In many parts of the Taxes the soil is unsuitable and difficult to work with. In the summer the baking heat of the sun can cause the hardiest of plants to succumb to the sun’s rays, containers can be moved to a shadier spot. If you live on a zero lot, or in an apartment, it can be impossible to find space to garden so using containers will help your plants thrive almost anywhere. Selecting the right variety for vegetable for container gardening in Texas is very important. You can grow delicious vegetables in containers, if you find yourself with insufficient space to grow a vegetable garden. Your ideal vegetables for container gardening are squash, lettuce, beans, green onions, egg plants, cucumbers, peppers, and of course delicious tomatoes. You can set up two containers over in the corner with a bamboo tee pee set up in each and grow pole beans all season long. Your cucumbers will need a large container also and you can let them grow up and over and down the sides of their container. Most vegetables will need water daily especially in hot weather. You can plant a few marigolds in your container garden area to keep away garden pests. Use Miracle Grow for vegetables to feed your plants on a regular basis. Problems with soil-borne diseases, nematodes or poor soil conditions can be easily overcome by switching to a container garden. Crop selection almost any vegetable that will grow in a typical backyard garden will also do well as a container-grown plant. Vegetables which are ideally suited for growing in containers include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes and parsley. Most varieties that will do well when planted in a yard garden will also do well in containers. The size of the container will vary according to the crop selection and space available. Regardless of the type or size of container used, adequate drainage is a necessity for successful yields. Best suited for container culture are vegetables which may be easily transplanted. Most vegetables should be transplanted into containers when they develop their first two to three true leaves.
Fixing Diseases Problems with soil-borne diseases, nematodes or poor soil conditions can be easily overcome by switching to a container garden. Growing Media Synthetic “soils” are best suited for vegetable container gardening. Fertilization the easiest way to add fertilizer to plants growing in containers is by preparing a nutrient solution and pouring it over the soil mix. The type of soil in Texas is best for vegetable growth, however one of the flip sides of practicing vegetable gardening in Texas is the moisture level of the soil. Since the sun is so hot in Texas, some of the areas are left too dry and challenging for farmers to maintain the wetness levels of the soil. Then there’s the pseudo-bonsai tactic I use to stunt trees before planting them permanently outside, and there’s container planting of heat-loving veggies so that in chilly spring time, the soil selectively warms up faster than the outside soil does, and plant them later after the soil is suitably warm for permanent planting. Potting soil and black cow manure can be purchased at your local area Wal-Mart. Many synthetic “soils” are available from garden centers, or one can be prepared by mixing horticultural grade vermiculite, peat moss, limestone, superphosphate, and garden fertilizer. Use a potting soil that is enriched with compost. Plant from seed does best in rich, loose garden soil, so mix in compost in your soil or use a premixed soil blend. Plant your transplants in potting soil enriched with compost. The easiest way to add fertilizer to plants growing in containers is by preparing a nutrient solution and pouring it over the soil mix. In fact, in certain areas, you can observe that the farmers don’t even add any kind of fertilizers and nutrients to the soil and still are able to reap a rich harvest. The soil here is significantly rich in natural minerals and nutrients as compared to other parts of US. One can even resort to plain old watering methods to maintain optimum levels of soil wetness. Tip- add water to your plants either very early before the sun is on your plants or late evening after the sun is gone down. Avoid getting your plants wet to avoid disease. Again apply it at the base of the plant and not on the plants. You will want to use the heavy duty leaf bags to grow your potatoes in. Potting soil and black cow manure can be purchased at your local area Wal-Mart. I hope this helps you grow many plants in containers In Taxes. For more information on gardening go to www.Teegoes.org