SAN ANTONIO – Want to grow a vegetable garden but don’t own land, or do you want something simple to manage? A container garden is a simple solution to that problem.
Rainbow Gardens has you covered with everything you will need.
Follow these easy steps:
- Pick a container: You can use any container or even a grow bag. Make sure your pot or container has drainage holes at the bottom. No hole equals a dead, overwatered plant.
- Size matters: I recommend nothing smaller than a five-gallon pot if you are growing vegetables. Ten gallons with 12 inches across is ideal for veggie growth. If you are growing things that require vertical support -- like tomatoes, squash and cucumbers -- a small wooden trellis will help support these as they vine out.
- Placement: Full sun or at least 6-8 hours of sun is necessary for a high veggie yield. South-facing patios or balconies are ideal. The beauty of growing in containers is that they are mobile. If you notice your plant isn’t growing, you can move it to a different location that gets more sun.
- Soil: Potting soil is necessary, because all of the nutrients are coming from that small mixture in your pot. Make sure you choose an organic mix, I recommend Pro Mix Herb & Vegetable Potting Mix or Foxfarm Happy Frog.
- Fertilizers: I would rather call these nutrients because I am not the biggest fan of fertilizers since most are synthetic and contain chemicals that are harmful to us and our essential bugs. Earthworm castings are a natural fertilizer or use organic fertilizer. Down to Earth is a good organic brand.
What are we planting?
Plant warm veggies since it’s spring. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants must be transplants; don’t plant these from seeds.
If growing from seeds, try cucumbers, squash, melons, bush, lima or pinto beans, sweet potato slips, okra and beets.
Water!
Watering is important! Containers need more water than in-ground plants because they can dry out quickly.
You want to keep the soil moist, meaning you can use the touch test:
- Touch two inches down.
- If it’s moist, don’t water.
- If it’s dry, water.
- In the spring, this usually means watering two times a week.
- In the summer, you need to water every day.
- The summers are rough in San Antonio. For best results in the summer, water in the morning, and then pull your containers out of the afternoon sun and into the shade for heat protection.