1. Choosing the right plant: You won't have to spend as much time caring for your palnts if you choose plants that are suited to your environmental conditions and gardening style. Browse our collection of Gifts that Grow™, and get the perfect plant shipped to your door.
2. Watering: Test the soil in your containers every day with your finger. If it's dry an inch below the surface - water. If you can't water your plants on a regular basis, consider self-watering containers. If you've got hard-to-reach plants, we'd recommend a watering wand, which has saved us from lots of stepstool time.
3. Fertilizer: Fertilizer is important. Mix a dry, time-release fertilizer into the soil when planting, and use small amounts of liquid fertilizer for regular feeding every few weeks.
4. Fighting Pests: Inspect plants regularly for fungus, insects, bugs, etc. Remove any diseased or dying leaves. Spray insects with water or other natural repellants to get rid of them.
5. Pruning: Don't be afraid to cut or trim plants to keep their shape and encourage growth - just leave at least 2/3 of the original plant intact so it'll have enough surface area to absorb sunlight. Pinch deadhead faded flowers regularly to encourage more blooms on annual plants. A good set of tools can make all the difference.
Keep in mind that every plant is different. Take some time to read up on your plants and learn as much as you can about their individual needs. A little time spent reading and planning now can save you a lot of time and disappointment later.
Picking the Right Plant Container
Containers
Container gardening is wonderful! If you have trouble making up your mind about your garden design, all you have to do is shove a few pots around and you have a new design. If you want to grow exotic plants in a cold climate then container planting will let you fool them into thinking they are right at home in the tropics.
And if you like change - containers are about as changeable as you can get. First of all, you have all kinds of interesting containers, from classic to just plain wild. Don't limit yourself to only commercial pots. As long as you can provide adequate drainage, many flea market or garage sale items can make perfect container gardens. (Tea kettles, wash basins and wheelbarrows are just a few examples.) And then you have all kinds of great places to put a container garden - from a tiny balcony to a bare spot in a huge garden - or even indoors. You can hang them from poles or on walls, or set them on rolling carts - or even - (dastardly thought) just put them on the ground!
Finally, almost anything that can be grown in the ground can be grown in a pot - and a few things actually prefer being containerized. (Is that a word?) You can change your floral display seasonally, hide the plants that are getting tattered around the edges, and generally, with a little slight of hand and a wee bit of planning, fool people into thinking you actually know what you're doing.
Types Of Container Materials
A pot's a pot - right? And it doesn't really matter what it's made of, as long as it holds dirt - right? Wrong. While all pots will hold plants, some are better than others, some more attractive than others, and some, while downright ugly, are indispensable. (You just have to hide them!)
A lot depends on the climate you live in, because some materials may look strong and then shatter into a thousand pieces with the first freeze. The kind of plants you'll be planting may also make a difference, as some like to live in swampy environments and will want containers that retain moisture; others prefer to pretend they are in the desert and want pots that breathe.
And, if you like container gardening because of its portability, a lot depends on your brute strength. Container materials vary from featherweights to a tonnage guaranteed to cause hernias.
And then, of course, there is personal preference. You're going to like the look of some materials, and hate others. (Your neighbor may have quite the opposite tastes.) And finally, there is your budget. Some materials are for champagne budgets only, while others can be as cheap as - well. . . free!
How To Select, Prepare, And Maintain Your Containers
Although you could just go out and buy a plant and plunk it into whatever container you have handy, understanding the basics of container selection, preparation, and maintenance will go a long way toward creating a successful container garden.
The material your container is made of not only affects how happy you are with the total look of your garden but how happy your plants will be growing in it. The container itself will determine not only how easy your garden is to maintain but where you can grow things -- on walls, hanging from trees, or on the ground. A combination of the container type and material will determine how much maintenance your garden will need -- and how often you need to water it.
You will need to select containers appropriate for the types of plants you want to grow and for the style of your house and garden design. Once these are clean and filled with whatever materials will give your plant proper drainage, they'll make good homes for happy plants.
If you make sure to bring in any containers that can be damaged by weather, and to keep permanent outdoor containers well mulched and mounted, you should be ready to enjoy a long-lived and happy garden.
Growing Tomatoes Organically
No synthetics or chemicals! Fertilizers and pesticides must come from natural sources to be considered organic. Compost is the best soil conditioner and a great fertilizer as well-if you have it, use it! Other organic fertilizers are also easy to find. Many gardeners grow tomatoes with no pest control other than picking off tomato hornworms by hand.
Sun
Tomatoes love sun-put yours in the sunniest place you’ve got (unless you live in Death Valley). Less than six hours of sun per day means a rangy plant with no fruit. No soil in the sunny place? Consider putting your tomato in a container, then you can move it to wherever you want.
