Making Gardens Multi-Use to Any Scale
Story Two: Veggie Gardening by Container
Finding garden space for a growing interest can be a challenge. Turns out seeking garden space can have a fun silver lining. Some creative and out-there solutions are in order.
Although container gardening can be considered quite common in urban areas, if you have an acreage, it is a nice convenience. Spices grown in a container accessible to or even in the kitchen is an example.
But what are the factors for container grown success?
Size of the container – generally bigger is better – but at least 20 – 30 centimetres of depth gives allowance for root growth. On the other end of the scale, too big a container can take a long time to dry out and with standing water, root rot may be a factor.
Pay attention to plant needs i.e. placement and companions. Most veggies like 6-8 hours of sunlight, but some like spinach and lettuce grow well with less sunlight. Position containers in a sunlight positive area suitable for the particular plant.
Companion rules are consistent to traditional gardens but a touch easier to accomplish when portable i.e. tomatoes and basil still like each other in a pot. Small Farm Canada has a guide for companion planting online HERE.
Substrate/Soil – garden soil is too heavy. A soil-less mix is often used for containers. I augment container mixes with my own compost plus mushroom compost a local grower offers for free. The mix is still light but with added nutrition.
Water management is a bit trickier with a container. A simple hydrometer helps, as well as a regular watering schedule that varies with the weather. Under a heat dome, pots will need regular water (daily) and like a traditional garden, watering should be done in the morning.
Another key to water management in containers is drainage. Drainage holes are important to ensure that water does not pool. Pooling as mentioned previously can promote root rot.
Editor’s tip:
There are some cool watering tools out there including this one I found at Lee Valley Tools
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