container gardening, with pictures!

[BeccaOH]

Love it! Thanks so much for posting.

 

[freemotion]

Cool version, xpc!!! More options to use what you have available. I did use a similar tote, and the sun broke it down in two years, fyi. But I did leave it out year-round.

 

[xpc]

Cool version, xpc!!! More options to use what you have available. I did use a similar tote, and the sun broke it down in two years, fyi. But I did leave it out year-round.

I just went outside and looked at the two year old one and it looks to be in perfect condition, I did store it for the winter though. I will also say that I got twice the tomatoes from the garden box then my ground planted ones. I think my clay soil compared to the potting mix may have made that difference. Walmart did sell the cheaper 30 gal totes for $4 this year and may not hold up to the weather.

The boxes paid for themselves in extra tomatoes in one year. I have read that you can reuse the potting mix for several years adding new fertilizer each year. I reused mine from last year with no effects but did dump it because it smelled funky and let sit in the rain for several weeks to rinse then put back in the tote

 

[FarmerDenise]

This sounds like a great idea for those who can't plant in the ground for whatever reason.
I used to have a garden on a large balcony and found that if I put perferated piping coiled downward toward the bottom of my containers, my plants did better. This appeares to be an improved system to the one I used.

 

[freemotion]

Yes, I did use the cheaper boxes, and they were not brought inside...too heavy, and not enough room to store them. But the increased yield still made it worth it!! Tomatoes were amazing, that is what I did first when we lived in an apartment. I did herbs, too. My folks did summer squashes, too, with good results. Dad rigged up a drip irrigation system to water them while they were away in the hottest part of the summer, and it worked great, just one failed. The drainage hole about 4" up prevents over watering.

My instructions said to use the soil only 2-3 times, and only once for heavy feeders like tomatoes. I used purchased soil when I lived in the apartment, and when I moved to the house, I used a mixture of peat moss and rich, finished compost, and that worked great. The leftovers can go into the garden in the fall to improve the soil, too.

I can't recommend this system enough. Even with plenty of garden space, I can't bear slugs on my greens, so I will use more buckets next year to plant some spinach and who-knows-what-else, and maybe a couple of smaller tomato plants so I can extend the season on a couple.

 

[citylife]

I have a large yard with lots of trees and am limited to sunlight. I also have terrible soil here for gardening. So, instead of tilling and hauling in dirt I did a bucket container garden and loved it. http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/thumbs/1834_peppers727.jpg[/img][/url]
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/thumbs/1834_herbsnmore74media1.jpeg[/img][/url]

http://www.flickr.com/groups/797108@N24/pool/

Hope you enjoy

The lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 5 meat rabbits, their kits, and a lizard
Oh... and the STD Poodle I am fostering