Soil and Situation
Use proper potting soil for containers. If your outdoor soil is not rich in nutrients and organic matter, add compost-the best soil improver. Your tomato is a vine that grows up to ten feet tall, but can fit in as little as one to three square feet of ground space. Stake, clip, cage, or twine your tomato around a string, or plant near a chain link fence. See ‘Support’ for tips on tying.
Containers-The Portable Tomato
Find exactly the right spot-and don’t be afraid to change your mind about it later. Containers should hold at least 3 gallons, and must drain well. Clean 5-gallon paint cans or buckets are good as long as you punch drainage holes in them. And of course, you should feel free to decorate them as inspiration strikes.
Moving Day-Planting Your Tomato
Dig a large planting hole to loosen the soil around the root ball and ease the way for questing roots. Ideally, the hole should be big enough to bury a basketball. Prepare the soil by filling the hole with water the day before. Let the water soak in-your tomato will dig it. Fill the hole part way with compost. Add a fistful of fertilizer and/or a few eggshells. Break off all but the top 3 or 4 branches and bury the plant deeply, so the soil covers those former branch sites-they will form roots, giving your tomato an extra solid foundation.
Water
After transplanting, water when the top inch of soil is dry (or cheat-use a moisture meter). Temperature, wind, and the soil type will affect how fast the soil dries out. It’s easy to water too much. We recommend that you don’t think of “regular watering.” Do not try to keep the soil moist. Instead, make it your goal to not let the soil dry out completely.
When you see tiny fruit on your tomato, cut way back on water (and fertilizer). This change tells your tomato that it is time to focus on fruit. Water the ground around the plant-try not to let water splash up onto the leaves. Water splashing up from the soil can spread disease.
Food
Mix a handful of tomato or vegetable fertilizer-preferably organic-into the soil of the hole or container. Add compost for richer soil. Scratch a handful of organic fertilizer or compost into the surface soil once a month. Do not overfeed! The nitrogen in fertilizer (the first number on the label) encourages leaf and stem growth. If you want your plant to focus on producing fruit, cut back on nitrogen.When fall is approaching, cut way back on fertilizer and water. If leaf ends start to turn yellow during early or mid-season, you may need more fertilizer. Phase it in gently and see if you notice an improvement.
Pruning
If you don’t pinch back your plant, you’ll get a tangle of vines, and less fruit. If you would like to learn about pruning and types of tomato plants in more detail.
Support
Go vertical-it increases fruit production and decreases the chance of diseases and pests. For the highest yield, plant 18” apart, grow in single or “Y” shaped vines, and tie them straight up. Support your tomato! Cages, trellises, garden net, or stakes are easy to find. Or plant your tomato against a fence, or knot garden twine on a 6-foot frame and suspend stems by twining them around the string. If you are using cages, prune your suckers so you get 3 or 4 main stems (instead of a long “Y”), then start pinching off their growing tips once they start spilling out and blocking the light of the tomato the next cage over. If you’re tying, tie loosely-the stems will expand with time.
Pests and Problems
Your frequent visits will help you stay in touch with your tomato’s health. Problems are minor when dealt with as soon as they appear. Tomato hornworms eat leaves and fruit, and leave their calling card: black droppings. Pick the hornworms off and smush them-disgusting, but effective! Try using homemade pest repellent/leaf cleaner, especially if you see little white bugs on the underside of the leaves. Tomatoes can crack from uneven moisture, or appear “catfaced,” with scars and holes in the blossom end from cold weather or too much nitrogen. Ugly tomatoes taste great-just cut out any bad parts. Blights, late and early, disfigure both leaves and fruit for those east of the Mississippi and on the West Coast. Wilts can kill tomato plants.
Prevention is the best cure:
• Moisture control is key to disease control
• Watering at ground level instead of overhead
• Don’t tie or prune your plants when they are wet
• Don’t plant in the same area two years in a row, and make sure you clean up dead plants at the end of the season.
As the Season Wanes
Get every last bit of tomato goodness! When there’s only a month left of warm weather: cut off all growing vine ends, and all small and undeveloped fruit. Cut back on water and fertilizer so the plant focuses on ripening existing fruit.
How to Get Help
Ask a gardening friend or neighbor-tomato people love to share tips! Try calling your local agricultural extension office (most states have them), ask Dr. Google. Enjoy!
2. Watering: Test the soil in your containers every day with your finger. If it's dry an inch below the surface - water. If you can't water your plants on a regular basis, consider self-watering containers. If you've got hard-to-reach plants, we'd recommend a watering wand, which has saved us from lots of stepstool time.
3. Fertilizer: Fertilizer is important. Mix a dry, time-release fertilizer into the soil when planting, and use small amounts of liquid fertilizer for regular feeding every few weeks.
