Lighter Pots, Less Soil Wasted, and a Way to Recycle Plastic Bottles

Think all three can be accomplished with one tip from a Master Gardener? Yup, they can! Backyard Gardener published a list of 100 tips from Master Gardeners in their January issue. Some tips are better than others. I plan on posting the better ones here.

Last week, I posted about a tip to make choosing a color theme easier. This week, I’m posting tip #34: Use less soil in large containers by filling the bottom with crumpled plastic bottles.

Plastic Bottles

Photo by Bright Tal

A big pot, with crumpled plastic bottles taking up some of the space dirt would normally take up, will weigh less, great if you need to move your pot or have weight restrictions on your balcony or rooftop. Such a pot will also require less dirt, so you won’t waste money on dirt that your plants won’t be using. Finally, and obviously, plastic bottles taking up space in the bottom of your pots means they’re not taking up space in a landfill.

I would crumple the plastic bottle and then put the cap back on to prevent dirt and water (and then bugs) from getting in the bottles, which would defeat the purpose of lightening the pot and reducing the amount of dirt needed.

I think there is one important caveat to this tip. It works best for tall pots where you plan on using plants with relatively shallow root systems. If you’re planting a tree or a tomato, or other plants that need all the dirt they can find, then skip the plastic bottles and fill the pot entirely with dirt.

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Do You Plan on Starting Seeds Indoors?

It seems hard to believe, but in about a month or so (depending on where you live), it will be time to start seeds indoors.

Photo by joaobambu

Seed starting, for the uninitiated, is pretty simple. By sowing seeds inside, in the warmth of your home, you can get a month or two head start on the growing season, which also means you have more time to garden. When your neighbors are just starting to toss a few seeds into the ground, your plants will already be 4-6 weeks old.

I plan on starting one set of edible plants inside, and then another set of the same edibles a month or so afterwards so that I can have “waves” of veggies coming ripe at different times. Or at least that’s my plan. I’ve purchased cucumbers and eggplants made for container gardening, Green Zebra and cherry tomatoes, peppers, chard, fennel, herbs…

I’m interested to hear your plans. What seeds have you already purchased? Which do you have your eye on? When do you plan to start? Are you going to do anything different this year or trying any new techniques or products?

December 16, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, General, Winter Gardening | 9 Comments

The Ten Commandments of Container Gardening

Drainage is king. Or queen if you want to be PC. The point is, if you’re gardening outside, you need drainage holes in your pots, pot feet to raise your pot off the ground, and good draining soil.
Do not neglect your pots. Containers can dry out quickly, especially small pots. Water until you see it draining out of the bottom of the pot.
Do not plant a full sun plant in part shade. Know how much sunlight your balcony, patio or porch gets and choose plants accordingly. If you get full sun (more than 6 hours of direct sun a day), you’ll have the most options, but you’ll also have to be careful that your pots don’t dry out too quickly. If you have dappled light, part-shade or full-shade, there are still plenty of options for you.
Remember to take a break from time to time. Too much water can be as bad as too little. Unless you know for sure that a plant likes constantly moist soil, only water your plants when the top two inches of soil feels dry.
Respect your plants’ needs. Since there is a limited amount of dirt in your pot from which to nourish your plants, and some nutrients will wash out of your pot each time you water, you need to fertilize more often than you would an in-ground garden.

Almost any plant can be grown in a container, you just need to match the right sized container to your plant’s needs. However, don’t plant perennials in containers that are too big for them, it could cause their roots to rot.
Containers look better in groups. Just like man needed woman, your pots need friends.
Multiple pots look good, and multiple plants in a pot look even better. A simple way to put together a great looking pot is to use the “spiller, filler, thriller” philosophy.
When planting more than one plant in a pot, mix up foliage colors, textures and sizes for more visual interest. Be sure to pick some plants with interesting leaves, because flowers are fleeting, leaves are forever.
Do not covet your neighbor’s garden, do your own thing! Anything that can hold dirt can be used to grow plants. Plastic pots can be dressed up and personalized with paint. And if you’re converting something into a pot, make sure to drill some drainage holes in the bottom.

