Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Containers

Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution

Written by Judy Williams

Container vegetable gardens are a great alternative for those that don't have access to backyards. There can be a range of reasons to grow your vegetables in containers...easy access to repparttar

kitchen, safer environments for children and repparttar 113378

handicapped or just lack of a yard to use for gardening.

Vegetable gardens in containers can also be extremely attractive and serve repparttar 113379 dual purpose of style and function around your patio.

The no dig vegetable garden can be just as successful in containers provided similar guidelines are followed.

Drainage is vital so ensure your containers have appropriate drainage holes to allow water to escape. If they don't, repparttar 113380 plants will literally 'drown' and will be susceptible to diseases. They also need a sunny space. The advantage with vegetables grown in containers is that you can move repparttar 113381 containers around to follow repparttar 113382 sun if no one spot in your patio or garden is suitable.

Vegetables grown in containers will need some additional attention. Their root system is restricted to repparttar 113383 pot so make sure you keep them well watered. Containers are far more likely to dry out in hot conditions which will kill your plants or have them 'fruit' poorly.

It is also very important that a mulch is put on top of repparttar 113384 container. This will slow evaporation and keep repparttar 113385 surface temperature of repparttar 113386 soil cooler. Plants like tomatoes have small, fiberous roots which will dry and die in hot soil.

How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone

Written by Marilyn Pokorney

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When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem cutting, repparttar 113381 cutting will be more likely to form roots and create a new plant if a rooting hormone is used.

While commercial rooting hormone can be used there are organic homemade versions that work as well.

To make rooting hormone soak repparttar 113382 yellow-tipped shoots of a weeping willow tree in water. A tea made from repparttar 113383 bark of a willow tree is also effective. When using repparttar 113384 shoots or bark soak them for 24 hours prior to using.

Some people have found that using honey makes an effective rooting hormone as well.

Leaf cuttings: Any plant with leaves such as African Violet, Geranium etc. can be propagated with leaf cuttings. Using a sharp knife cut off a healthy leaf at repparttar 113385 point where it joins repparttar 113386 stem. Insert repparttar 113387 cut part, called a petiole, into repparttar 113388 rooting hormone. Place repparttar 113389 end into a small container of light potting soil in which you have made a small hole with a pencil. Making a hole prior to planting assures that repparttar 113390 rooting hormone will not be brushed off repparttar 113391 cutting when you plant it. Perlite, Vermiculite, and/or water-soaked Sphagnum moss can be added to potting soil to make repparttar 113392 soil light. Make sure repparttar 113393 leaf is leaning slightly so that repparttar 113394 new plants will have plenty of light and not be shaded by repparttar 113395 leaf.

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