Shit... I bought sweet basil, thai basil, chives and thyme at the farmer's market yesterday. I went to Target today in hopes to find small pots for each one, but I instead ended up with a large one to plant them all in. It has a drainage hole, but I'm a dumbass and forgot to open it up until I had completely filled, planted and watered them. And I can't get it open from the bottom. Any advice? >.<

5/10/2009 9:40:24 PM

Power drill?

5/10/2009 9:42:20 PM

well, they will probably do better in one large pot anyway. you might have to repot it if you cant use a stick or something to poke the drainage plug up and away from the hole.

5/10/2009 10:00:55 PM

thank goodness, i was able to pop the plug up and away from the drain. i definitely need to get a saucer for it, as of right now, it's sitting on an older lipped baking sheet that's pretty much dead anyway. i'll have to get a picture of the pot soon.

5/11/2009 12:21:18 AM

Without much experience or direction, Gzusfrk and I started a container garden about 3 weeks ago.

The plants are growing quite a bit and we are going to have to replant things tomorrow.


We started some of this to be frugal and have a bit of self-sufficiency (and fresh fruit straight from our porch) but darned if the pots we're having to buy aren't expensive as shit.

5/11/2009 9:24:03 PM

How do you guys keep from outgrowing the small pots you use?

My gf grew a tomato plant that must have been 4 feet tall that we had trouble finding a planter for. How do you keep them small? This guy was tipping over in the wind he was so big so we had to tie him to the railing of the apartment.

5/11/2009 9:36:23 PM

We have a bunch of plants growing in some buckets we bought from the dollar store. They probably hold 3-4 gallons, so they're decent sized buckets. They work just the same as those expensive pots as long as you poke some holes in the bottom, and they only cost one dollar buck!

5/11/2009 9:45:19 PM

I got about 20 big pots from FreeCycle a week or so ago. I'd try looking on that or Craigslist, or ask the people at a gardening store if you could have any pots they're gonna throw away for cheap.

5/12/2009 12:50:31 AM

They stay pretty small by limiting container size. The main problem is water--you'll have to water them at minimum once and day and probably at least twice.

I've done cukes in containers but you've got to fert often and water like crazy. They suck the soil dry.

I'm doing some blueberries in containers. Anyone have any experience with that? I did pumpkins last season.

I have a degree in hort but I'm no expert. There's so much to learn.

philihp made me drunk and I think about plants when I drink.

5/12/2009 12:59:09 AM

i too poke holes in shit to create pots

5/12/2009 1:49:27 AM

^^I thought it took blueberries several years after planting to fruit. If this is correct, wouldn't that make them rather ill-suited for a container?

5/12/2009 9:36:54 AM

^Not necessarily. Look at nursery production--that's almost all either done in containers or transferred into containers.

One of my blueberry cultivars is fruiting already, but I started with really nice plants from Campbell Road Nursery. I don't want to plant them in the ground yet because I'm still moving around a lot. I've also been maintaining a small styrax tree in a container.

Last year Phil and I did a container pumpkin and it was dandy. The size wasn't anything to write home about (maybe 8 pounds) but it was really fun. We're gonna do it again, I think.

Deer ate my container cucumbers last year. I wasn't expecting them on Gorman street but there they are.

[Edited on May 12, 2009 at 10:59 AM. Reason : Water is the biggest challenge. ]

5/12/2009 10:57:57 AM

My measly indoor herb garden:



12:00 -> thai basil
3:00 -> thyme
6:00 -> sweet/italian? basil
9:00 -> chives

The pot is about 12" high, 15" wide. I used basic Miracle Grow potting soil. What the general consensus on adding more herbs or is that an appropriate amount for the pot? I was thinking about another one of each herb (chives, thai basil, and thyme), since this is just one small square of each. The basil was a larger pot, and I think it'll grow to be plenty.

5/12/2009 8:36:22 PM

I just started raising worms!

5/12/2009 9:24:40 PM

i got two mater plants in pots on my porch, but they only get sun half the day and i don't think they're gonna make too good

5/12/2009 9:25:19 PM

Quote :

"I've done cukes in containers but you've got to fert often and water like crazy. They suck the soil dry."

my granny does cucumbers in hanging baskets on the edge of her carport. it's cool how they'll just run and hang down the sides. the vines will just hang down full of cucumbers.

[Edited on May 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM. Reason : haha double post shoot my ass]

5/12/2009 9:27:54 PM

That's a cool idea.

