Part Three: Gardening Containers... and Fertilizer Tips

End of Gardening Containers---

6.  Any suitable plastic jug... following the instructions on previous posts, simply cut off the top, cut holes in the bottom for drainage, and supply a catch basin (saucer, tray, lid, or a slightly larger, shorter container) for excess drainage.  We've used everything from empty coffee cans---including metal ones---to various empty cleaning fluid/liquid containers.  With something like a vehicle windshield washing fluid jug, be sure to rinse thoroughly.

7.  Plastic tubs of varying sizes... the Dollar Store, Family Dollar, and other stores have fairly inexpensive tubs.  With the larger ones (they range up to 18 - 20 gallons), you'll have to drill holes for drainage.  Often the plastic is either too thick or too hard & brittle to cut with a knife.

8.  Galvanized metal tubs... a bit pricey when new, but often used ones can be found at yard sales, on Craigslist, or at Swap Meets (Flea Markets) at very reasonable prices.  If they don't have holes in the bottom, you'll have to drill some.

9.  Buckets/pails...from 2.5 to 5 gallons...like large tubs, these too are the final homes for your plants.  My organic farmer friend in California, Alex, thinks that three gallons should be the minimum size.  I'm experimenting with 2.5 gallons and so far, things look good; but Alex is probably correct.  We have to be careful that the plants don't get root-bound from lack of space; if they do, usually they don't die, but production of fruit is greatly reduced.  If the bucket is smaller than 5 gallons, usually you can cut the drainage holes with a knife.

10.  The very best containers, of course, are the old terra cotta clay plant pots...all sizes.  Unfortunately, there are some HUGE disadvantages:  the cost; plus, these pots are relatively easy to break; and, in this day & age, they are somewhat difficult to find.  The main advantage is that they breathe...air goes in & out of them through the sides.  If you can find some used ones that aren't cracked or broken (at a reasonable price), grab them up.

Beginning of Fertilizer Tips---

Potting soil is very rich in plant nutrients, but it's somewhat limited because it's isolated in a container; in other words, there's no source of additional nutrition coming into the container naturally.  So as nutrients get "used up" (incorporated into plants), there's no animal waste, very little, if any, green manure from dying/dead plants, no runoff from hillsides, etc. to replace what's gone from the soil.  Therefore, depending on the size of the container & how soon the plant will mature (& other variables), it's often a good idea for us to add certain nutrients to our container soil.  It's best to stick with natural fertilizer whenever possible, as follows.

Just before you plant seeds in a tray or cup(s) for germination, add the following to the soil (bury these things) in your largest containers...the ones which will be the final homes for your plants:
1.  ground up or crushed eggshells (a source of calcium);
2.  used coffee grounds (a source of various nutrients, including calcium); and
3.  a sliced up banana with the skin on it (a source of various nutrients, including potassium).
Work all that well into the soil.  In a 5-gallon bucket, that won't take more than five or so minutes at most.  By the time your seedlings get large enough to be transplanted into the large containers, the organic fertilizer material you added to the soil should be at the point of becoming humus.  The nutrients then will be released slowly to your plants.  [Depending upon a bunch of variables, some unknown amount of these nutrients may not be plant-ready until the next season; therefore, preparing these final buckets 6 - 8 months in advance isn't a bad idea at all.  Another option is to bury a whole banana and a whole egg about six inches down in a 5-gallon bucket...8 or so months before germinating in different containers.]

More on fertilizing next time.  Happy Trails, and Be Well

Part Two: Gardening Containers...

4.  Clean out an empty plastic jelly jar and follow the steps in 2. & 3. (previous post).  Cleaning is a snap:  put a dash of dish soap in the empty jar and fill it with hot water.  Let it stand for about an hour or so.  Then empty and rinse thoroughly.  In most cases (as with most plastic food jars), you'll need to punch the holes in the bottom along the edge of the bottom.  That's because a jar of food that's relatively heavy usually has somewhat of a dome inside on the bottom...for container strength.  In other words, the outside of the bottom is concave, and the inside is convex.  We want the drainage holes in the lowest portion of the bottom, which is along the edge in this case.  When making those holes with a knife, once the tip of the knife has pierced the plastic about a quarter to one-third of an inch or so, twist the knife a bit.  That will widen the slit, thus making for better drainage.  [A sturdy pocket knife is best for this; twisting will warp/bend some steak knives completely out of shape.]  Be careful not to stab yourself; this operation is the most likely time that you'll do it.  If you have an electric drill, that's a good option.  Use safety glasses.

