3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

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POTS OF PLENTY Whether you have poor soil, little yard space or too much shade over garden beds — or you’re 20 floors up — you can still grow food plants Words & photos Claire Bickle IIt isn’t always a lack of space that makes gardeners turn to growing their edible plants in containers. There are myriad other good reasons for growing food crops in containers. Some include: High-rise living Poor backyard soil Limited sunlight in the garden Physical or health issues (eg bad back) Being time poor Your xhosen plant species having specific requirements The benefits of container growing include: Being able to provide specific microclimates by moving containers around, as well as providing protection from hot summer sun, prevailing strong winds and frost in low-lying areas. Edibles can be very ornamental and you can even plant your herbs and vegetables mixed with flowering annuals for added colour. Ease of access for harvesting as having potted edibles near to where you cook makes it easy to harvest on the spot. Protection from possums, birds and insects by being able to easily cover a container from top to bottom with some form of netting. There are also some drawbacks: The logistics of getting potting mix and larger containers up into units can be considerable. Harvest yields can be smaller compared with in-ground-grown crops. Pots can become hot, which can place stress on the plants and even damage roots. Plants grown in pots generally require more water and fertiliser. Balconies are often exposed to strong winds, meaning protection and microclimates may need to be set up. Whatever your reason, growing edibles in containers can be fun and super easy when you follow a few basic considerations. Location is, of course, very important and most edibles require a sunny position, which equates to at least four to six hours direct sun a day. Can Stock Photo, Shutterstock 58 | Good Organic Gardening
Edibles in containers | WEEKEND GARDENING Pots and containers Size matters. The smaller the pot, the quicker it can dry out and the choice of plant you are growing is a factor to consider also. A tall cherry tomato isn’t going to come to fruition in a tiny 100mL pot, for example. So consider what it is you want to grow and what the size these edibles are at maturity. Larger pots will generally give you better results. Plastic or terracotta? The choice is vast these days, with the type and variety of containers and growing set-ups available to the home gardener. Plastic won’t dry out as quickly as terracotta, but you may prefer the look of a ceramic or terracotta pot. One way around this is to plant in the plastic pot but sit it inside the decorative pot to get the best of both worlds. Large pots once filled with soil and plants will be usually very heavy and a challenge to move. Consider pot stands with wheels on the bottom. There are also some great alternatives to pots: Green-wall set-ups are excellent options for using every square inch of space of a verandah, courtyard, empty wall, fence or lattice. Some even have their own irrigation system. Stacker pots are like giant oversized strawberry planters of old. Trough stands are another great way to use every bit of space by having multiple long troughs stacked and locked into place on a metal stand. Baskets, whether hanging or wall types, can also be used to grow edibles. Balcony planter holders are a good way to use your verandah railings as growing space. These are made to either hook on or drill into place metal frames in which you place your pot or trough. Balcony pots go the next step and do away with the need for a holder/bracket as the pot itself slots over the railing and is held in place with a few screws. Freestanding planter troughs are usually on legs, which makes them easier to maintain and keeps them off the ground. Potted lettuce can look quite decorative Tomatoes do well in pots, especially self watering types Some have self-watering reservoirs too. Get creative and do some upcycling of old jeans, boots, laundry tubs, wheelbarrows, pallets and suitcases to use them as vessels for growing plants. Note: Drainage holes are essential and need to be checked when choosing or making your containers. For water edibles, seal up drainage holes or choose a pond bowl with no drainage holes and you have an instant water feature in which you can grow edibles such as water chestnuts, kang kong, Vietnamese mint and watercress. You also provide water for bees, frogs and other tiny creatures.. Potting mixes You really do get what you pay for when it comes to potting mixes. I always suggest purchasing a mix that has all the Australian standards ticks on the side of the bag. These high-quality potting mixes have good waterholding capacity, as well as slow-release fertilisers and re-wetting agents. They are made with clean, good-quality ingredients. Some may Radishes grown in a pot arkliving pots are designed for those with no garden who still want to enjoy homegrown Plants grown in pots generally require more water and fertiliser. even have water crystals added. There a few certified-organic mixes available also. Look for the Australian Certified symbol on the front of the bag. Just having the word “organic” on the label doesn’t mean it’s certified organic. The same goes for sprays and fertilisers. Fertilisers Most potting mixes will have a certain amount of slow-release fertiliser in them but to get the optimum growth and harvest out of your edibles, you need to fertilise with a quickeracting liquid fertiliser such as fish emulsion or other organic options such as compost tea and worm wee. The addition of liquid seaweed, which acts as a plant health tonic, is highly recommended. Top-ups of slow-release organic fertilisers may be needed, depending on how long your crops take to grow or what the lifespan of the plant is. For example, a fruiting tree or long-lived herbs such as rosemary have different requirements, both from each other and from a fruiting annual. Watering Plants in containers are reliant on you for most of their needs and watering is at the top of the list. How often and how much will depend on many factors, including size and material of the pot/container, plant species, season, weather conditions, potting mix quality and so forth. How to know whether you need to water can be tricky, though it can be easy enough if the plants are drooping. This is not a good sign to rely on because once a plant is at drooping stage, it’s becoming stressed, leaving it more
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grow naturally, eat fresh, live sus
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CONTENTS 48 Things to Do Jennifer S
Page 7 and 8: Feeding skin for 90 years 100% Nat
Page 9 and 10: are, undermining the ability of eco
Page 11 and 12: With Melissa King | THE SEASONAL GA
Page 13 and 14: Australia’s largest and very best
Page 16 and 17: PLANT PROFILE | Apples The original
Page 18 and 19: PLANT PROFILE | Apples How to store
Page 20 and 21: POWER PLANT | Turmeric Good as gold
Page 22 and 23: FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Rhubarb The pie
Page 24 and 25: FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Rhubarb Winter W
Page 26 and 27: GARDENING FOLK | Emil Wenner Last y
Page 28 and 29: GARDENING FOLK | Emil Wenner Passio
Page 30 and 31: GARDENING FOLK | Marleen & Ronald v
Page 32 and 33: GARDENING FOLK | Marleen & Ronald v
Page 34 and 35: AMAZING GARDEN | Royal Mail Hotel G
Page 36 and 37: AMAZING GARDEN | Royal Mail Hotel S
Page 38 and 39: WEEKEND GARDENING | Mulch MUCH ADO
Page 40 and 41: Living mulch: sweet potato Did you
Page 42 and 43: THE UNDERGROUND | Soil health What
Page 44: THE UNDERGROUND | Soil health A gre
Page 47 and 48: Snow peas & sugar snaps | TIME TO P
Page 49 and 50: Late autumn | GARDEN DIARY 4 5 3 Sq
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Page 53 and 54: Part II | BIODYNAMICS BASICS Gettin
Page 55 and 56: Part II | BIODYNAMICS BASICS Pests
Page 57: June | MOON PLANTING June 2016 Wint
Page 61 and 62: Poo brew | THE SHED POO BREW The ga
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Page 65 and 66: Bonus tip Reuse old rain gutters to
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Page 71 and 72: “Once again, we take great pleasu
Page 74 and 75: Benefits | FERMENTING & PICKLING Ty
Page 76 and 77: Pickles | FERMENTING & PICKLING She
Page 78 and 79: Olives | FERMENTING & PICKLING Star
Page 80 and 81: Japanese-style sauerkraut | FERMENT
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3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

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