My husband keeps on telling me that there were originally 15 commandments, but he watches too many Mel Brooks movies. Anyway, let’s just pretend that there are 15 commandments. What would you add? Think I got anything wrong? Feel free to let me know, I’ll only track you down and smite you…
Just kidding.

p.s. Don’t forget, today is your last chance to submit your entry to the indoor plant contest.

December 9, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, General | 8 Comments

Banish Hum Drum Hummingbird Feeders!

Have you seen the “high end” hummingbird feeders out there? Hummingbird feeders have come a long way from those red and yellow plastic feeders. Some of the feeders out there now that are truly works of art!

It is really easy to incorporate a hummingbird feeder into a balcony garden. Simply hang the feeder from a shepherd’s hook (found at most garden centers) stuck into a large pot filled with dirt (and plants, no reason wasting gardening space!). You could even train a vine that attracts hummingbirds to grow on the shepherd’s hook, maximizing the attractiveness of your garden to hummingbirds (and humans!).

Looking Glass Hummingbird Feeder

Landmark Hummingbird Feeder

Red Cherries Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbird Design Feeder

Triple Bouquet Hummingbird Feeder

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December 8, 2008 | Filed Under Attracting Birds Bees and Butterflies, Container Gardening, General | 5 Comments

Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day: Protecting Your Balcony Garden During a Rain Storm

Rain is particularly hard on balcony and patio gardeners. The actual rain drops really aren’t the problem most of the time. My gardening space is two stories below the overhang of my apartment building. Rain pours over that overhang and picks up speed until it blasts my plants like a hose. Last week we had an unexpected bout of rain and it literally ripped the leaves off my coleus and washed every iota of dirt out of the pot with my parsley plant.

Photo by dsevilla

If I owned my own home, I could fix the majority of my problems by installing rain gutters. But that’s not really possible for me, an apartment dweller, and I can only imagine the headache condo owners might go through trying to get their condo association to install gutters. In addition to being blasted by water coming off the roof, getting a bunch of water in a short amount of time overwhelms the drainage ability of my pots.

If you suffer from these problems too, I have some ideas for how to minimize a rain storm’s impact on your container garden.

For starters, if you know rain is coming, move all of your pots either completely under the overhang or completely exposed to the sky. In my experience, it’s better for a pot to get the full brunt of a rain storm than it is for the pot to be partially underneath the overhang and get the full brunt of any water running off the roof. If possible, put your smallest pots closest to to building and farthest away from the edge of the overhang (i.e. in your driest spot). I’ve noticed that small pots get hit by a double whammy. They get beaten down by the rain, and then if it is raining particularly hard, the rain splashing up from the concrete can contribute to over-watering or washing away of the soil. If you have room, try and get any seedlings or other delicate plants under the overhang too.

Another thing that you can do if you know rain is coming is to not water your pots. If the dirt in your pots is already moist, then it will easily become waterlogged with even a little rain. Using pot feet to raise your pots slightly off the ground is a good practice in general and will help the water drain out of the pot more quickly after a rain storm.

I’ve also noticed that my pots that have gravel covering the dirt don’t get as waterlogged and don’t have their dirt washed away. Maybe the gravel is able to repel some of the water. I haven’t tried regular mulch for this purpose, but I bet it would help prevent soil from being washed away. The pots with the least amount of exposed soil seem to have the least amount washed away. So planting your pots fully will not only look nice but help keep dirt in the pot. Not overfilling the pot with soil to begin with also helps.

Finally, if I know rain is coming and I have really tender seedlings that I can’t move, I’ll try and protect them with plastic sheeting or empty plastic nursery pots or even clean yogurt cups. Plastic sheeting it the best method if you’re trying to protect a large number of seedlings. I stick short bamboo stakes in several places and drape the sheeting over the stakes. Then I weigh down the edges of the sheeting with heavy pots, rocks, bricks, etc.