4. Fighting Pests: Inspect plants regularly for fungus, insects, bugs, etc. Remove any diseased or dying leaves. Spray insects with water or other natural repellants to get rid of them.
5. Pruning: Don't be afraid to cut or trim plants to keep their shape and encourage growth - just leave at least 2/3 of the original plant intact so it'll have enough surface area to absorb sunlight. Pinch deadhead faded flowers regularly to encourage more blooms on annual plants. A good set of tools can make all the difference.
Keep in mind that every plant is different. Take some time to read up on your plants and learn as much as you can about their individual needs. A little time spent reading and planning now can save you a lot of time and disappointment later.
Picking the Right Plant Container
Containers
Container gardening is wonderful! If you have trouble making up your mind about your garden design, all you have to do is shove a few pots around and you have a new design. If you want to grow exotic plants in a cold climate then container planting will let you fool them into thinking they are right at home in the tropics.
And if you like change - containers are about as changeable as you can get. First of all, you have all kinds of interesting containers, from classic to just plain wild. Don't limit yourself to only commercial pots. As long as you can provide adequate drainage, many flea market or garage sale items can make perfect container gardens. (Tea kettles, wash basins and wheelbarrows are just a few examples.) And then you have all kinds of great places to put a container garden - from a tiny balcony to a bare spot in a huge garden - or even indoors. You can hang them from poles or on walls, or set them on rolling carts - or even - (dastardly thought) just put them on the ground!
Finally, almost anything that can be grown in the ground can be grown in a pot - and a few things actually prefer being containerized. (Is that a word?) You can change your floral display seasonally, hide the plants that are getting tattered around the edges, and generally, with a little slight of hand and a wee bit of planning, fool people into thinking you actually know what you're doing.
Types Of Container Materials
A pot's a pot - right? And it doesn't really matter what it's made of, as long as it holds dirt - right? Wrong. While all pots will hold plants, some are better than others, some more attractive than others, and some, while downright ugly, are indispensable. (You just have to hide them!)
A lot depends on the climate you live in, because some materials may look strong and then shatter into a thousand pieces with the first freeze. The kind of plants you'll be planting may also make a difference, as some like to live in swampy environments and will want containers that retain moisture; others prefer to pretend they are in the desert and want pots that breathe.
And, if you like container gardening because of its portability, a lot depends on your brute strength. Container materials vary from featherweights to a tonnage guaranteed to cause hernias.
And then, of course, there is personal preference. You're going to like the look of some materials, and hate others. (Your neighbor may have quite the opposite tastes.) And finally, there is your budget. Some materials are for champagne budgets only, while others can be as cheap as - well. . . free!
How To Select, Prepare, And Maintain Your Containers
Although you could just go out and buy a plant and plunk it into whatever container you have handy, understanding the basics of container selection, preparation, and maintenance will go a long way toward creating a successful container garden.
The material your container is made of not only affects how happy you are with the total look of your garden but how happy your plants will be growing in it. The container itself will determine not only how easy your garden is to maintain but where you can grow things -- on walls, hanging from trees, or on the ground. A combination of the container type and material will determine how much maintenance your garden will need -- and how often you need to water it.
You will need to select containers appropriate for the types of plants you want to grow and for the style of your house and garden design. Once these are clean and filled with whatever materials will give your plant proper drainage, they'll make good homes for happy plants.
If you make sure to bring in any containers that can be damaged by weather, and to keep permanent outdoor containers well mulched and mounted, you should be ready to enjoy a long-lived and happy garden.
Growing Tomatoes Organically
No synthetics or chemicals! Fertilizers and pesticides must come from natural sources to be considered organic. Compost is the best soil conditioner and a great fertilizer as well-if you have it, use it! Other organic fertilizers are also easy to find. Many gardeners grow tomatoes with no pest control other than picking off tomato hornworms by hand.
Sun
Tomatoes love sun-put yours in the sunniest place you’ve got (unless you live in Death Valley). Less than six hours of sun per day means a rangy plant with no fruit. No soil in the sunny place? Consider putting your tomato in a container, then you can move it to wherever you want.
Soil and Situation
Use proper potting soil for containers. If your outdoor soil is not rich in nutrients and organic matter, add compost-the best soil improver. Your tomato is a vine that grows up to ten feet tall, but can fit in as little as one to three square feet of ground space. Stake, clip, cage, or twine your tomato around a string, or plant near a chain link fence. See ‘Support’ for tips on tying.
Containers-The Portable Tomato
Find exactly the right spot-and don’t be afraid to change your mind about it later. Containers should hold at least 3 gallons, and must drain well. Clean 5-gallon paint cans or buckets are good as long as you punch drainage holes in them. And of course, you should feel free to decorate them as inspiration strikes.