5.  Dry dog food bags for small dogs or puppies (and dry cat food bags) that have only 3 -5 pounds of food in them usually are lined with plastic, or are made of mylar, or are waterproof in some other manner.  Those bags make great gardening containers.  Cut holes in the bottom of the empty bag, then use the bottom half of a gallon milk jug or something similar for containment of excess drainage.  The bottom half of a milk jug is the perfect size for most of these small pet food bags.
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Among other places, currently Venezuela and Argentina (to a somewhat lesser extent) are experiencing an economic and/or financial collapse.  One of the main things in short supply, especially in Venezuela, is food.  The whole world is in the midst of an economic downturn.  Despite the Propaganda to the contrary, the USA already is in a Recession... and most probably headed for a Depression.  Take up Container Gardening; it will help.

Be Prepared, and Be Well

Gardening Containers for the Precariat, or Soon-To-Be Precariat

Perhaps Brits, because of the economist Guy Standing, may be more familiar with the term, "the Precariat", than are the rest of us in the world.  It refers to a growing group, "those leading increasingly precarious lives", thanks primarily to Globalization, Financialization, and the Rule of the Plutocrats.  Currently, most of us are either already in or about to be in that group.  That's one reason I've created this blog.

In order to post more often, we're going to shorten each piece; so for example, this article will cover only two or three of the many gardening containers you probably already own.  More containers will be listed in succeeding posts.  As I am a very slow, hunt & peck typist, that will enable me to post articles every other day or so.  :)
Let's begin.

1.  Take an empty gallon-jug plastic milk carton, turn it on its side, & cut it approximately in half.  With a sharp knife, cut a slit just below the bottom end of the handle.  Then either continue cutting around the jug with the knife, or insert any regular pair of scissors into the slit and do the same.  The top half (without the cap) can be used as a mini-greenhouse.  You'll need two bottoms.  With the tip of the knife, cut holes in the lowest portion of one of the bottoms to facilitate drainage of excess water.  Nest that one inside the second bottom, which will serve as secondary containment of excess water.  Even though the bottoms basically are the same size, they are so flexible that the nesting is done easily...the inner bottom will crimp in places so that it fits into the outer one.  This new "pot" would be one to use on your first transplant from a germinating tray or a small cup.

[I don't mind that my containers have the old labels on the outside--- vinegar, Creamland Dairy, or whatever.  If you're into both form and function, you can always paint the outside of the homemade pots, or attach decorative cloth to them, or do something similar.]

2,   Take an empty two-quart plastic vinegar bottle and follow a similar procedure as described above.  The primary difference is that your container is not cut in half; the cutting takes place about two-thirds of the way up toward the top...where the jug starts to narrow.  If it has a built-in handle, the first slit would again be just below the bottom end of that handle.  Punch holes in the lowest portion of the bottom again, but this time you'll have to find a lid, or saucer, or tray of some sort to use as a catch basin for excess drainage.  [I've never tried nesting two of these pots, but maybe it's possible.]  This is another home-made pot that would be good for your initial transplant of some seedling out of the germinating tray or small cup (after the true leaves have developed).  Again, the top portion of the original container can be used--- without the cap --- as a mini-greenhouse...for seedlings recently germinated, and perhaps in an area that's sometimes a bit too cool.

3.  Do the same procedure with any size Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise jar...the smallest ones can be used as germinating cups, the largest ones used for your initial transplant from a germinating tray or cup.  This time, though, unless you have some heavy-duty scissors, all the cutting will have to be done with a sharp knife.  Those jars are a much heavier plastic.  Wear gloves and be especially careful not to stab yourself...cutting a round container with a sharp knife can be tricky.

More to come.

Happy Trails, and Be Well