Container Herbs and Veggies – You might have never considered gardening before, but we bet that it might be something you are thinking of trying with the recent turn of events. With movement restrictions, policies asking people to stay at home, and the many home-cooked meals, gardening is a good option for a new hobby.
If your place doesn’t have enough gardening area, worry not, because there are ways to work around it – container herbs and veggies! Using containers, you can maximize the space that you have to harvest that fresh produce and make your meal even more delicious!
Container Herbs and Veggies – Gardening in the New Normal
If you’re new to this, here are tips so help your startup.
Select the Right Container
The general rule is to select a large container as much as possible. You can also consider self-watering planters as these are a practical option, especially for urban balconies and patios. The problem with having a small container is that it dries out quickly, and you’ll have to water them more often.
You also have to consider the weight because the soil gets heavy when it becomes wet. Choose a container that will match your house that can handle this weight.
Also, you want to think about aesthetics, aside from the ones mentioned above, think about the container that will match your house and other pots.
Lastly, you have to consider depth. Unless you are using a self-watering planter, it would be advisable to use a deep container to minimize the number of times you will be watering them.
Location of Your Planter
The majority of the vegetables will need at least six hours of sunlight. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and beans need as much sunlight as they can get.
Salad greens and herbs can survive with lesser exposure to the sun. If you have difficulty locating an area, you can use candles or casters to move your plants depending on the sun’s angle.
Think about wind as well. Your plants will appreciate it if they won’t have to battle for their survival against the wind. You can make a windbreaker or arrange your plants in a way that larger plants can protect small plants.
Watering Your Vegetable Garden
Vegetables need to be watered consistently for you to have the best produce. If you moisturize your plants inconsistently, it will result in blossom drop, poor root development, insect problems, and even the rotting of leaves.
You can use a self-watering planter or have a larger container, so you won’t have to water every day. If you prefer to do it manually, just make sure not to overwater them.
Fertilization
Since your plants are in a container, you will need to supplement them with fertilizers. You can use a granular organic fertilizer upon planting and apply a water-soluble fertilizer after that.
Your plants will depend on that fertilizer to get the nutrients that they need. Also, plants in a container are watered more often, washing the already few nutrients in the soil.
Lastly, you might be planting a lot of foliage in your container garden. These herbs and vegetables will compete for the nutrients, making sure they will get the nutrients they need.
Companion Planting
Yes, plants need to be compatible, too. So, you have to plant herbs and veggies that can grow together. Since they can grow in the same conditions, then they have higher chances of surviving.
Imagine planting rosemary and cucumber together. Rosemary grows in a hot and dry area while the cucumber is water-hungry. These two are not the right combination.
Here are some plants that can be excellent companions:
- Beans, carrots, squash
- Eggplants, beans
- Tomatoes, basil, onions
- Lettuce, herbs
- Spinach, chard, onions
These are the plants that you shouldn’t plant together:
- Beans with onions and garlic
- Carrots, dill, and fennel
- Tomatoes, squash, and potatoes
- Onions, beans, and peas
- Carrots, dill, and fennel,
For example, come from the same plant family. Therefore, they are more likely to compete with nutrients when they are planted alongside each other.
Consider this companion planting, especially when you decide the “themes” of your garden.
Container Herbs and Veggies
See? You can still go around with gardening even if you don’t have much space at home. Just do a little more research and prepare everything needed to ensure the success of your gardening journey.
In the current situation, it would be nice to find a hobby that addresses a lot of things at the same time. Gardening is right for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Plus, it gives you some fresh produce that you can happily devour during a meal.
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