Container Gardening Update, End of September

I've been eating cherry tomatoes every day for a few weeks now.  The plant that produces the most fruits is the one in the indoor 5-gallon bucket described in a previous post.  The biggest problem indoors is positioning the bucket/plant so that the 8-10 foot high vine can grow and still get sun from the window.  So far, so good.  The plant grows up the window, winds over the curtain rod, and heads back down.  :)

The "bush" (determinate growth) tomato plants are looking good, but producing very few fruits.  None of them are in 5-gallon buckets; the largest container is a 2.5-gallon bucket.  So again, it looks as though five gallons is the minimum size container for tomatoes...unless, like me, you don't really care if you get only a few fruits at a time from the plant.

The strawberries were raised from seed, and frankly, I didn't expect to get fruit this year.  [There's no need to bury the tiny seeds when planting; watering buries them sufficiently.]  To my surprise, they are fruiting...not yet ready to eat, but on their way.  Most of the plants are in an old cat litter box/tray/whatever it's called.  There are no drainage holes punched in the bottom, so I have to be very careful with watering.  A few plants are in much smaller containers (e.g., a large Miracle Whip jar with the narrowing top cut off) with holes in the bottom and a catch basin for drainage.  All the plants are thriving on the back porch.  They'll be moved inside in a few days because of upcoming freezing nights.

The garlic plants are looking great, and are in a variety of containers on the back porch.  Primarily they are in the small dog food bags described in a previous post.  The drainage catch basin (secondary containment) is the bottom half of a gallon milk jug...that can be cut using ordinary scissors.  Use any knife with a sharp point to make a starting slit in the side of the jug.  The 3.5 pound dog food bag appears to be the perfect height/depth for planting and raising garlic.  Harvesting & curing garlic is explained in numerous video clips on YouTube.  Mine aren't yet ready to harvest.

The basil grows well in almost any size container, and indoors or outdoors.  I raise it strictly for its aromatic quality...I don't cook at all, but love the smell of the plant.  My basil plants are both indoors and on the back porch, and they're all doing great.

The spearmint plants are growing, but slowly.  They are in a wide variety of containers on the back porch...soon to be moved indoors.

Still eating sunberries...what an easy plant to raise.  Just remember---if the berries are still a shiny purple, they're poisonous and shouldn't be eaten.  Once the fruit has a dull purple color, it's ready to eat.

Still have a total of 50+/- containers...believe me, it's great fun!  My next post here will be about composting...am using a formula that should produce spectacular compost in a pile in the backyard.

Happy Container Gardening, and Be Well

"PART 3: Container Gardening"

I finally made and posted the video, "Part 3:  Container Gardening"---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBQ2neI3p3g .
It contains transplanting tips, a few unusual containers, and more.  Enjoy, and garden on.

Happy Trails, and Be Well

The Dog Food Small Bag & a Note Regarding This Blog

In a previous post, I mentioned the use of a dog food bag (a small one) as a garden plant container; the bag should have a mylar lining, some other waterproof lining, or be made entirely of a waterproof substance.  I now can report that such a bag (3.5 to 5.0 pounds of food, or so) works very well, especially for garlic or tomatoes.  Punch holes in the bottom for drainage, fill the bag to about 2 inches from the top with potting soil & a little mulch, and place it in the bottom half of a gallon milk jug for secondary containment (to catch excess drainage).  The 3.5 pound size fits perfectly into the bottom half of a milk jug.  For larger bags, you'll have to find some other secondary containment.  That setup gives you some nice container depth for a transplanted seedling.  For garlic, I think it may work as the final container...am running a test to see if that might be true for tomatoes as well.
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IMPORTANT note regarding this particular blog---
We've been up & running here for about a month and a half.  This is the seventeenth post, and thus far, there has been very little interest.  Consequently, I'm forced to cut way back on posting here...just don't have the time for something that appears to be going nowhere.  I'll still do it now & again, and I thank all of you from North America and Europe (primarily) who have been visiting.
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Within a week or so, I'll be posting a video on my YouTube Channel showing more plant containers (& their residents:)...including a few dog food or dog biscuit bags.  Will let you know with a link.

Happy Trails, and Be Well