What are some good tips for creating a container garden on a small porch?

I am interested in having a container garden on my apartment's small porch this summer. It would be great to grow both vegetables and flowers here,( I live in Kansas, where summers are very hot and windy). What kinds of veggies would do well in pots, and what suggestions do you have for setting it up and maintaining it? I'm new to this, and have to do it "on a shoestring!" Thanks in advance!

What are some good tips for creating a container garden on a small porch?
My hubby and I do lots of container gardening.....even vegetables. Here is our method (USA):



Plastic pots 14 inches across the top.



Holds 25 pounds potting soil-we use Miracle-Gro Potting Soil with Plant Food for flowers (not vegetables-ask the clerk at the nursery for vegetable potting soil).



Mix water crystals into the top six inches of potting soil-these hold water so you do not have to water more than once per week when the temperatures hit 100 degrees.

Water well and leave it alone for a few days so the crystals can absorb the water. Do not plant or the swelling crystals will push your flowers up and out of the potting soil.



After a few days, mix 4 tablespoons Osmocote flower fertilizer into the top four inches of potting soil. Water in well and wait a day or so. There is also a vegetable Osmocote fertilizer. (Read and follow the directions on the container just in case your container is different from ours.)



Now you can plant. Water well.



Every 14 days fertilize with liquid fertilizer - we use Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster.

Check for a vegetable liquid fertilizer.



Stop fertilizing one month before your first autumn frost. But keep watering.



Let your flowers go to sleep after the first frost or take them indoors and place in a south facing window (sunny window).



Lightly water through the winter months, but do not fertilize.



Do not put back outside until all frost has past. We usually wait till the nights have reached 68 or 70 degrees.



Add the Osmocote fertilizer again each spring (or other good flowering fertilizer).



When flowers start failing, change the potting soil's top 1/3 or 1/2, mix in well, add new water crystals, add fertilizer. Buy new plants. This is usually done every third spring.



Hint: Always water till it runs out the bottom. Wait a few minutes and then water again. This only need to be done about once per week to ten days when using the water crystals.





Happy gardening to you.
Reply:Hi:

Very good suggestions from the first answer. One of your first goals is to take your personality from the inside of your apartment to your porch area. Find your favorite color containers and create a container garden using vegetables, flowers and herbs.



You can go about it two ways. In designing, always have an odd number of containers. This will depend on how much room you have. I usually recommend to my clients, three to five containers. If your space is really small, do a large container and put a few flowers, maybe a tomato plant and a couple of herbs. You can do a few plants in one container, or do single plants in several containers. I will link you to the garden project section of my website. There is a page on container gardening and a page I just put up live this morning on Space a problem - a table top container garden. Both of these articles may give you some ideas.



The main goal is to use a light weight potting soil. You can add some organic mushroom compost to the soil. This is an organic fertilizer that will last up to one year. It doesn't smell great, but your plants will love it. Keep your plants watered as container plants need more watering then ground gardens.



Go ahead and throw your own personality into your outside container garden. Herbs will do very well in hot and windy conditions. I will also link you to the site map, as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if you can find any other articles, tips or techniques that could help you. Good luck to you and have a great day. If you need any other help, feel free to contact me.

Kimberly



http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...



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