{"id":4716,"date":"2013-04-22T05:40:31","date_gmt":"2013-04-22T12:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/?p=4716"},"modified":"2013-04-18T09:42:33","modified_gmt":"2013-04-18T16:42:33","slug":"no-space-to-grow-vegetables-try-container-gardening-as-a-frugal-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/no-space-to-grow-vegetables-try-container-gardening-as-a-frugal-alternative\/","title":{"rendered":"No Space to Grow Vegetables? Try Container Gardening as a Frugal Alternative"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/save-some-green-in-your-vegetable-garden\/\">Growing your own vegetables<\/a> can be a rewarding and economical way to have the freshest produce this summer. But vegetable gardening may not seem feasible to you if you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>have no yard at all<\/li>\n<li>have a very small garden area<\/li>\n<li>have garden space that\u2019s not suitable for growing vegetables<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There <em>is<\/em> a solution: You can grow vegetables in containers! Yes, container gardening allows you the opportunity to grow produce without an entire \u201cvegetable patch.\u201d Containers can be located in ideal growing locations (on a deck or patio, along a sunny wall or strategically spaced around your yard), allowing you to garden almost anywhere.<\/p>\n<h3>Benefits of container gardens<\/h3>\n<p>In some ways, containers are preferable to gardens in the ground. Container gardens are less prone to insect and other pest problems because they aren\u2019t at ground level. They\u2019re also more physically convenient to tend because they sit higher, minimizing stooping and bending.<\/p>\n<h3>Important considerations for container gardening<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose a container that\u2019s large enough to accommodate the root system of the vegetable planted. If the container is too small, plant growth may be stifled, causing small fruits and minimal production.<\/li>\n<li>Plants that grow tall (like tomatoes and peppers) should be planted in deeper containers so as to avoid becoming top-heavy.<\/li>\n<li>Herbs and salad greens can be planted in shallower containers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Containers for growing vegetables<\/h3>\n<p>Other than choosing one of an appropriate size, the sky\u2019s the limit when choosing planters! Whatever container you choose should allow for proper drainage so the roots won\u2019t rot; if it doesn\u2019t have holes to let excess water escape, punch or drill some. Vegetables can be planted in such creative and inexpensive vessels as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>galvanized or plastic buckets<\/li>\n<li>child\u2019s wagon<\/li>\n<li>repurposed desk drawers<\/li>\n<li>wheelbarrow<\/li>\n<li>child\u2019s wading pool<\/li>\n<li>recycling bin, trash\/garbage can<\/li>\n<li>a heavy-duty plastic bag inside a milk crate<\/li>\n<li>bathtubs, sinks and toilet bowls<\/li>\n<li>storage bins<\/li>\n<li>canvas shopping bags<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Potting mix for container-grown vegetables<\/h3>\n<p>It is advised that you plant vegetables in a potting mix rather than garden soil. Garden soil alone is too dense and compact for the close-confines of a container. It may also be too alkaline or acidic, contain fungus, diseases, weed seeds or insects that could hinder vegetable growth. A light, well-aerated potting mix containing peat moss and\/or vermiculite or perlite will drain easily and provide the ideal growing medium for your plants. Soil and soilless mixtures are commercially available for container growing. Seeds and seedlings can be planted directly in containers at the same time planting in the ground is recommended.<\/p>\n<h3>Container garden placement<\/h3>\n<p>Locate containers properly for best growth and vegetable production. South, west or east exposures are the sunniest; most plants need a minimum of six hours of sun daily. Northern exposure will be shadier but may work for leafy vegetables that prefer cooler growing conditions.<\/p>\n<h3>Watering container-grown vegetables<\/h3>\n<p>Proper watering is crucial to the health of container-grown plants. Poke a stick into the soil to gauge when watering is necessary. If soil sticks to it, watering isn\u2019t necessary; if the stick comes out clean, water immediately. Watering container gardens twice per day could be necessary in the hottest temperatures, but over watering can wash away nutrients.<\/p>\n<h3>Fertilizer<\/h3>\n<p>A fertilizing strategy should be employed for container gardens. Add a slow-release fertilizer at planting time to get plants off to a strong start. Then, when plants begin to produce, add a water-soluble fertilizer to replace nutrients lost during their vigorous growth and alleviate the stress of contained roots.<\/p>\n<p>With container growing, almost anyone, anywhere, can grow vegetables, conveniently and affordably.<\/p>\n<p><em>Have you grown vegetables in a container?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing your own vegetables can be a rewarding and economical way to have the freshest produce this summer. But vegetable gardening may not seem feasible to you if you: have no yard at all have a very small garden area have garden space that\u2019s not suitable for growing vegetables There is a solution: You can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[513],"tags":[72,510],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4716\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}