Planting in Pots

by RobinMcaf

Quite a few people have been asking in the Forums asked about planting herbs and vegetables in containers - here is my advice:

Containers
Herbs and certain vegetables thrive in containers. Feel free to experiment with the material. Mediterranean terracotta is beautiful but porous and dries out quickly. Use plastic pots, window boxes, buckets, or even baths (as in the picture above). Remember that the smaller the pot, the more you will need to water and the quicker the root will dry out so buy the biggest that you can afford within the space that you have. I have always found Sage to be unhappy in small containers so I would always give this herb a larger pot (at least 8 litres).

Soil
Make sure your container has drainage holes. If it doesn't, drill your own and have at least three holes, each with a 80mm diameter. Place a piece of broken terracotta or a stone over the hole to stop the soil running through or the hole getting blocked. I use John Innes Potting Compost but you can buy cheaper multi-purpose composts with a little John Innes added. John Innes tends to retain moisture more effectively than some standard multi-purpose composts.

Aspect
Most herbs and vegetables thrive in the sun. However there are some herbs and vegetables, which will tolerate partial shade. Spinach and mint are invaluable exceptions.

Top ten herbs and vegetables for containers
Cherry tomatoes. You will need full sun and plenty of food and water, but cherry tomatoes will thrive in containers. Planting with basil will improve the flavour. Feed regularly with a liquid tomato feed.

Basil. Plant with tomatoes, on it's own or in a mixed herb container. Basil is annual but will last the summer and taste delicious with your tomatoes. Basil is also said to repel flies and mosquitos. You can even just buy a pot from the supermarket and keep it inside on the windowsill close to hand.

Wild rocket. Will take partial shade and is extremely low maintenance. Fresh rocket tastes peppery and potent and the flavour will leave it's supermarket packet rivals on the shelf.

Mint. Peppermint makes a delicious fresh tea, which always impresses guests. It is also a valuable companion for cooking, particularly with potatoes. Never combine mint with other plants. It has shallow creeping roots and will take over. Keep it self-contained.

Rosemary. Great in a mixed herb arrangement and useful for cooking with meat and vegetables. I like the creeping variety Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus Group which will curl over the edge of your containers.

Chives. Chives keep aphids away and the purple flowerheads are a real treat in early summer salads – the garlic flavour tinged with sweet nectar. The leaves are more commonly used.

Parsley. Needs little explanation. An extremely popular biennial herb that is used in a variety of dishes. It does like rich soil, to be kept moist and fed regularly. When you feed your tomatoes don't forget your parsley too.

Spinach. The final three plants can be picked when they're young and will keep cropping if you keep picking, hence the title ‘cut and come again'. Perpetual spinach is delicious cooked or raw and suitable for partial shade.

Lettuce. Lettuce prefers partial shade and a cool spot and is also happy grown in small containers.

Pak Choi. This Chinese cabbage is my final ‘cut and come again' option. It has a good strong flavour and will last into the winter months. Pak choi has shallow roots and needs little watering – ideal for container gardening.

Useful links

http://www.jekkasherbfarm.com/plants.asp

A wonderful resource where you can buy organic herbs, their seeds and learn more about the wealth of varieties available.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/gardening/article.php?id=157

Save Mother Earth!

One of the ways to reduce your carbon footprint is by planting trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and wood.

By helping to plant tree you will be helping to:

-Offset CO2 emissions
-Provide wildlife habitats

The amount of carbon, a tree will absorb depends on many factors;

-amount of room it has to grow
-type of tree
-location where the tree is planted


So,let's start planting!!

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How to Add Organic Material

1.Organic material such as well rotted garden compost or in high in nutrients. Fork in when the soil is dug.

2.If the soil has already been dug, the organic material can be lightly forked in or left on the surface. The worms will complete the task of working it into the soil.

Choosing and Using Fertilizer

To anticipate a healthy growing plant would mean to provide a wide range of essential nutrients for your plant. The amount of fertilizer, you ask? Well that depends much on how often you need to apply it and also the amount of fertilizer you mean to use. The former would depend largely on the conditions of your soil and the types of crops you are trying to grow.

Essential Nutrients
Nature plays a major role in the nutritional cycle of which growing plants get nutrients from the soil and then would eventually die and rot, bringing the nutrients back to the soil. You can imitate nature as well in maintaining your garden by recycling your organic waste in a compost bin and the compost will return nutrients to the soil. Hence, it is always a good idea to have a compost bin in your garden. Note that the soil would also need extra boost from other sources, for instance organic and inorganic fertilizer.

Below are the primary nutrients where each macro-nutrient promotes a different type of growth:

(N): This nutrient encourages leafy growth.

(P): An essential nutrient for healthy roots and promotes the ripening of fruit

(K): Available in the form of potash which promotes flowering and good food production.

The proportion of these primary nutrients is expressed as a ratio of N: P: K on labels of fertilizer packs.

Other secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zink. These are needed is smaller quantities.

Types of Fertilizer
Organic fertilizer: Originate from organic materials such as animals, plants, bones, fish (high in phosphorus) and hoof (high in nitrogen), is slow acting because they have to be broken down by micro-organisms in the soil before the nutrients are ready for plants.

Inorganic fertilizer: Manmade. Most are manufactured, but a few such as rock potash, naturally occurring minerals that are mixed. Concentrated and is quick acting because they are soluble in water and hence are readily made available to the plants

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