Grow a lot of Food in Small Spaces with Container Gardening
Tips, Tricks
Grow a lot of Food in Small Spaces with Container Gardening If you have access to a patio, balcony or deck these small spaces are great for container gardening. Although I have a larger garden I like having crops we use more often close at hand. Before you get going make sure your deck gets direct sunlight for at least part of the day. Typically the best is a deck that face South, West or East should get enough sunlight. I started gardening in containers when I first moved to Alberta. It was a great option for me as I was renting and moved from time to time. You don’t need a whole lot of space and the planters can be made of anything that will hold the soil and can freely drain out of the bottom. I have noticed local buy and sell websites and groups often have postings for cheap or free containers that can be used. Over the years for my birthday I have been given self-watering planters which I prefer. I have also collected a few bag containers which are great. They work well during the growing season and are very easy to store during the winter. If your looking for a more economical way to use self-watering containers and bags you can make your own with materials such as storage totes, reusable bags and children’s pools all of which can be found at big box stores. One of the limitations of container gardening is when the weather gets really warm they tend to dry out faster than my garden beds as their volume smaller. The benefit of self-watering containers is they have a water reserve in the bottom and can wick water up as the plants need it. Using a wicking bed is also a great way to conserve water as it is drawn up through the soil and used by the plants there is far less evaporation on the soils surface. Add in a mulch layer and you are not only feeding the soil but conserving even more water. In order to help the wicking process I use a combination of soilless potting mix and compost or vermicompost. Usually at a 1:1 ratio but if you’re short on compost or have to purchase it you can go down to a 3 part soilless mix 1 part compost mixture and it will do just fine. The soilless potting mix will help wick and retain the moisture and the compost will provide the nutrient the plants need to grow. When I have vermicompost available I add it to the mix as it adds nutrient rich castings, increases water retention and the live compost worms will continue to add beneficial organisms and plant growth hormone while braking down any mulch you have left them. It has been my experience that the compost provides more than enough nutrients and fertilizers are generally not required throughout my growing season. You can grow a wide variety of annuals in containers. This year on my deck I will be growing tomatoes, peas, peppers, and a variety of herbs for the kitchen including basil, cilantro, thyme and rosemary. I like having the herbs we use more often closer to the kitchen and snacks like cherry tomatoes at hand. Our last frost date has passed and the established plants are hardened off. I like to plant both adult plants and direct sow seeds. Having adult plants lets me harvest right away while the seeds will provide crops later in the season. I like to plant as many different crops as I can in the containers filling every little space. A wide variety of crops using all of the available space increases harvests, reduces predation as it is usually a Polyculture and the canopy helps prevent unnecessary evaporative water loss while out competing weeds that may blow in. I plant my tomatoes and larger plants at the back to avoid shading and take advantage of the air space over the edge of the container to add more usable space. Containers are a great way to grow invasive plants like mint that if left alone could take over large areas in the garden. I have planted some mint as a ground cover for my honey berries and have dedicated this container completely to mint. Many perennials also make a great container plants. This year I have added a dwarf grape vine and two fig trees to my container honey berries. These perennials are not in self-watering containers and will need the nutrients over time so I have used a compost heavy mix made of free and local resources. These perennials will need a little more protection over the winter as there is less soil to insulate the roots. I will bring most of the more sensitive plants into the garage while the more hardy ones I will insulate with fall leaves and snow.
Comments
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buitiful
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hi there. have a question for u. i took fresh grass clippings filled a 5 gallon bucket added water. im trying to do the compost tea thing. how many days to steep do u think. i figure a ratio of 6 to 1 to pour on a trial area. would this be too strong or is the grass clippings too fresh. experimenting but would appreciate some advice on this before i pour it on anything. thanks
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Got tip .. Thanks
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Just subbed!!!!! I'm trying to find out how much room/size containers I'll need for the root systems. I transferred all my plants into bigger containers & each plant is in its own pot. I'm hoping since I've used bigger pots that I won't have to transfer them again... I'm just not sure how much root space all around each plant needs. I've planted strawberries ever bearing & I'm planning on eventually putting them into the yard because otherwise I'd have to bring them inside once fall comes r? or do they go dormant thru winter outside & come back? I also have Watermelons & tomatoes, peppers, snap beans, Brussels, & pumpkins & cucumbers lol I'm in NJ I have a HUGE YARD/Woods/acres but I have a bad back & the animals steal/eat my veggies/berries lol so this yr I decided on using the deck instead because it's completely closed in & High up in the air. now I'll have to watch 4 the birds & squirrels trying to steal my strawberries I think!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!🤗🤗🤗🤗💚💛💜💝❤💙
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where do u get the big green bags
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Where did you get that big grey tub from? thanks for your insight.
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great I gonna try the. containers for my celery an parsley etc i love garden bro
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Good variety of useful tips. Have u done a video on performance growing in grow bag vs a plastic container of equal size ? I've heard ppl having fantastic results that outperform plastic containers while another person i recently watched said it was too much hassle with watering as it evaporated too quick. Grow bags might do well as the bottom half is usually not tapered like hard plastic containers allowing more root growth.
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What kind of soiless mix are you using? Is it enriched with something?
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Hi new subscriber here, I love this video, I have started my own organic garden a week ago and I am very excited with the project. Please visit my channel (and subscribe, if you like) Thanks
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Where did you purchase your grow bags? The local big box store doesn't sell them as large as yours. The SIP's (self irrigating planters) you have are an interesting concept as well. Thanks for sharing!
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I love your channel especially your control testing. I have been contemplating the reusable shopping bag method and air pruning but really not convinced about polymers? leaching into the plants since they decompose fairly rapidly. Have you done testing for that?
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Why aren't you growing potatoes in grow bags as this is the way forward. Another thing you can do with pots is use saucers with them, as this will be used up when it gets warm (and recommended for plants which prefer under water). It is amazing what you can grow in containers and a book I use is called " Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Growing in small Spaces" by John Harrison. He recommends Aubergines (Eggplants), Dwarf French (Green) Beans, Beetroot, Carrots, Courgettes (zucchini), Cucumbers, Chilli, Leeks (in large troughs), Lettuce and salad leaves, Spring onions (scallions), Parsnips (in large containers), Peas, Sweet peppers, potatoes, Radish, Swiss chard, Tomatoes, and Turnips.
Fruit you can grow in containers are apples (minarette style), Pears, Cherry, Plums, damson, gages, figs, lemons, limes and Oranges, Strawberries, blueberries and bilberry, cranberries, lingonberries, compact blackcurrants, redcurrants and white currants, gooseberry. goji berry and grapes. -
Great ideas for container gardening. I like hearing about renters that create "growing solutions", rather than excuses. Container gardening is an ideal option for renters. I'm looking forward to the chlorine episode.
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What type of tomato did you plant when you were talking about planting them in the back? It looked like a tight space.
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Hi Steve, great tip about the mint. It is true that if left to its own devices mint will definitely take over the garden in no time. However if you can keep it under control mini is good companion plant to cabbage and tomatoes, improving both the taste and health of these plants. Mint also deters aphid, the white cabbage fly and the black tea beetle and in large quantities rats and mice. (but not rabbits - my long eared snuggly friends love to eat as much mint as they can sink their little teeth into.)
Happy Gardening,
Scarlett -
thumbs up :)
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Really nice Stephen! I put my fig tree in my unheated garage in winter and it does great...unless somebody forgets to close the garage door at -30 :D
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The wicking bed is a great idea, you break everything down in a really nice informative way.
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