by Lis Friemoth
A slow-growing garden?
Containers may offer more control
Lots of rain, cool night temperatures, and cloudy days
all are working against those baby vegetables that hopeful
and ever-optimistic gardeners put in early. Unless the
weather changes dramatically, and very quickly, what was
starting out as a great season for growing food at home
is looking like a great year to rethink and replant.
If you are one of those gardeners frustrated by the beating
your food crops are taking, think containers.
You know what you like, but to get them to harvest before
the first frost, you may have to double check the days
to maturity. If your favorite cultivar or variety takes
longer than the season now allows, look through the choices
with shorter maturation periods.
There are so many great-tasting veggies out there that
you will be able to find something that takes less time
to grow and will still make the taste buds happy. Check
your garage, deck and yard for planters that can be redirected
to veggie production. Find a nice site with a minimum of
five or six hours of direct sunlight and easy access to
water.
When using containers as a temporary fix, don’t worry
so much about how it looks (you can always wrap something
decorative around it). Cleanliness and prior use are more
important than aesthetics. Clay containers can be disinfected
by either soaking in a 10 percent bleach solution or sterilizing
in a 200 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
Pathogens are not so easily removed from plastic. If you
are reusing a plastic planter/container that has not exhibited
any problems in the past, disinfect with the 10 percent
bleach solution. If it is a container that has had plant
death in the past, don’t use it. Research has shown that
root-rot pathogens do not ever fully leave plastics. Five-gallon
buckets work fine. Buy new ones or find those that were
used for food products.
An important detail for container-grown plants is excellent
drainage. Use a drill to create lots of holes in the bottom
as well as up the sides a few inches in those buckets to
ensure that excess water does not stay trapped around the
roots. Raise the container up a few inches on blocks to
help the drainage.
Even shallow-rooted plants will need, at least 8 inches
of depth to accommodate root development and 6 inches of
diameter to allow for crown expansion. Deeply rooted plants,
such as carrots will need a lot more space.
Window boxes are perfect for rows of annual herbs, beans,
beets, chard, leafy kale, leaf and head lettuces, onions,
peas, peppers, radishes and spinach. As an added bonus,
most of these plants will look fantastic decorating the
window ledge.
A 2-gallon bucket will hold two cucumber plants, one pepper
or one summer squash. For most other veggies, such as broccoli,
brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, horseradish,
parsnips, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and turnips,
a 5-gallon bucket is perfect for each plant.
Garden soil is never a good idea in containers, unless
it is sterilized prior to use. Bake the soil at 200 F for
20 to 30 minutes to eliminate pathogens, weed seeds and
insects. Sterilized garden soil should be mixed with perlite
or vermiculite, and sterilized peat moss or compost for
additional organic matter. Or, you can buy a sterilized
soil-less mix that is ready to go right out of the bag.
Most will have a slow-release fertilizer in it and that’s
OK if you can’t find anything else.
For vegetables, those soil-less mixes that do not have
any extra additives allow you to apply fertilizer when
appropriate for the best root development and fruit production
(yes, many are really fruits). If slow release isn’t in
the mix, choose a fertilizer that is appropriate for the
veggies you are feeding. The formulations now available
will vary the balance of N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium)
to be most beneficial to the individual needs of differing
species. There still are some great general-use garden
fertility products for those gardeners who raise a lot
of different crops. Just be sure that the ones you choose
are formulated for edible plants.
For those of you who are thinking about using lawn fertilizer
– don’t, unless it is specifically labeled for edible plant
use. Most are not. The products available for homeowner
use on edible crops are pretty fool proof as long as you
read and follow the label instructions carefully. Always
apply according to product recommendations. Too much will
not help the plants to do anything more quickly, other
than to die.
The first fertilizer application should be added to the
container with the soil. Mix it in well and then plant.
You should not make another application until after the
flowers have set. At that time, you can begin an application
schedule appropriate for container plantings and according
to the label directions.
Be sure to check that you are getting recommendations
for container plantings of vegetables. If the label does
not specify or differentiate, call the help line number
listed on the product. Ask if there is a difference in
application rates or timing for containers.
— Lis Friemoth is a horticulture diagnostician. Contact her at (262) 745-2904, P.O. Box 58, Springfield, WI 53176, or e-mail her at gardenhoe@tds.net. |