What have you done to prevent rain damage to your container garden?

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Don’t forget to submit a photo of your favorite indoor plant for a chance to win a copy of The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual.

December 3, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening | 1 Comment

Neat Trick to Keep Forced Bulbs Looking Great

Theresa of Garden Fresh Living has a neat trick to keep your forced bulbs from growing too quickly and flopping over. I won’t give her trick away, but I would have never thought of this, so it is definitely worth clicking over and trying it out.

Photo by ms.Tea

November 25, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, Winter Gardening | 4 Comments

Made in the Shade - A Container Recipe for Bright Shade

This is a container I put together for my parents’ house. It sits next to their front door, under a north-facing overhang. If you live in a mild climate, all of these plants will do fine this time of year, otherwise, file this one away for Spring.

A — Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
B — Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea)
C — Cut-Leafed Daisy (Brachyscome multifida)

November 20, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening | 7 Comments

Container Gardening Tips for Those With Disabilities

After talking with someone who gardens in her wheelchair, I started thinking about other people who might enjoy gardening but think that doing so is not possible due to their physical limitations. I realize that I am no expert in this area, but I thought I would throw out a few ideas, and hope that those of you who are more experienced than I am will pipe up with your own tips.

Container Gardening is Where It’s At: It strikes me that container gardening is particularly well suited to people who need certain accommodations to enjoy gardening. For starters, pots are usually placed on hard surfaces, which are easier to traverse for those in wheelchairs or who are unsteady on their feet. Also, large containers or planters raise the plants up to lap-level if you will be sitting while gardening. Even if you will be standing while gardening, having plants higher up will be easier on your back, hips and knees. Smaller pots can be placed on plant stands to raise them up to an appropriate height. If needed, containers can be spaced at the correct distance apart to allow a gardener using a wheelchair or walker to easily move around his or her pots.

November 19, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening | 15 Comments

Growing Sweet Peas in a Windowsill

Sweet peas are such beautiful looking and smelling plants, and now a days there are so many different varieties, that there really is no reason to let lack of space stop you from growing them.

Photo by teal chick

Recently, Mimi of Israeli Kitchen, asked me this question:

“I’d like to plant some sweet peas in a windowsill - windowsills are all I have. But I’m concerned that they won’t get enough sun. Can you tell me how much sun exposure sweet peas need? I have fantasies of pink and purple flowers climbing up the security bars come springtime…”

Sweet peas generally need full sun to flower profusely, preferably morning sun, because most varieties don’t do too well in hot temperatures. Areas with direct afternoon sun tend to be hotter than those with morning sun. If you don’t think your intended spot gets 6 hours of sunshine, you might try a perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) as opposed to an annual sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) because the perennial types seem tolerate more shade than the annual kinds. Although, as I mentioned, they won’t flower as much with less than 6 hours of direct sun. Long periods of dappled sunshine or indirect light might be able to make up for the lack of direct sun, depending on how bright the area is.

November 17, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, Gardening in Full Sun, Gardening in the Shade | 6 Comments

Japanese Maples That Work Great in Containers

It seems as if many of you are interested in trees that are happy in small gardens, so I thought I would pass along these suggestions from Sunset Magazine on Japanese Maples that are good for container gardens.

Photo by Verdance of Sharp’s Pygmy

‘Fjellheim’ - In fall, green leaves shift to gold. A dwarf offspring of ‘Sango Kaku’, it has this parent’s coral red bark, which shows best in winter. Can reach 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide.
‘Kamagata’ - New growth is tinged with red; green summer color; yellow-orange with red highlights in fall. Hardy to 0°. 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years.
‘Mikawa Yatsubusa’ - This maple’s many trunks radiate out like stems on a candelabra. In fall, its foliage ignites in a blaze of orange. Grows slowly to 3 feet high and wide in a container.
‘Sharp’s Pygmy’ - Green leaves turn deep orange to scarlet in autumn. 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.