Container Gardening

1
Container Gardening Objectives

• What youll learn today
• Advantages and disadvantages of container
  gardening
• Cultural requirements and issues pertaining
• container gardening
• What to plant in containers

2
Container gardening

• What is container gardening?
• Container gardening is growing vegetables
  __________________________ and not in the ground
• Has been practiced for 1000s of years
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Container gardens can be a way for elderly or
  disabled to garden

3
Advantages of container gardening

• Can grow vegetables _________ ________
  _____________
• Can grow vegetables where __________
  ______________ is impossible
• Apartments
• Patios
• Can soften harsh landscapes
• Provides source of fresh food

4
Differences from growing vegetables in ground

• Container gardening is less forgiving of mistakes
  WHY? _____________________
• Environment harsher for plants in containers
  WHY? _____________________________
• Plants have limited root volume
• Easier to control environment in containers
• Fewer problems with weeds

5
Check out this website for more information.
Pictures are also from this site.
http//home.messiah.edu/jebeneze/
UrbanAgriculture/Garden.htm
Rooftop wading pool gardens
Feed sack gardens
6
The Big Thing to Remember with Container
Gardening

• YOU are providing everything that the
  _____________
• ________________ provides to an in-ground garden

Theres a lot to think about!
7
Whats needed to grow healthy vegetables in
containers?

• A sufficient supply of nutrients
• Especially the __________ ______________
• Regular fertilization is important
• Liquid fertilizer easiest to use for containers
• The right pH
• ________ to __________
• Watering
• One of the most important things!
• Frequency and amount depends on root area, plant,
  and environment
• Some vegetables will need watering very day

8
Putting the Container in Container Gardening

• Considerations with containers
• Vegetable grown will determine
• size of container
• Avoid containers with __________ openings
• Cheap plastic pots will deteriorate rapidly in UV
  light
• Terracotta pots __________ _______ rapidly
• Wood containers
• Tend to rot
• Cedar or redwood are less susceptible to rot
• Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta, or other
  toxic compounds

9
More Container Info

• Considerations with containers
• Use ________ enough and _________ enough
  containers to allow good root growth
• _________-_____________ containers lessen heat
  absorption and encourage even root growth
• 6-10 inch size adequate for green onion, parsley,
  herbs
• 5 gallon size good for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant

10
Drainage in Container Gardens

• Good drainage
• Make sure media does not retain too much moisture
• _______ media to allow for air space and drainage
• Containers must have adequate drain holes
• Make sure holes are not blocked
• Add _________ of coarse gravel at the bottom of
  the container to improve drainage

11
Temperatures, Light, Photoperiod

• Air and soil temperature
• Air temperatures can be substantially
  ________________ than over bare ground
• Soils in containers can become quite hot or cold
• Select vegetables according to the environment
• Sufficient light and correct photoperiod
• Need at least ____________ of direct sunlight
• Order of amount of light needed
• Fruiting Root vegetables Leaf vegetables
• Artificial lights can extend _______________

12
Air Exchange Root Growth

• Plants need ample air exchange
• _____________ and other toxic substances do not
  build up
• Root area
• Critical factor in container gardening
• Want container size/ root
• volume as large as possible
• Otherwise plants can become ___________________

13
Growing Vegetables HerbsWhat Youll Want

• Requirements
• Continuous yield
• Easy to grow
• Do not have a lot of insect or disease problems
• Choose plants youll like eating
• Compact, low growing, ________, or ___________
  varieties
• Colorful foliage or fruits
• ornamental
• ________________

14
Suggestions for Herbs Cultivars

• Kitchen herbs
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Chives
• Sage
• Thyme
• Pots or baskets of tomato plants
• Use cultivars bred for _________________________
• Totally Tomatoes container gardening pack

15
More Vegetable Suggestions

• Pots of hot peppers
• Small colorful fruit
• Window boxes
• Leaf lettuces or _________
• mixtures
• Different types of radishes
• Cucumbers on trellises
• Hanging baskets
• ________ _________ _________