One thing I have really embraced in my gardening journey is container gardening. You can grow a lot of things in almost anything. Our back deck receives an amazing amount of sunlight all year long. So I have used container gardening to extend the garden onto the back deck. The things I have grown in containers range from herbs to sweet potatoes. This got me thinking… Even on an apartment balcony, or a courtyard with no, or very little, dirt you can grow your own food! Or at least the herbs to flavor it! Let me help you get started on your journey to becoming your own farmer wherever you are.
What to use for Container Gardening
I started my back-deck-container-garden with the buckets we used for champagne at our wedding. I bought three 20 liter galvanized tubs from IKEA for our wedding, and they are still in use seven years later. Container gardening doesn’t need to match, or look pretty to be effective. I have been growing herbs in the galvanized tubs for the last three years, and the great thing about herbs is most of them come back every year.
Every time I go thrift shopping, or stop by a garage or estate sale I keep an eye out for buckets, tubs, and large pots to add to our back deck vegetable garden. I also use them around the garden to keep the more invasive plants in check. I repurpose hanging baskets, and I even have a 5 gallon soy sauce bucket, that I have no idea where it came from, that I grow root veggies in. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started, just use your imagination!
What can you Grow in Containers?
Herbs are probably my favorite thing to grow in containers since they come back year after year, but I also really enjoy growing greens right outside our back door. This year I let my spring lettuce go to seed and now have lettuce sprouts popping back up just in time for the cooler weather! I love popping out the back door to cut some lettuce leaves whenever we want to put a salad on the table.
Now is a great time to start your container gardening journey with some lettuce and spinach! They are quick growing crops that do well in the cool weather, and thrive in small spaces. This summer I had tubs overflowing with lettuce that we loved picking for salads!
I have also had success growing sweet potatoes in said soy sauce bucket. Not only are sweet potatoes fairly easy to grow, their vines and flowers are stunning and add beauty to your garden. Potatoes are another crop that can be grown in containers. I have even used empty feed bags to grow potatoes.
How to get Started with Container Gardening
Getting started couldn’t be much easier. All you need is your container, some dirt and seeds, rocks and a drill or hammer to make holes in the bottom. Drainage holes are extremely important for container gardening. You don’t want to ruin all of your hard work with a swampy container.
If the container you have doesn’t have drainage you can add your own to a metal or plastic container. I’ve had a harder time with ceramic pottery, but that’s possible as well. Flip your container upside down and grab a drill with twist drill bits to make the holes. You can also use a hammer and a nail but this will obviously take longer and make the work a bit harder. Depending on how large the container and drill bits are make a hole every two inches around the bottom.
Flip the container right side up and decide where you’re going to put your small garden, because from here things get heavy! Once you’ve decided where to grow make a layer of river rocks along the bottom of the container to prevent soil draining out with the water, and to allow proper drainage. Now fill the container to the brim with your soil, and then plant your seeds!
What are the Benefits to Container Gardening?
Sun Mapping
One thing I loved this year was learning where to put my vegetables, especially tender ones. Growing things in smaller containers allows for moving things around whenever needed. Once the weather warms up I notice my lettuce and spinach start wilting and bolting quickly. This year I moved the tubs to a part of the deck that receives great morning sun, but is shaded in the afternoon when the day really heats up. Sun mapping in a smaller space is much easier to provide the perfect amount of sunlight to whatever you are growing.
Pest & Weed Control
Another thing I love about keeping tubs of veggies on the back deck is that I don’t get many pests. Maybe the herbs growing nearby help with that, but the lettuce and spinach grown in tubs close to the house are typically left alone. Obviously we don’t have moles getting on the deck, and even the slugs stay away. Weeds are also easily spotted and nipped in the bud since the space is so small there are fewer places to hide!
Customization
Using multiple containers is like having multiple miniature gardens. You are able to control the soil and water in each container. If you want to grow a big bunch of carrots you can make sure there is no debris that will inhibit the growth. Your plants or seedlings need extra water? Push a terra cotta watering spike in the center of the tubs to help you out. If you need a specific fertilizer or PH for a plant it’s easy to modify as needed in such a small space. Is there a frost rolling in? You can easily cover your frost sensitive plants with some garden fabric, instead of building a makeshift green house over your entire garden.
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Don’t let a small space keep you from growing your own food. There are plenty of things that you can grow in a bucket or a pot on your balcony. My advice is to research how to grow your favorite herb or vegetable and just plant the seed or start. See what works for you. Your garden, your rules. See more about how I break from typical garden culture by clicking here! I hope to see you in the garden soon, no matter how small!
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