5/12/2009 11:13:51 PM

emily, you dont really want to over-stuff your pot, especially since you are growing something very short (thyme) that needs bright light in the same pot with the tall stuff. the thai basils could get a couple feet tall. is there a place you could put your pot outside? filtered sunlight through a window will keep your plants alive but it wont really be enough sun for them to grow enough for you to eat them. if you have to keep it inside, turn the pot so the thyme is facing the sun and make sure you keep the basils pruned back enough that it gets ample light.

5/12/2009 11:38:01 PM

my morning glories are not liking all the sun...dirt doesnt hold water or pot lets to much out or something

5/12/2009 11:40:15 PM

heh, i live on the third floor of my building, so unless i want to put the pot on the fire escape, not really. i'll definitely rotate the pot though, so that the thyme gets direct sunlight. and i plan on using the basils a lot, so there will be pruning!

5/13/2009 4:01:55 PM

the pot its in sucks...i'm stll working with it...doesnt drain well so its kinda soggy...put the fan on it the other day

bloomed from when i went to bed to when i woke up today



japanese maple

5/13/2009 10:16:08 PM

Man before I knew it my tomato plants have gotten HUGE I'll have to take a picture.

5/14/2009 2:23:36 AM

new pics!!! with my big baby pepper

5/14/2009 5:54:55 PM

alright- the much-anticipated (by me, at least, if not you) pics of my containers!

Herb Garden:



clockwise from the top: purple sage, bee balm (monarda didyma), variegated lemon thyme, sweet basil, marjoram, "osmin purple" basil, stevia, lemon basil, "thai hot" pepper









clockwise from top: rosmary, pineapple sage, italian flat parsley, purple sage, peppermint, thai basil, variegated lemon thyme, "spicy globe" basil



Red themed 18" coconut basket, clockwise from top: "Rocket Red" snapdragon, "Callie red" calibrachoa "million bells", a variegated red-leaved new guinea impatiens (lost cultivar tag, sorry), "Safari red" marigolds, "dragons blood" sedum, another safari colored marigold, "quartz red eye" and "quartz burgundy" verbena, and "silver dust" dusty miller.




blue themed 18 incher, clockwise from top right: "Techno blue" lobelia, "blue spire" salvia, scabiosa, "silver dust" dusty miller, Portulaca grandiflora (supposed to be a purple variety, whoops), "blue danube" ageratum, "quartz blue" verbena.


it seems repetitive to post them individually since they arent blooming yet, but i did red themed, white themed, blue themed, and mixed 12" baskets that primarily had the rocket red snap dragon, blue spire salvia, victoria white salvia, quartz red eye, burgundy, white and blue verbenas, safari red marigolds, ageratum, and dusty miller. the blue one has a nice view of the fig tree, and the white one is nestled in english roses









heres some showcase plants i have in containers on my deck: clockwise from left, blue lily of the nile (agpanthus), kumquat, chives, variegated french lavender (has white flowers), dragonsblood sedum.





stuff planted from seed: borage, cilantro, parsley and squash, nasturtiums




red gerbera, patio peach with impatiens to the right, hibiscus with calibrachoa and impatiens around base, double ipatiens, assorted new guinea impatiens, and tiger lillies i started several years ago from asexually produced plantlets.




while not a container, i'll leave you with a pic of my roses, and my kitty cat.





[Edited on May 15, 2009 at 12:47 AM. Reason : ignore that man behind the curtain! ]

5/15/2009 12:43:09 AM

i want a house =/

5/15/2009 12:45:26 AM

^ and a cat

5/15/2009 8:58:39 AM

that makes me want to plant a LOT more herbs. i might attempt to get another pot or two for the living room depending on how this one survives.

5/15/2009 11:07:20 AM

I have the worst luck with lavender and rosemary lately. I make sure the soil is well drained and I don't water it unless the dirt is dry. Yet it drops dead on me anyway. It's pissing me off

5/16/2009 10:08:28 AM

So, what's the best way to get rid of what we suspect are aphids?

5/16/2009 11:37:18 AM

I got some of these edible flowers "viola" from my gf, it says they prefer cooler weather, should i plant them in the fall and they'll bloom towards winter? i don't know if NC is a cool season area or a warm season area...I'm assuming warm...which it says to sew them in the fall if that's the case

5/16/2009 11:41:06 AM

^^ Spray them with the soapy water like I mentioned on page 1.

^ Yeah, they don't like heat. Could try planting them in partial sun to prolong their flowering period. They're a perennial so they should last awhile

[Edited on May 16, 2009 at 12:36 PM. Reason : .]

