My crazy container garden

[SPierce]

Due to some budget constraints and excessive heat, my garden is running a little bit behind this year but everything is pretty close to going in full force, so figured I'd post some pictures. Because of how terrible the soil in town is (I thought it was just me. Nope! The entire town is having frustrations with it's soil, according to the lady at the garden store) I am limited to container plants only.

In past years I tried to plant in some garden boxes out back also or even in the ground, but the woods around our house has grown so excessive/full/tall that even that doesn't get light anymore and the ground is full of stones and bedrock, only 5-6 inches down. So, I'm limited to my front yard and our side. It's actually doing very well - a lot better in previous years- and I even have 5 pumpkins growing of which I am so, so excited for! Even if they stay fairly tiny.

Not pictured is 3 large containers of potatoes that I just literally planted a few days ago. Yay for potatoes from the store sprouting- I haven't had to buy seed potatoes in 3 years.

For those who think they can't garden because they don't have ground.... not true! You can totally make it work. It costs for an initial upfront investment of soil and containers, but this garden is about 3 times bigger than previous years, and as I harvest things (already got a bunch of potatoes) I am planting new plants in those containers. All the brussels sprouts/brocolli's will finish soon enough, I hope, so I can put some more beans or tomatoes in those containers. Also portable for ease of transport into my photo studio (which I barely use) in the winter so they don't die off and can overwinter with plenty of sunlight.

My landlord/house owner is dodging plants every which way! Poor man. Please excuse the weeds all over, too, it's been hot out and work has been busy. So I've been more worried about keeping the weeds away from the plants than taking care of the rest of the yard.

[AnnaIkona]

Wow! What an amazing example of a successful conatiner garden!

So many people think that gardening in containers isn't real gardening, but it actually is! We can grow so much stuff in pots and planters, it's unbelievable before moving into my house, I lived in an apartment, and I was able to grow so much stuff in just pots. It was amazing.

Well, good luck and keep it up!

[SPierce]

Wow! What an amazing example of a successful conatiner garden!

So many people think that gardening in containers isn't real gardening, but it actually is! We can grow so much stuff in pots and planters, it's unbelievable before moving into my house, I lived in an apartment, and I was able to grow so much stuff in just pots. It was amazing.

Well, good luck and keep it up!

Thank you!! After having such a hard time getting the pumpkins to take previously, and even having issues with the peppers, I am ecstatic over how well things are going this year. Even despite the setbacks I had with planting the tomatoes and the peppers a bit late. and the brocolli/brussels sprouts maturing in the hot weather (tried a brocolli, it still tastes okay!)

I totally agree that containers are full on gardening and I don't understand how folks could think it's not... After all, I'm still growing veggies and eating the stuff I grow! Isn't that the point?

What did you grow in yours...? It's hard to find someone else that does a larger container garden, but granted I am doing it because I don't have a choice. I tried growing in the ground one year at a farm share, but I just couldn't keep up with the weeding, etc. in the heat. Containers have been easier for me to manage!

[AnnaIkona]

I grew all kinds of stuff in containers; tomatoes, peppers, herbs, trees, spinach, radish, kale, cucumbers, beets, onions, etc.

And all of them grew just as good as the ones in the ground

[applestar]

Well... Let's leave that for the moment.

Your "crazy" container garden is looking great @SPierce! It takes dedication to grow veggies in containers I think. They are mostly heavy feeders and grow from seeds to sometimes amazing size during the course of a season. When planted in the ground, I don't have to work as hard. So far, I've done better when growing in some kind of a SIP (sub-irrigated planter) or SW (self watering) set up that gives me a little bit of leeway from having to constantly take care of them. I'm looking into experimenting with automated drip watering next. So kudos to both of you!

Some of the crops, I'm finding, do better in containers. So far this has been the case for heat loving plants like peppers and eggplants. Especially if you live where summer temperatures and especially overnight lows are inadequate, these and probably some other crops grow with better results in containers.

[SPierce]

Well... Let's leave that for the moment.

Your "crazy" container garden is looking great @SPierce! It takes dedication to grow veggies in containers I think. They are mostly heavy feeders and grow from seeds to sometimes amazing size during the course of a season. When planted in the ground, I don't have to work as hard. So far, I've done better when growing in some kind of a SIP (sub-irrigated planter) or SW (self watering) set up that gives me a little bit of leeway from having to constantly take care of them. I'm looking into experimenting with automated drip watering next. So kudos to both of you!

Some of the crops, I'm finding, do better in containers. So far this has been the case for heat loving plants like peppers and eggplants. Especially if you live where summer temperatures and especially overnight lows are inadequate, these and probably some other crops grow with better results in containers.

Thank you!

