{"id":137,"date":"2020-04-07T14:56:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T19:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/?p=137"},"modified":"2022-10-29T11:41:44","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T16:41:44","slug":"it-just-takes-a-pot-or-two-how-to-get-started-growing-vegetables-or-flowers-in-pots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/?p=137","title":{"rendered":"It just takes a pot or two\u2026. How to get started growing vegetables or flowers in pots"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_151\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151\" style=\"width: 3872px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-151 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/corner-deck-with-pots-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3872\" height=\"2592\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/corner-deck-with-pots-2015.jpg 3872w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/corner-deck-with-pots-2015-300x201.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/corner-deck-with-pots-2015-768x514.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/corner-deck-with-pots-2015-1024x685.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Backyard top deck July 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I remember the summer that sparked my interest in gardening.\u00a0 We had just moved into a 27-year-old townhouse which backed onto green space.\u00a0 We had a beautiful south facing, shady backyard with a deck, a large maple and the privacy of tall cedar trees lining the back of the yard.\u00a0 The sides of our yard were fenced from our neighbours by chain-link and on the east side of the yard stood a beautiful lilac tree.\u00a0 We decided that our best option for growing flowers or vegetables was on that east side of the yard at the farthest point of the backyard.\u00a0 We built a raised garden and set out to plant.\u00a0 I have to say that at this point my husband held most of the enthusiasm for planting, and so he was the catalyst in our gardening adventures.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t too optimistic that we would get very much out of our garden\u2026. boy was I wrong.<\/p>\n<p>We lived in this townhouse for five years, and every spring, after building that raised garden, we would take trips with our girls to the nursery stores in the area.\u00a0 They loved the smell of the greenhouse; the first sign of colour and greenery would brighten our moods.\u00a0 We would let the girls pick out the colours of the beddin<u>g <\/u>plants, such as impatiens, and they even got to know the nursery garden\u2019s cat by name \u2013 Pumpkin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"googleadsrectangle\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; }<br \/>@media (max-width:420px) { .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } }<br \/><\/style>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5639430099219624\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5639430099219624\" data-ad-slot=\"4864070677\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we got to planting in the garden our daughters would get elbow deep into the dirt to help.\u00a0 They would enjoy helping Dad in the garden watering and be constantly on the look-out for new growth on the plants.\u00a0 We discovered early on that cherry tomatoes were a fantastic plant to grow with children.\u00a0 Daily, once the plant was fruiting, the girls would \u201csnack\u201d as they saw fit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-147 size-medium\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_7228-e1586289407482-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_7228-e1586289407482-200x300.jpg 200w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_7228-e1586289407482-768x1152.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_7228-e1586289407482-683x1024.jpg 683w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canna Lilly August 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, I began to see that growing fruit and vegetables in the garden is so much more than getting food. \u00a0It was a family experience.\u00a0 Every year I would learn just a little bit more until, before I knew it, we were all planning our garden as spring approached.\u00a0 We all got just a little bit excited about when we would taste the first lettuce or tomato out of the garden, and with that have come endless stories and fond memories of being in the garden together.<\/p>\n<p>Getting started today with growing your own vegetables will be the beginning of your gardening story, and it will be more than just growing a couple of plants.\u00a0 In this time of uncertainty about what is happening in the world you can be assured that you are also doing your part in helping not only your family but your country.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_138\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-138\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-138 size-medium\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Example-of-veggies-in-a-Mayne-planter-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Example-of-veggies-in-a-Mayne-planter-300x200.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Example-of-veggies-in-a-Mayne-planter-768x512.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Example-of-veggies-in-a-Mayne-planter-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-138\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Romaine lettuce and flowers July 2018 in Mayne container<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">When you grow your own herbs, fruit, and vegetables, you eliminate all the fuel spent and pollution created in transporting that food to your house.\u00a0 When you improve your garden soil by composting, you remove vegetable waste from the municipal landfill.\u00a0 Also, you improve biodiversity by creating a habitat that is friendly to microbes, earthworms, pollinators (like bees), and birds.