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Friday, September 3, 2010

Your Victory Container Garden

Hi Everyone,

In keeping with the Victory Garden theme started last episode, I wanted to touch on some garden projects you can do in containers for those who live in apartments or condos and have space limited to a front porch or a balcony. Even if you grow only enough to feed yourself a salad once a month, that's one less time you're dependent on the current global food system that is stealing our freedom and threatening our countries productivity.

Often plants are grown in containers not only because of space constraints, but to give you the ability to protect them from frost or excessive heat. It also gives you the opportunity to take the plant with you if you move.

Although you can use any soil in containers, a good potting soil is best. Many come with slow release organic fertilizers already mixed in. Since this is closed system, regular feeding will be necessary. Good drainage is also necessary so choose a container with a drain hole. Container plants can add beauty to your home, but be careful about color choices for pots kept outdoors in the sun. Dark colors could cause the root system to get too hot. Containers are also a good way to get a jump start of your fall or spring garden by starting your seedlings indoors where they are protected from the harshest elements. There are many opportunities to get creative when it comes to the choice of containers, including recycling unusual items or making your own. Be creative.

Greens grow wonderfully in containers, especially those gourmet baby greens that are so popular, also cut and come again lettuces. Depending on the size of the pot, a 30" pot should do, you can make a "salad garden" container.  Plant a small variety of tomato such as Tiny Tim in the center, and a few varieties of baby lettuces around the outside. There is one variety of tomato, Micro Tom, that grows to only 6 to 8 inches tall. There are also varieties of dwarf cucumber, such as Bush Slicer, that do very well. There you are, your own salad growing in one container. If a 30" pot is too large, use several smaller containers. There are also hanging varieties of tomatoes such as Tumbler Hybrid.
 
 Don't hesitate to experiment.  Try other veggies you like. I even grew zucchini in a container once. Starting your plants from seed for this will give you more varieties to choose from than you can get at Home Depot or Lowe's and 30 to 50 seeds will cost you what one plant will.
 
To keep the salad coming, plant your lettuces in succession, about 2 weeks apart. This should keep you going all season. When one plant is finished, remove it, and replant it its place. Or start a second container and alternate.  

If your circumstance doesn't allow you to put your plants outdoors, a couple of good full spectrum grow lights can be placed over your containers either as the entire light source or to supplement the ambient light from a window.

There are also some perenials that can be grown in containers. Probably the most popular of these are strawberries. The ever popular Strawberry Pot is well known. These can be bought as terracotta decorative pots, but you can make one from wood or even large PVC pipe with holes drilled in the side. A small pvc pipe with holes drilled around it, placed in the center of the pot will help with watering. Choose a variety of strawberry that is labeled as "everbearing" so you don't have to replant every year.

There are many varieties of genetic dwarf fruit trees that can be kept in good size containers on a patio. Peaches and Nectarines are probably the most common and can be picked up as bareroot during bareroot season. For those who live in states that allow shipping of fruit trees there are also good online nurseries. I will add some links later today. Small varieties of citrus also make good candidates. Some of these can even be grown indoors. Four Winds Growers has a chart of these varieties.

There are even varieties of berries suitable for containers. Upright or short caned varieties of blackberries, rasberries such as "Autumn Bliss", and dwarf varieties of blueberries such as northsky, bluecrop or sunshine blue. Rasberries and blackberries will need a trellis.

Whatever you grow, it will make you that much more self-sufficient, less dependent  and give you more control over your life. Consider adding some container gardening to your life.

Well, that's it for today.  Keep on prepping because what you do matters. And remember "Just cause there's snow on the rooftop, doesn't mean there ain't a fire in the fireplace."

See you next time,
Candy

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