And it really does... especially with the heat, I have to go out and water the containers every day. If I forget even one day, the plants are keeled over and starting to brown. So I've gotten into the habit of going out each AM (unless it's rained) and giving each pot a really, really good soaking. Even the lawns in the neighborhood are all brown and dying!

Containers tend to stay warmer than the ground, right? Or is it something different?

Would be interested to learn how the water drip works for you! Some day, I hope to have my own huge in ground garden to go with all the containers I have going. We'll see!

[AnnaIkona]

Oh ya...the soil heats up A LOT faster in containers as the sun's heat is absorbed through the plastic of the conatiners and into the soil.
As applestar mentioned, peppers do really well in containers as they like the warmth!

[imafan26]

Fantastic looking. You actually have broccoli and tomatoes at the same time in summer. Your weather must be milder than mine.
I have a small garden and a community pot, but I grow a lot of things in containers. Herbs, peppers, tomato, ginger and citrus trees. I have to water the containers everyday. I takes about 45 minutes just to do the back yard. But it is amazing what you can grow in containers.

[SPierce]

Fantastic looking. You actually have broccoli and tomatoes at the same time in summer. Your weather must be milder than mine.
I have a small garden and a community pot, but I grow a lot of things in containers. Herbs, peppers, tomato, ginger and citrus trees. I have to water the containers everyday. I takes about 45 minutes just to do the back yard. But it is amazing what you can grow in containers.

Thank you! They're all coming along nicely, I'm so excited for my tomatoes to start turning red so I can eat them! Pick them off, eat them like candy

I'm right there with you- I have to water every day too, in the hot sun. Lost one of the pumpkins yesterday, it got squashed, fell off the platform I had given it, something along those lines. Put nylon around the remainings to protect them.

How do your citrus work in containers? How large? I would love to grow one in my studio, and now that I know it can be done in a container... kind of tempting!

I forgot to touch base with you re: my Orchid, too. It's been doing great though the leaves are growing a little unevenly, which I found weird. BUT, it's growing and doing okay so I have no complaints Thank you again!

Oh ya...the soil heats up A LOT faster in containers as the sun's heat is absorbed through the plastic of the conatiners and into the soil.
As applestar mentioned, peppers do really well in containers as they like the warmth!

Seems to be the only way I can get peppers to grow. I overwintered one one year, and then the year after and the year after. Can you imagine an 8 foot tall pepper plant? It finally passed on 2 years ago, but it was a hoot to see.

[kayjay]

Your container garden looks great!

My peppers have done way better in containers. They like the heat, as mentioned, but I know I read somewhere that when their roots are restricted, they put more effort into fruit production. Can't find a reference for it, but... I won't argue, my peppers that went into the ground aren't doing well at all.

[SPierce]

Your container garden looks great!

My peppers have done way better in containers. They like the heat, as mentioned, but I know I read somewhere that when their roots are restricted, they put more effort into fruit production. Can't find a reference for it, but... I won't argue, my peppers that went into the ground aren't doing well at all.

Thank you! I really can't believe how well everything is doing this year (despite the fact that we're in a drought, and I have to water them every day for some and every other for the others). I'm already snacking on various kinds of tomatoes I planted and beans off the bush. My fall crop of potatoes are growing, and generally things are just awesome!

The peppers are also looking better- though smallish and growing quickly- than they have in previous years. I guess it was our soil that needed assistance...

I'm sorry about your in ground peppers. I hope they make it - are you in a heat wave/drought also?

[Allyn]

Crazy container garden? Oh heck no. That's all I do, too. I don't plant anything in the ground. My garden is done for the summer (except for the peppers) and I'm starting seeds for my fall garden, but here's my garden from the spring:





That was on April 1. Those buckets and tubs are made into SiPs to make watering easier and have more consistent moisture.

[kayjay]

I'm sorry about your in ground peppers. I hope they make it - are you in a heat wave/drought also?

Yes. We've had very little rain all summer, and high heat and humidity.

[SPierce]

Crazy container garden? Oh heck no. That's all I do, too. I don't plant anything in the ground. My garden is done for the summer (except for the peppers) and I'm starting seeds for my fall garden, but here's my garden from the spring:





That was on April 1. Those buckets and tubs are made into SiPs to make watering easier and have more consistent moisture.

Yours looks really awesome too! I've been thinking about picking up some buckets and using them as planters next year, provided I have room.. right now there are plants all over the place!

I'm sorry about your in ground peppers. I hope they make it - are you in a heat wave/drought also?

Yes. We've had very little rain all summer, and high heat and humidity.

Same here. It's been rough- but apparently my pepper plants like it. They're huge!

Everything is going really well, aside from chipmunks and squirrels stealing my tomatoes off the plants Aside from that, though, I have 5 pumpkins going. Five! I'm delighted. One is going to be pretty large too.