\u00a0 And, importantly, you improve the food security of your country by removing some of the demand on the food supply \u2013 freeing those resources for people who cannot grow their own food.<\/p>\n<p>Today on April 7, 2020, it may seem early to be starting to prepare your pots for transplanting vegetable or flower plants but, in fact, it is the ideal time.\u00a0 To get started you need to purchase the appropriate size pot.\u00a0 I have a variety of pot sizes ranging from 9\u201d diameter to 16\u201d diameter.\u00a0 A 9\u201d diameter pot will only support about 3-4 small plants, and I would only recommend planting small flowers such as pansies.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-141 size-large\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/potted-nursery-flowers-2014-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/potted-nursery-flowers-2014-1024x685.jpg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/potted-nursery-flowers-2014-300x201.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/potted-nursery-flowers-2014-768x514.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerber Daisies, potato vine, coleus and dusty miller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ideally, you will purchase a 12\u201d diameter pot, as this will allow you to plant a variety of plants over the years.\u00a0 You could easily plant a pepper or tomato plant, or if you prefer to plant flowers, a pot this size will allow you to plant 6-8 small plants.\u00a0 Now when I say a 12\u201d diameter pot, I am referring to the top diameter.\u00a0 You want to make sure that you have a depth of at least 8\u201d, as a small pot will really heat up in mid-summer. \u00a0If you have a shallow pot and want to plant many plants then you will need a larger top diameter 14\u201d-16\u201d.\u00a0 This will allow a good volume of soil to support the plants.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a low maintenance, weather tolerant, super functional planter, I would recommend a resin (plastic) planter that has a build-in water reservoir.\u00a0 I have several of these containers around my backyard in a variety of sizes.\u00a0 The manufacturer, Mayne, has quality planters of this style. \u00a0In fact, that is the brand that I purchase for use in my backyard.\u00a0 I have three 35.6\u201d x 20\u201d Mayne black containers on my deck, and I have grown, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, tarragon, basil, lemon verbena and even strawberries in them.\u00a0 The built-in water reservoir is a time saver for you.\u00a0 In the heat of the summer, I would only have to water these planters at most twice a week.\u00a0 In contrast, the clay pots, even at 14\u201d in diameter, may require a daily watering.<\/p>\n<div class=\"googleadsrectangle\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; }<br \/>@media (max-width:420px) { .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } }<br \/><\/style>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5639430099219624\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5639430099219624\" data-ad-slot=\"4864070677\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s talk soil.\u00a0 You want to create a soil in your container that has the nutrients that the plants need, so as to minimize the need to fertilize and, at the same time, maximize the capacity to hold water, which is especially important in the heat of the summer.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think that there is necessarily only one right recipe for potting soil, but here is what works for me.\u00a0 I like to include some \u201cliving\u201d soil in the pot.\u00a0 By \u201cliving\u201d I mean soil that contains the microbes and other soil creatures that you would naturally find in a garden.\u00a0 So, I fill a third to a half of the container with soil that I \u201cborrow\u201d from my garden (I will return it in the autumn).\u00a0 I then mix compost or manure into the pot (about a quarter to a third of the container\u2019s volume).\u00a0 This will be less dense than the garden soil and helps with both nutrients and water retention.\u00a0 For the remainder of the container, I use a potting soil.\u00a0 The potting soil will contain a fertilizer \u2013 either natural or chemical \u2013 and things like peat, perlite, and vermiculite, which help with water retention.<\/p>\n<p>I hope this blog inspires you to begin your gardening story.\u00a0 Even if you start this adventure with just one pot and one plant this year, you can take satisfaction in knowing that you did it!\u00a0 Here\u2019s hoping your experiences bring you joy and fond memories.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_144\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-144 size-large\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_3914-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_3914-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_3914-300x200.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_3914-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Backyard deck with tarragon with flowers in Mayne container and potted basil, rosemary and annuals July 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I remember the summer that sparked my interest in gardening.\u00a0 We had just moved into a 27-year-old townhouse which backed onto green space.\u00a0 We had a beautiful south facing, shady backyard with a deck, a large maple and the privacy of tall cedar trees lining the back of the yard.\u00a0 The sides of our yard &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/?p=137\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;It just takes a pot or two\u2026. How to get started growing vegetables or flowers in pots&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116,4,118,117,115],"tags":[6,120,119],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8093,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions\/8093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/homekokki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}