot○ Good nurseries ○ Hydroponics Stores
Clay Pots
Hanging Baskets
Not recommended for tomato growing; only use for dwarf or cherry varieties.
Drainage Pipes
Vertical Gardens● Affix containers to sides of houses and fences● Grow up!
Galvanized Tubs
Recyclables: Get Creative!Kiddie pool
Broken chair
Old bathtubs
Broken wheelbarrow
Drainage Holes● For all homemade/recycled containers, drill enough holes in
bottom and sides for adequate drainage● Or elevate container so it can drain easily
○ Bricks or Boards
VEGETABLE 4 Quart or #1 pot
20 Quart or #5 pot 60 Quart or #15 pot
Bush Bean, Melon, and Winter Squash
X 1 3
Bean - Pole 1 3 6
Beet or Turnip 2 5 20
Carrot X 15 40
Cucumber X 2 6
Eggplant/Pepper X 1 3
Herbs (Basil/Parsley/Cilantro) 1 2 6
Lettuce or other greens 1 4 10
Radish 10 30 70
Summer Squash, Zucchini X X 1
Strawberry 1 2 6
Tomato X X 1
Number of Plants to Container Size
Siting Your Containers
North/South Orientation
Potting Soil
● Always use new, good quality potting soil
● Don't use "dirt" from your garden
● Don't recycle○ Diseases○ Low fertility
● We like G&B Potting Soil, Green All, Ocean’s Forest, Sunland, Happy Frog
● Don’t add compost or manures
Be Wary of Other Products that Look Like Potting Soil
You do not want these in your pots:
● Compost● Top Soil Blend● Whole Bagged Manures (like a bag of Steer Manure)● Soil Building “whatevers”
These are not suitable for growing veggies in containers. Just because something looks like soil does not make it soil, nor does it make it the right thing to use in a pot.
Recycle Old Potting Soil● Use as carbon source in compost
pile● Add to beds that have sunk/settled
when amending in between plantings
● Add to lawns to level out low spots● Or cover crop them in winter to
regenerate the old, spent soil
Add to pot:For 2 cubic feet (15 gallon pot): ● 2 cups G&B Tomato, Veg &
Herb Fert 4-6-3● 2 cups Worm Castings● 1 cup bone meal● Mykos on rootball● 6 T Soil Moist (if you have it)
Soil Moist Granules
● Cuts watering by 50%● Absorbs water, expands,
and releases it later when needed
● Safe, eco-friendly● Cost-effective● Can least 3 to 5 years● A little goes a long way● Other manufacturers, too
Disinfecting Pots● Disinfect when reusing
pots.● 1 part bleach to 10 parts
water.● Big tub.● Dip pot quickly.● Rinse with water.● Air dry
Watering
● Try to water in a.m. not p.m.● Frequency dependent on:
○ Weather○ Size of plant○ Size of pot
● Hand watering● Drip irrigation (need multiple
emitters!)
Container-Friendly Varieties● There are cultivars of some veg that stay small● Acquire small varieties
○ Small pumpkins○ Small butternut squash○ Determinate tomatoes (bush)
"Summer Ball" Small Pumpkin
In 2 cubic feet:● 2-3 pepper plants● 2 eggplant plants
Tomato Container Recipe (in 15/20 gallon pot)● 1 cup G&B fish meal (unless you have naughty dogs)● 1 cups G&B Tomato,Vegetable, & Herb (4-6-3) fertilizer● 1 cup G&B bone meal● ⅓ pkg Mykos● 2 handfuls worm castings● 3 - 4 crushed egg shells● 2 aspirin tablets● Only 1 tomato in pot!
Place Tomato Cages over Pots
NOW LET’S GO OUTSIDE FOROUR PLANTING DEMO
Growing Potatoes In Pots
● Buy certified organic seed potatoes
● Ronniger's Catalog○ www.potatogarden.com
● "Chitting" seed potatoes: Lay out seed potatoes by sunny window for a month until the sprouts are 1" long
● Cut seed potatoes into smaller pieces with at least 1 or 2 "eyes" each
● Let cuts callous over for a day or two
Growing Potatoes In Pots● Sterilize old 15 gallon pots with bleach solution (no need to
sterilize new pots)● Use sterile potting soil ● Fill pots with 2" soil, add 4 - 5 potatoes, cover with 2" soil ● No added fertility needed
Growing Potatoes in Pots● Once shoots reach 8 - 10",
cover up to top leaves with soil● Continue until they grow out
of the pot● Once potato flowers and dies,
potatoes are ready to harvest● Potatoes require full sun
Bean Tepee● Eight 15-gallon pots● Eight 8' tall bamboo● Wrap trellis netting around
bamboo ● Sow 8 bean seeds, cull to 4
(or transplants) per pot● Cucumbers, melons, vining
summer squash (2 per pot)
Corn - Don't Do It!● Many plants required to pollinate successfully● Containers not a viable option for corn
Leafy Veg● Lettuce, chard, kale ● Good for growing in pots all year long● Don't require as much direct sunlight as summer veg● Demand shading in summer
Supplemental Fertilizing● Plants will need fertilizing EVERY WEEK starting 4th of July● Best fertilizer: Worm Casting Tea● Recipe: Big handful of castings in a 5 gallon bucket● Let sit for two days● Strain through cheesecloth or FRC or strainer and apply to plants
with a watering can or garden sprayer● WCT foliar spray has been shown to: increase fertility, reduce
incidence of disease and reduce bug stress● Available at Love Apple’s Tomato Plant Sale
Aphids
● Green, Black, Red, Grey● Watch for curling leaves ● Organic pesticide: Pyrethrins, Safer Soap● Organic preventative: Garlic spray ● Beneficial bugs: Lacewing, Ladybug● Give infested leaves to your chickens
Cucumber Beetle● Striped or spotted● Carry diseases ● Pyrethrins● Hand pick ● Attracted to yellow flowers● Floating row cover before
flowering
Slugs, Snails, Earwigs, Pillbugs
● Sluggo● Diatomaceous Earth● Hand pick late at night with
flashlight
Beneficial Bugs Lacewing Soldier Beetle
Lacewing larva and aphid Soldier beetle larva
Beneficial Bugs
Ladybug
Honeybee & Bumblebee
Ladybug Larva
To Review:
●Size of container matters! ●Soil is key
●Fertilizing is a must●Don't crowd them
●Watering is extra important
Available for Sale Today● Worm Castings ● G&B Potting Soil in 2 cu ft bags● G&B Fertilizer, Bone Meal & Fish Meal● 20 gallon Geopot● Organic Pesticides (Pyrethrin, Spinosad)● Mykos● Trellis Netting● Vegetable Starts● Liquid All Purpose Fertilizer