Fruit or veggie container gardening
- unicatwritr
- cgfayrn
- jacki73
- pentecostal238
- ChicagoMike
- allisonhazen
- missmaggie
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» unicatwritr - Need advice
Because of disability I can't do the regular garden routine but was thinking of gardening in some containers where they would be higher than ground level, thus making it easier for me to reach. I am thinking about strawberries & blueberries [for fruit] and tomato & cucumber [for veggies]. Has anyone any advice as to whether this can be done? Thanks in advance!-- posted by unicatwritr
» cgfayrn - Re: Need advice
In response to message posted by unicatwritr:We are trying this with tomatos and having pretty good luck.We went to a garden center and they were good enough to give us some plastic tubs of the type that trees are shipped in. I think the key is plenty of water and adeqate fertlizer.
-- posted by cgfayrn
» jacki73 - Re: Re: Need advice
In response to message posted by cgfayrn:there are certain types of blueberries now bred that are designed for containers. the new 2004 parks catalog has blueberry plant called sunshine blue that is for a container, there are also tomatoes in the bush variety that are great for containers. the strawberries you can grow in specialized strawberry jars with multiple openings for the runners...as for cukeimim not so certain they like to spread..hope this helps!
-- posted by jacki73
» pentecostal238 - Re: Need advice
In response to message posted by unicatwritr:tomatoes are a great container variety! here in the south/southeast, better boy and big boy and celebrity are good disease resistant varieties. i'd buy them about 6" tall and leggy, then pinch all stems/leaves off but the top 4-5 leaves. trench plant them (lay them down on their side and gently curve the top portion out of the ground) about 2"-3" below the surface. be sure not to tamp the soil too hard or you may damage the stem. go to walmart and buy a plastic self-watering planter that holds 1 cubic foot of soil. also buy miracle-grow potting soil and put 1 c.ft. in the container. plant the tomatoe plant as instructed. leave the soil level about 2" from the top. fill the bottom with water until it runs out of the opening. then water from the top until the soil is moist. do not top water again until you fertilize, which is about once every 3-4 weeks. just keep the water holder filled and the roots will drink what they need. also, put a stake about 3' tall in the container and don't damage the roots. tie about every 12" as the plant grows. sit the pot on any stand/table to a comfortable height. in just a short time you will see yellow blooms where tomatoes will form. keep it in full sun or at least 6 hours daily...no wind. enjoy!
-- posted by pentecostal238
» ChicagoMike - Re: Need advice
In response to Need advice posted by unicatwritr:Yes it can be done, or at least I've read in several places that it has been successfully done. Check out the "container gardening" forum at gardenweb.com for some ideas from those in similar situations. The search at that site isn't ideal so you will have to go digging since there are so many threads, but there's great info there.
The second place to check is in the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. In the latter part of the book he teaches how to make raised wooden containers which are boxes to utilize his easy square foot gardening technique. I have the book as I'm trying to figure out how to grow large heirloom tomatoes on my roof here in Chicago, but his solution is very easy for what you're interested in doing. He has shown that for many varieties all you have to do is make a 4 foot by 4 space that is only 6-8 inches deep and divide that into 4 separate equal squares and by using this "square foot" technique you get more vegetables per area while having them thrive. I remember a picture from it of an individual in a wheelchair using a raised container set-up so he explains a solution which may meet your needs. The book is fairly inexpensive. I have a rereleased copy which is available used for about $6 plus shipping on Amazon. You may be be able to find it cheaper on half.com GL!
-- posted by ChicagoMike
» allisonhazen - Re: Need advice
I've seen cucumber seeds that were labeled as a variety called "Space Savers." Apparently they need less room and might work for what you need. I'm seeding some now. Best of luck!In response to Need advice posted by unicatwritr:
-- posted by allisonhazen
» missmaggie - Need advice
In response to Need advice posted by unicatwritr:I am somewhat physically limited, but have had wonderful balcony gardens for the last two years. Have had wonderful success with "patio tomatoes", Beef steak tomatoes, and tiny Tim (cherry tomatoes). I plant them with various herbs, haven't tried any other veggies yet, but am planning to put in "bunching onions" with my tomatoes this year.
In planting the herbs with the tomatoes I find the soil doesn't need watering quite so often, though in the full heat of summer did need to water daily. I use 16" pots, and one small rectangular planter for the cherry tomatoes. Good luck!
-- posted by missmaggie
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