Jarret TT Camp

Archive for February 3rd, 2010

If you live in an apartment or any area where you have limited outdoor space for a garden, don’t despair. With a little planning, you can become a hobby gardener and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Container gardening offers many possibilities. One advantage of containers is that they are portable. You can take advantage of good weather by placing plants on a window ledge, in a window box or on a patio. During severe weather, they may be moved to a protected area. Most small to medium sized plants can be grown in containers. As long as you provide sufficient room for root growth and control nutrients, water and light, you can achieve marvelous results in container.

Types of containers can run the gamut from plastic or metal pots, ceramic pots to wooden planters. It is important to have pots that can drain. If placed in an area where water could damage a surface, set the planter in a tray. The tray may be filled with gravel to raise the bottom of the planter above the tray surface to allow good drainage. Stagnant water may”drown” a plant and cause it to die or perform poorly.

Use of a good planting medium that contains nutrients and has excellent moisture retention will insure good plant growth and less frequent watering will be required.

Container gardeners are only limited by their imagination. With the proliferation of dwarf fruit trees, it is even possible to grow fruit trees in containers in very limited spaces. Peaches, apples, blueberries and many others are within the scope of the container gardener.

Basements with controlled temperatures are good candidates for growing plants or starting seedlings. Shelves with grow lights hung above them can be used for starting seedlings or for growing small flowers, herbs or similar plants. African violets especially grow well in such environments. Lights can be lowered near the plants and you can see them responds with the horizontal growth of the leaves and stems and the vigorous upward thrusting blooms. You can enjoy placing violets in strategic places in your home and if they begin to falter, cycle them back to the space under the grow light to rejuvenate them. If they develop multiple crowns, they may be separated and re-potted and shared with friends.

Metal buckets and cans may be used for planters, and when you are ready to place them in your home, they may be concealed inside a wicker basket, painted, wrapped with attractive foil and a bow or any number of ways to improve the appearance. This is a good way to recycle containers.

It is very fulfilling to plant seeds in small containers or peat pots and watch them germinate. As they increase in size, they are re-potted into larger containers and fertilized with the proper nutrients. Some species may be “pinched” back to retard the plant size or to increase the size of blooms or fruit. Consult a suitable plant guide to determine the best methods of caring for the different plant types.

With containers, you have a choice of planting annuals or perennials. Try a mixture of plants that compliment each other. Some may last for years and require minimal care, but others may require replacement each season. Pansies are excellent annual choices. Roses would be longer-lasting choices, but require pruning and close attention.

A small nook in the yard could be planted with wildflowers that require little attention. Don’t overlook small spaces that have good lighting as possible “mini-gardens” that can provide beauty and enjoyment for you, your family and friends.