5/16/2009 12:31:52 PM

I'm bad and just now ordered a Mother's Day gift for my mom I got her a bunch of seeds for heirloom plants:




Striped marigolds



White cucumbers



Funky striped tomatoes



Fuzzy "yellow peach" tomatoes



Jumbo white tomatoes.

Quote :

""

I miss my fig tree

[Edited on May 17, 2009 at 7:49 AM. Reason : .]

5/17/2009 7:39:50 AM

Pictures of my garden




The one squash plant was supposed to be container friendly but as you can see it's huge Also, is that powdery mildew on the leaves?


My pea plant. I didn't notice this until now, but it appears like the leaves have these whitish tunnels or lines on them. This has also popped up on another plant I have (that I actually decided I don't like and plan on ditching). Is this some sort of disease?


Celery, mint, and some mystery plant.


My crazy tomatoes and another basil plant.


Cilantro I'm letting go to seed and some chives.


One of my nasturtiums, my bell pepper plant, and you can't really see it but my stumpy habanero plant.


More flowers and my sage plant.

5/17/2009 9:15:31 AM

I have tried every trick in the book with aphids and they are completely overtaking my plants . I had to uproot my salvia and pansies because they killed them. Now they are moving onto my lantana . I'm going to withhold water for a week and then try spraying them with a vegetable oil and water mixture (already tried this, but I'm hoping drying the plants out a bit will help). I only water twice a week so I don't understand why they are attacking my plants. Luckily they haven't moved to the passion flower vine, however the ants love it for some reason. I sprinkled some cinnamon around it to discourage them.

5/17/2009 4:15:08 PM

I've heard oil is super bad for plants so I'm not sure I would do that.

You could try planting garlic around your plants and spraying them with a combo of peppermint soap and garlic. I've had success with that in the past. I've also heard spraying the plants with chamomile tea works though I've never tried it myself.

5/17/2009 7:41:05 PM

best cure for aphids i've found is insecticidal soap. they die instantly when that stuff hits them. you have to go back after a couple days and wipe the corpses off the plant though.... it comes pre-mixed in a spray bottle so its super easy. I used to get it at harris teeter at cameron village when i lived near the college, in the "automotive" section. they have some fertilizers and stuff there too.




wolfpackgrr-- yes, the squash has powdery mildew. I typically get some squashes with it too, and it was bad on one of my crepe myrtles this year. Powdery mildew is typically non fatal, but it does reduce your yield a lot. fortunately the host is relatively specific in powdery mildew of cucurbits, so hopefully the rest of your plants wont be affected. here is a good resource on powdery mildew of cucurbits: http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Cucurbits_PM.htm. at this point, your best options are to remove the affected leaves and treat with a fungicide. here are the best options: : Triadimefon (Bayleton, Strike); Triforine (Funginex), Thiophanate-methyl (Cleary's 3336, Domain) and Propiconazole (Banner). these are systemic, but you can try contact stuff like copper.

I love your variegated nasturtiums! I tried those one year but NC summers get too hot for nasturtiums to do super well anyway, and the reduced vigor of the variegated ones made them lose the competition. they grow great in quebec, though, so im excited for next year. be sure to try adding small leaves and flowers to salads, they are super spicy. i've heard of people pickling the unripened seeds like capers, but i usually pick them off early to get more flowers.

yes, something is eating your pea plant leaves. they all get it, and the plant doesnt appear to be compromised. i think it is a leaf nematode actually. they get on my passionflower vines but i need all the help i can get dissuading that thing, it engulfs my stairs every summer.

as far as my lavender, I have it in a much larger pot than its initial rootball which is filled with orchid mix fir bark and charcoal and coconut fibers. this is the first one i have gotten to thrive in a pot, i am very excited, mine always drowns eventually. honestly, the soil it likes best is sand and clay that wont hold a drop of water and no one ever waters- theres TONS of it between withers and the library, and it has the worst soil imaginable in there.



eahanhan- why not put the pots on the fire escape? unless you have a bitch landlord it might pretty things up a bit.

[Edited on May 18, 2009 at 1:23 AM. Reason : ]

5/18/2009 1:21:51 AM

Yeah the nasturtiums were a good find

I think it's funny that it's only the plants I grew from seed that are having problems. Damn. I want to avoid using chemicals since I can't even read the labels on most of the gardening chemicals here I read that you can try spraying milk to get rid of powdery fungus. Maybe I'll try that and see how it goes.