Moving Day-Planting Your Tomato
Dig a large planting hole to loosen the soil around the root ball and ease the way for questing roots. Ideally, the hole should be big enough to bury a basketball. Prepare the soil by filling the hole with water the day before. Let the water soak in-your tomato will dig it. Fill the hole part way with compost. Add a fistful of fertilizer and/or a few eggshells. Break off all but the top 3 or 4 branches and bury the plant deeply, so the soil covers those former branch sites-they will form roots, giving your tomato an extra solid foundation.
Water
After transplanting, water when the top inch of soil is dry (or cheat-use a moisture meter). Temperature, wind, and the soil type will affect how fast the soil dries out. It’s easy to water too much. We recommend that you don’t think of “regular watering.” Do not try to keep the soil moist. Instead, make it your goal to not let the soil dry out completely.
When you see tiny fruit on your tomato, cut way back on water (and fertilizer). This change tells your tomato that it is time to focus on fruit. Water the ground around the plant-try not to let water splash up onto the leaves. Water splashing up from the soil can spread disease.
Food
Mix a handful of tomato or vegetable fertilizer-preferably organic-into the soil of the hole or container. Add compost for richer soil. Scratch a handful of organic fertilizer or compost into the surface soil once a month. Do not overfeed! The nitrogen in fertilizer (the first number on the label) encourages leaf and stem growth. If you want your plant to focus on producing fruit, cut back on nitrogen.When fall is approaching, cut way back on fertilizer and water. If leaf ends start to turn yellow during early or mid-season, you may need more fertilizer. Phase it in gently and see if you notice an improvement.
Pruning
If you don’t pinch back your plant, you’ll get a tangle of vines, and less fruit. If you would like to learn about pruning and types of tomato plants in more detail.
Support
Go vertical-it increases fruit production and decreases the chance of diseases and pests. For the highest yield, plant 18” apart, grow in single or “Y” shaped vines, and tie them straight up. Support your tomato! Cages, trellises, garden net, or stakes are easy to find. Or plant your tomato against a fence, or knot garden twine on a 6-foot frame and suspend stems by twining them around the string. If you are using cages, prune your suckers so you get 3 or 4 main stems (instead of a long “Y”), then start pinching off their growing tips once they start spilling out and blocking the light of the tomato the next cage over. If you’re tying, tie loosely-the stems will expand with time.
Pests and Problems
Your frequent visits will help you stay in touch with your tomato’s health. Problems are minor when dealt with as soon as they appear. Tomato hornworms eat leaves and fruit, and leave their calling card: black droppings. Pick the hornworms off and smush them-disgusting, but effective! Try using homemade pest repellent/leaf cleaner, especially if you see little white bugs on the underside of the leaves. Tomatoes can crack from uneven moisture, or appear “catfaced,” with scars and holes in the blossom end from cold weather or too much nitrogen. Ugly tomatoes taste great-just cut out any bad parts. Blights, late and early, disfigure both leaves and fruit for those east of the Mississippi and on the West Coast. Wilts can kill tomato plants.
Prevention is the best cure:
• Moisture control is key to disease control
• Watering at ground level instead of overhead
• Don’t tie or prune your plants when they are wet
• Don’t plant in the same area two years in a row, and make sure you clean up dead plants at the end of the season.
As the Season Wanes
Get every last bit of tomato goodness! When there’s only a month left of warm weather: cut off all growing vine ends, and all small and undeveloped fruit. Cut back on water and fertilizer so the plant focuses on ripening existing fruit.
How to Get Help
Ask a gardening friend or neighbor-tomato people love to share tips! Try calling your local agricultural extension office (most states have them), ask Dr. Google. Enjoy!
What is an Heirloom Tomato?
Heirlooms are tomatoes that have been around a long time. Rediscovered in the recent taste revolution, “heirloom” refers to tomatoes that are not hybrids, and have been in existence at least 50 years-preserved for their superb taste. Heirloom tomatoes often are unusual shapes or colors. Many people have never tasted “real” tomatoes-if you’ve only eaten supermarket or other commercially produced tomatoes, you’re in for a delicious surprise.
Heirlooms are tomatoes that have been around a long time. Rediscovered in the recent taste revolution, “heirloom” refers to tomatoes that are not hybrids, and have been in existence at least 50 years-preserved for their superb taste. Heirloom tomatoes often are unusual shapes or colors. Many people have never tasted “real” tomatoes-if you’ve only eaten supermarket or other commercially produced tomatoes, you’re in for a delicious surprise.
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Copyright © 2010
DC's Coupons.
All rights reserved.
See merchants' websites for additional terms.
All offers are subject to change at any time without notice.
Copyright © 2010
DC's Coupons.
All rights reserved.
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