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A half hour interview & garden tour with a lady who advocates growing veggies in conrtainers. She recommends large containers (20 gal +), easily costing $100 or more each, and using only potting soil (cost $50+ for 20 gal) and a trellis (cost $20+) all to grow just one or two plants...At one point she brags smuggly that basil costs $4 a bag in the store, but a whole basil plant costs only $3. "And how many bags do we have from this plant?" she asks rhetorically...Well, I got news for you, honey-- not $180 worth.
I feel sorry for urban cliff dwellers like Oliver Wendall Douglas whose backyard is just a small balcony 30 stories up. Is it worth it to bother with a coulple veggie plants that give you a harvest of just a couple servings a year?
We have a tiny apartment porch. No frost, no winter. We can plant anytime. We have okra, jalapenos and some decorative greens plus flowers: nasturtiums and marigolds. Fun. And the nasturtiums are totally edible: leaves, stems and flowers. The main stalks can be grated and used as a spice. Rather acrid. I've not used the stalks yet. I make salads. Our pots are rather ordinary. Nothing gigantic. The marigolds are "French Red Metamorph." Striking, stunning colors. Deep burgundy, but bright, at the same time. Golden center.
From some website I just found:
"French marigolds are edible, but with a very strong flavor similar to its pungent scent..."
Just thought easier to control weeds. Better soil deeper for root development. Some water stays close to the roots instead of draining away. Roots dont compete with other plants. Better soil temperature, End of season I can put the soil back into the compost box to rejuvenate before next year.
Seemed like a good, or decent idea but will see later in the summer.
Squash typically don't need much help controlling weeds, they just smother everything that tries to compete with them with their huge leaves. Tomatoes need barely more help, and if you use mulch, that'll cut down the amount of weeds from a little to just about nothing.
I find that containers dry out faster, due to getting warmer, and due to restricting the roots to the size of the container, which means the plant draws its water from that small area instead of spreading out and drawing water from deeper and further away. If the container has no holes, maybe it stays moist longer but it also increases the risk of the bottom of the container getting water logged and causing diseases. I've had blossom end rot issues more often with container tomatoes than in-ground tomatoes, and blossom end rot is mostly an issue of inconsistent soil moisture. The depth of the soil in the container is typically less too - limited to the depth of the container, whereas in ground the roots can go as deep as they want.
Soil temperature is maybe an advantage, but even then I'm not 100% sure. Containers will see the soil warm up faster during the day, but it will also cool faster at night, so I'm not sure if it's a net positive. On the first cool fall night we had here (36F low) the soil in my containers dropped to 43F compared to 55F for my in ground beds. A lot of vegetables get stressed by cold soil and the leaves on my container peppers were looking rather droopy until I emptied some buckets of hot water from the kitchen into their soil which raised the soil temperature to 65F.
The biggest advantages of containers for me are
-restricting growth of plants that can get invasive (but otherwise desirable) like mint
-growing plants you want to overwinter indoors (ex figs, peppers, passion flower)
-making use of sunny spots on driveways, decks, patios, or maybe locations where the soil is filled with construction rubble or contaminated so you can't really plant in-ground
I find that containers dry out faster, due to getting warmer,
Yup, pots dry out MUCH faster and will require more water and constant keeping an eye out. Drip line on a timer may be beneficial with pots
Quote:
Originally Posted by memph
Soil temperature is maybe an advantage, but even then I'm not 100% sure. Containers will see the soil warm up faster during the day, but it will also cool faster at night, so I'm not sure if it's a net positive. On the first cool fall night we had here (36F low) the soil in my containers dropped to 43F compared to 55F for my in ground beds.
YUP! Potting soil temp drops faster than in ground AND rises higher as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgdriver74
Just thought easier to control weeds. Better soil deeper for root development. Some water stays close to the roots instead of draining away. Roots dont compete with other plants. Better soil temperature, End of season I can put the soil back into the compost box to rejuvenate before next year.
Pots have shallower root development, Roots will be restricted to depth and width
Water will not stay close to roots because of heat from pots, most will evaporate
Roots don't compete with other plants in ground if they are spaced out correctly
Pots have worse soil temperature in summer
End of season you may not be able to put soil back because it could be one big rootbound ball.
Yup, pots dry out MUCH faster and will require more water and constant keeping an eye out. Drip line on a timer may be beneficial with pots
YUP! Potting soil temp drops faster than in ground AND rises higher as well.
Pots have shallower root development, Roots will be restricted to depth and width
Water will not stay close to roots because of heat from pots, most will evaporate
Roots don't compete with other plants in ground if they are spaced out correctly
Pots have worse soil temperature in summer
End of season you may not be able to put soil back because it could be one big rootbound ball.
What variety of okra do you grow? Mine gets 6+ feet tall.
Even in my significantly cooler and shorter season I've had 6-8ft tall okra. Clemson Spineless, White Velvet, Burgundy and Jing Orange have all done well for me. I've also tried Jambalaya but it didn't grow or fruit as much, maybe it needs more fertilizer than the other varieties?
If you happen to have a small yard and can plant some in ground, I found a good space saver for pole beans. I planted them around the legs of our swing set frame. On the cross piece on each side, I ran a piece of string to the ground so one of the vines could grow up that way. Had plenty of beans and didn't have to get on hands and knees to pick.
What variety of okra do you grow? Mine gets 6+ feet tall.
Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question. We had some nice tall ones last year. Dead now. I think the hot air blowing out onto the porch from the A/C killed them. The damage was done before we could even see it. Killed the Caladium, too.
True. And then you will use the same containers for years to come - spread the cost over the years. The soil? You don't have to replace it all - add new soil just in the area where you place the plant.
The taste of a home grown tomato makes up for all that!
Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question. We had some nice tall ones last year. Dead now. I think the hot air blowing out onto the porch from the A/C killed them. The damage was done before we could even see it. Killed the Caladium, too.
Caladium:
I'm sorry that happened to you and I sympathize. I discovered during the last two summers of heat waves here that the hot exhaust vented from A/C's will kill any outdoor plantings within 30 to 40 feet of the exhaust.
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I discovered during the last two summers of heat waves here that the hot exhaust vented from A/C's will kill any outdoor plantings within 30 to 40 feet of the exhaust.