Container Gardening

I am wanting to try container gardening.  Being on a military installation limits what I can and cannot do in the ground.  I have two HUGE Sterilite storage bins that I would like to use primarily to grow zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes and carrots.  Any thoughts as to 1) the practicality and 2) how to do it.  Does anybody else garden this way?  Thanks for any and all help/suggestions.

 

Kim

Don't think potatoes would work. But you should be able to grow zucchini's, cucumbers and carrots in there. Just make sure your containers are large enough. You can put 2 cucumber plants in a medium container. Remeber you will have to stake it up and  make a trellis for it. Do this before the plants get tall so you can tie the up.

Carrots just plant them. Not to thick though.

Go to birds and bloom section and then to vegetable garden section. Lots of nice people with helpful tips there.

I know you can grow cucumbers, I do all the time in a small pot, they need room to grow "UP", put don't take much ground space,  also look for bush varities.  I'm not sure about the others.  What part of the country are you in?  Make sure you put plenty of drainage holes in your containers.   Are the bins long? or short and tall? 

momsays wrote the following post at 06-30-2008 10:15 AM:

My father has some of those Earthboxes. He grows tomatoes in his. He has also made some for himself out of plastic bins.

My bins are 15 inches high X 29 inches long X 17 inches wide.  I no longer have lids and cannot get lids.  Thought this would be a good use for them.  Thanks for the info.

 

Also, somebody asked where I am located.  I am at Fort Lewis, WA.

 

Kim

I have had success with growing tomatoes, onions, lettuce, herbs and cucumbers in containers. At the moment I have tomato plants growing in a garden cart. My original plan was to plant them in the wheelbarrow, but decided that the garden cart would allow me to make the soil deeper than the wheelbarrow and since I do use the wheelbarrow more than the cart I decided to go with that option. The tomatoes are doing very well at this point and I have placed some tomato cages  inside to support the vines when they get heavy. You will for sure want to make sure you have some holes for drainage. I drilled a few in the garden cart. I have some smaller tomatoes growing in flower pots that are doing well too.

I asked about where you live, as that will depend on how much "growing" time you have left and which gardening zone you live in.  I don't think I would plant the zuchini, as they take up too much precious room and often they are free or almost free do to over abdunce.  I had a small patch of spinach and lettuce that fed us for 5 weeks.  Now it is too hot for them, but will replant again in mid August.

Here are some books you may want to check out at the library to get you all "fired up"

1.  square foot garden

2  victory garden'

3  lasagna garden

4  animal, vegetable, miracle (for inspiration)

5  the $64 tomato (for humor)

sorry I don't have authors, as I am heading off the work. 

You can also want to call or visit the local state extension office, they know what will grow well in your climate.

Keep us posted.

Thank you for all the wonderful advice.  I am having some health problems (new crop ups) that will keep me from getting to this this year.  I am going to keep all your wonderful advice and look into any and all literature that has been offered.  If anybody else has anything to offer up, feel free to either post on this thread or send me a private message.  Gotta get the body healed as I have a trip to make in a mid-August. 

 

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful help.

 

Kim

sorry to hear about your health issues.  Here is an article to read about getting your soil ready this fall, so you are ready for spring.

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm

 

go to motherearthnews.com They have alot of gardening information. Some on containers. Good luck.

You can also get all kinds of good advice from Backyard Living forum which you can get to from here. We have a great bunch of very knowledgable folk. Since it's a sister magazine there are links back and forth. I 'live' on that forum because all topics are answered, cussed and discussed. The advice is solid.

Cheap containers: go to the dump and get some washing machine tubs. You can get thenm free or just for a buck or two. They can be painted, lined with plastic on the inside (sides only) and just have a bottom drain hole. They don't look bad at all. Put some rocks into the bottom so they don't take too much good dirt to fill and they will keep the drain hole from getting plugged with dirt. You can put 4 long poles into one, teepee style and plant 4 hills of pole beans that should give you a nice crop.

You can also drill some larger holes into the sides and insert some plants like strawberries, or flowers or veggies. That way you can double crop.

Thanks for the washtub reminder Grelo.  My mom had one full of flowers.  I just figured I could use my lidless storage totes.  Without the lids, they are worthless for storage, and I hate to send something that large to the dump if they could be repurposed.  I figured why not repurpose them for plantings.  Get some food on the table without spending an arm and a leg doing it.

 

Kim

Momsays,

the totes without lids are a great idea, hope they are stuirdy enough to last at least 5 yrs.

My friend's son (farmer/rancher) gave me an old stock tankm they used for watering cattle. The bottom was rusted out but it made a nice little "garden". We put down plastic, poked a few smaller holes in it, then put 10-12" of coarse gravel in the bvottom and filled up with good dirt. I have a 3 ft high, 2 1/2 ft wide and 7 ft long garden that keeps me in leaf lettuce, carrots and a bit of chard. Pinted white it doesn;'t look bad at all.

There are sooo many cheap or discarded things one can use for container gradening. Huge tractor tires may do but i don't like my firt getting contamnated by tar and other chemicals in the tires.

You can grow potatoes just under a covering of old straw about 1 ft thick, then cover with just enough dirt so the straw or hey don't blow away(the straw will settle to about 4-6" deep). Takes very little water that way. and no need to make hills.