I need to know right now...

[Lizcordysmum]

is this part of the forum ONLY for folks who have got absolutely delightfull cute containers or does it apply to those of us who must plant in white plastic pails...5 gallon/20 litre size?

I do cutsie poo too, but I need to talk with some real container-planting folks who grow foodstuffs/toms?cukes/peppers in pails and I could use useful helps/tips, please and thank you.

Much appreciated.

[kelly_m]

Hey Liz...If it's grown in a container it's container gardening!!

I think this room needs a thread started for that type of gardening....can you imagine how many people who live in apartments or small spaces would benefit from learning how to grow veggies in containers????

I did potatoes in containers last year...it was BBQ who got me onto it....they did okay, but then maybe I was impatient for taters and dugf them up too early!!

Wonder if anyone else has any ideas or successes or failures they can share.....

[bluewillow]

This year will be my first year for veggies in containers i.e. tomatoes and cucumbers only.

bw

[keke]

I always put my peppers and tomatoes in containers, because the soil is warmer in a container than in the ground -- and our summers are so unpredictable for heat I need all the help I can get. Also means I can move them to a certain extent. I try to group them somewhere that they can be covered in September but get maximum sun. Drives my DH crazy, 'cause he never knows where the tomatoes will be from one year to the next.

My rules are:
Fist sized rocks in the bottom, then 1/3 manure, then 2/3 planter box soil. This keeps the pots from getting top-heavy later, and cuts down on the amount of fertilizer needed.
The bigger the pot the better (smallest is 16" diameter). This keeps you from having to water every four hours in the heat of August.
Never re-use soil -- dump the pots into a perennial bed or the "regular" veggie garden in the fall. This means any tomato or pepper specific bugs or diseases don't come back next year.

Liz, I'd go with the white buckets myself if I didn't have such a visually-oriented DH. White buckets seem to be an offense to his eye -- heck, if I didn't fight him for it I'd not even be able to use plastic at all, even the lowly green or brown coloured ones. Personally I find terra cotta overpriced and heavy, and stuff in terra cotta needs watering too much.

keke

[Guest]

liz
I grow some veg in 5 gallon pails.I find it easier to grow green onions and leeks and such, in these as they are hard to weed in the garden.My grape tomatoes do very well.I fill my pails using very good soil,with lots of compost added.I keep them well watered and fertilize with Miracle-gro once a month.The lined up pails are not pretty,but the veg they grow are.I love this method,go for it you will be very happy.
Oh and also,in the fall,I empty out the pails into a pile and add compost, fertilizer,manure,peat etc and cover with a tarp for winter.In the Spring I add more compost,mix in well and fill the pails again.Very cost efficient.

[Eeyore]

I grow tomatoes and this year I will grow peppers in pots... I agree, don't reuse your soil in the planters.

[Eeyore]

I'm doing baby corn in pots this year Laura. I got the seed from Lindenberg.

[Lizcordysmum]

Keke, everyone, no, never re use soil in pots from one year to next...I quite agree...no "food value" left in it...poor stuff has to work hard, confined!

Interesting about the fist-sized rocks...this is going to make it too hard to haul them about (we follow the sun, here!)

Thank you all for helps.