lateaprildawn
05-06-2008, 03:44 AM
Hi all,
Every year I grow about 10% of my total produce in hanging baskets (or any type of container you can hang or nail up )
I grow strawberries, cherry or bush tomatos, peas and beans, lettuces, spinach and all kinds of herbs.
My growing experience is in the uk but of course these reasons for growing "vertically" and the problems and solutions are valid the world over.
If you have a STURDY fence, brickwalls, or fence posts around your garden or even just a veranda if you live in a flat or appartment you can use these ideas.
Remember a bucket full of damp earth is very heavy.
Drainage/ water retention of the soil is a fine balance you have to experiment with. Too much drainage and the soil washes out and in hot weather you need to water them several times a day. Too little drainage and your plants will simply rot from the roots up !
There are 2 main types of baskets available commercially here in the uk. The first is a metal mesh type the second a solid plastic bowl type with draining holes in the bottom.
Metal Mesh Type.
Personally I dont like these types. You have to buy moss, or a fake moss liner that prevents the soil falling out. I found the soil still washed out, thanks to water washing holes in it and birds pulling out the moss for nesting materials ;D sweet, but not what I was looking for.
I did make these useable by adding an extra inside liner of heavily perforated plastic bag, some old curtain netting, or even old newspapers anything you have to hand that will hold water in for a while.
Solid Plastic :
These I find are much better, they hold the water better and therefore you get minimal soil loss.
If your climate is particularly wet it is a simple job to punch a few extra drainage holes , just do a few at a time until you judge the drainage to be right.
Soil types :
It is all down to how much water your soil will hold and how much nutrient rich your soil is.
If your soil is very sandy with very little organic matter, your plants will grow but not as well as a rich compost.
You can buy a granule to add to the soil that when wetted swells into a gel that holds 10 times the amount of water than the basket would normally hold. (I am experimenting this year with wallpaper paste ((fungicide free)) That may do the job just as well)
What to grow :
Think of plants that grow in two ways. Firstly plants that stand up. Small bush tomatos, kitchen herbs etc that grow to aprox 12 inches high. I put these in the center of the basket. For plants around the edge think of plants that climb or dangle. Peas for example are usually grown up supported by netting, but they do well in baskets as they dangle. Some of the dwarf bean varieties. Strawberries are great for round the edge as well.
Recycling and Re-using.
I am always very, very aware of cost and always look for ways to cut costs
You dont need to buy the traditional types of basket. I have used 5 liter plastic containers with a hole cut in the top leaving the handle complete, these I just hang on a hook on fence posts.
I do buy in a few bags of potting compost. At the end of the season I put half of the soil from the baskets aside to mix half and half with new compost next year. The other half I dig into the poorer parts of my garden soil.
I do use the gel .If you check gardening stores (i got mine from walmart) at the end of the summer you can often see them marked 75 % off.
Please check You Tube for some really good videos, most are flower related but the techniques and hints are the same.Personally I get more pleasure from seeing a good crop swinging in the wind than a basket of flowers.
We have had a very late spring here in the uk , so I am only just starting to plant up my dangling garden but i will try to post some pictures and make some notes on how well they do, costs and crop yeilds. ;D
Thank you to msta999 for giving me the idea to post this.
Best wishes,
April
Every year I grow about 10% of my total produce in hanging baskets (or any type of container you can hang or nail up )
I grow strawberries, cherry or bush tomatos, peas and beans, lettuces, spinach and all kinds of herbs.
My growing experience is in the uk but of course these reasons for growing "vertically" and the problems and solutions are valid the world over.
If you have a STURDY fence, brickwalls, or fence posts around your garden or even just a veranda if you live in a flat or appartment you can use these ideas.
Remember a bucket full of damp earth is very heavy.
Drainage/ water retention of the soil is a fine balance you have to experiment with. Too much drainage and the soil washes out and in hot weather you need to water them several times a day. Too little drainage and your plants will simply rot from the roots up !
There are 2 main types of baskets available commercially here in the uk. The first is a metal mesh type the second a solid plastic bowl type with draining holes in the bottom.
Metal Mesh Type.
Personally I dont like these types. You have to buy moss, or a fake moss liner that prevents the soil falling out. I found the soil still washed out, thanks to water washing holes in it and birds pulling out the moss for nesting materials ;D sweet, but not what I was looking for.
I did make these useable by adding an extra inside liner of heavily perforated plastic bag, some old curtain netting, or even old newspapers anything you have to hand that will hold water in for a while.
Solid Plastic :
These I find are much better, they hold the water better and therefore you get minimal soil loss.
If your climate is particularly wet it is a simple job to punch a few extra drainage holes , just do a few at a time until you judge the drainage to be right.
Soil types :
It is all down to how much water your soil will hold and how much nutrient rich your soil is.
If your soil is very sandy with very little organic matter, your plants will grow but not as well as a rich compost.
You can buy a granule to add to the soil that when wetted swells into a gel that holds 10 times the amount of water than the basket would normally hold. (I am experimenting this year with wallpaper paste ((fungicide free)) That may do the job just as well)
What to grow :
Think of plants that grow in two ways. Firstly plants that stand up. Small bush tomatos, kitchen herbs etc that grow to aprox 12 inches high. I put these in the center of the basket. For plants around the edge think of plants that climb or dangle. Peas for example are usually grown up supported by netting, but they do well in baskets as they dangle. Some of the dwarf bean varieties. Strawberries are great for round the edge as well.
Recycling and Re-using.
I am always very, very aware of cost and always look for ways to cut costs
You dont need to buy the traditional types of basket. I have used 5 liter plastic containers with a hole cut in the top leaving the handle complete, these I just hang on a hook on fence posts.
I do buy in a few bags of potting compost. At the end of the season I put half of the soil from the baskets aside to mix half and half with new compost next year. The other half I dig into the poorer parts of my garden soil.
I do use the gel .If you check gardening stores (i got mine from walmart) at the end of the summer you can often see them marked 75 % off.
Please check You Tube for some really good videos, most are flower related but the techniques and hints are the same.Personally I get more pleasure from seeing a good crop swinging in the wind than a basket of flowers.
We have had a very late spring here in the uk , so I am only just starting to plant up my dangling garden but i will try to post some pictures and make some notes on how well they do, costs and crop yeilds. ;D
Thank you to msta999 for giving me the idea to post this.
Best wishes,
April