Gardening in pots questions...

[hey mommy]

Is it possible to garden in pots? We don't own the house, so we don't want to commit to a garden. But C & I want to grow tomatoes, strawberries & maybe some flowers. I have a massive brown thumb, so I'm really nervous about it.. I know *nothing* about gardening. I dont' know when to plant, where to plant, etc.

I plan on getting seeds from the HFS so I can get the organic ones, along w/some organic potting soil or dirt or whatever I need.

Any tips to get me started would be wonderful.

[Leslie_JJKs_mom]

The gentleman the next block over puts all his tomatoes in those 5 gallon buckets. I went the tradional route and did the in ground planting. I am tired of my puney plants since my source of horse poo sold his horse. I am going to try pot planting this year to see if I can get better results.

[hey mommy]

Can you use compost in potted plants? And how does compost & all that work? or would that be a whole other thread in itself? lol

[Leslie_JJKs_mom]

I dont know how to compost :bag I would love to I just do not know how to do it. I buy my compost or get some natural fertilizer from the ranchers around here and mix it in.

[Hermana Linda]

:yes We have had various threads here about that. Just make sure to give them extra water and food. Especially water, as they dry out quickly. :)

[Hermana Linda]

You will want to add ammendments. :yes

[RiverRock]

I think the nutrients from potted plants are depleted more quickly than an in ground garden. It shouldn't be much of an issue in the first year. You can buy fish fertilizer and make a nice "tea" to pour on your plants from time to time. Manure should be well-composted or it could burn your plants (too much nitrogen). Usually compost is mixed into a garden in the fall and allowed to decompose further until planting in the spring.

Strawberries, tomatoes and flowers would be great in pots. During the hottest days you might need to water twice a day to keep them moist. If this is your first time at gardening you might want to buy your tomatoes and strawberries from a greenhouse. Strawberries send runners and multiply over the years. In my Zone (6-7) tomatoes are best started indoors if grown from seed, to ensure a nice harvest before the weather cools again. I just start them in a sunny spot in my garage. This year I am only going to plant cherry tomatoes from seed and buy a few other tomato plants. I have put my tomatoes into pots for years. This is the first time I will have them back in the garden (I went to pots a few years ago when we took our garden plot out). Peppers also grow well in pots. :tu You can even grow things like cucumbers and zucchini on trellises inside a pot.