5/18/2009 7:24:23 AM

i wasn't really sure what the rules and regulations of fire escapes are. since my one pot is pretty big, it would be a big block on the escape.

but one of the three baby thai basil plants died on me. i thought i had kept the pot watered well, but on saturday, i noticed two of the three thai stems wilty. one still had a firm stem (just wilted), the other's stem was limp. i watered really well (and it has drainage) and when i got home yesterday, i noticed the limp one is officially dead.

i know i have a black thumb, so this is completely experimental, this summer...

5/19/2009 9:36:53 AM

Doubt anyone is looking at this thread this late at night, but how cold is too cold to leave container plants outside? Bought some tomatoes (already in 1 gallon pots) and peppers (in the little bitty 4-packs) at the farmer's market on Saturday. I took them in Sunday night and last night since it was going to be below 50...I transplanted the tomatoes and some of the peppers into bigger pots this evening and was going to leave them outside, but I'm getting paranoid now and am thinking maybe I should bring them in again (something of a chore since the tomatoes are now in 6.5 gallon pots with rocks at the bottom for ballast/drainage). Am I being ridiculous? Is the fact that they were just transplanted earlier this evening a factor?

New to this whole gardening thing.

5/20/2009 1:35:57 AM

^They're in...I didn't want to be responsible for the death of innocent plants, especially ones I spent a couple of hours buying supplies for/transplanting. Paranoid maybe (if it would just get as warm as it ought to be for late May, this wouldn't be an issue!)

5/20/2009 2:11:04 AM

^^anything above 32 is fine if its only like one or 2 nights like now

[Edited on May 20, 2009 at 2:16 AM. Reason : ^dude its only getting down to the mid 40's...and a majority of the time its still in the 50's]

5/20/2009 2:14:42 AM

True, I just wanted to err on the side of caution, being a gardening n00b. Good to know that my concerns were unfounded.

5/20/2009 2:45:52 AM

yeah i'm just giving you a hard time...honestly some shit can even survive the winter...i had a carnation outside all winter and it looked like it had died away but there was enough plant for it to start over

5/20/2009 2:51:05 AM

Aloe, Thyme, and two mums that are coming back after last year.


Pimento and some mystery flowers that my kid planted


Scuppernongs, location TBD.



My row of tomatoes. The first three are Romas, the last ones are a mystery. I had them sprout at work in a pot last November or so and took em home and transplanted them. And I believe I got the staked vs. caged bit reversed. All planted from seed.



One of the mystery tomatoes. It got out in the sun and got some water and decent soil and wigged out with like 50 flowers at once.



Silver queen. And some weeds. This is the first year with this spot and the grass wasn't all quite dead. There's a hops vine growing up the fence on the bottom there.



There's some dwarf peaches, some new cucumbers where the deer ate my okra, dwarf cherries, pumpkins, watermelon, and a brand new fig tree in the back there. There's some sunflowers in there on the bottom right.



Rhubarb. And some rosemary behind it. It killed some of the rosemary bush off just because it was getting out of control.



Three jalepenos, and behind them are two forsythias that I got for free from the Arbor Day folks for buying the peaches and cherries.



Sorry about the non-container stuff in the container gardening thread, but I wanted to share what I had without starting a whole nuther thread for it.

5/20/2009 9:19:23 AM

Quote :

"There's some sunflowers in there on the bottom right."

Thanks for posting that. I live next door to some Chinese folks (as well as Filipino and Indian) and the grandmother is an avid gardener. We don't talk to them so much and the grandmother doesn't know any English. One day she caught me outside watering mine and start talking in Chinese and somehow I ended up with a couple of plants that I had no idea what they were. I knew she had grown sunflowers last year and in the process of describing what it was to me, she made a big circle with her hands, like a sun. I put them in and they are growing fairly well, but at the moment, the leaves look a a lot like my zucchini plant, but I can tell from your pics this is exactly what they are.

5/20/2009 9:26:05 AM

As an addendum, I live about a block from a big wooded area, so most of this stuff is basically deer food. I'm trying a bunch of vine-type hairy/prickly stuff to see if there's anything they'll leave alone.

5/20/2009 9:31:55 AM

Have you tried putting netting over your plants?

Goddamn bugs have started invading my garden But I saw a ladybug this morning too so hopefully it's doing its job. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT BRAVE LADYBUG!

5/20/2009 8:00:51 PM

that lady bug isnt brave, its HONGRY


^^^^ your "mystery flower" is a marigold



dnl, carnations are perennials so it should keep coming back



eahanhan, you might be watering too much. if the soil is damp and the top wilts, it indicates something is wrong with the roots. you have some sort of root rot, let the first inch of soil get dry before you water again unless everything starts to wilt.

5/21/2009 12:11:04 AM

i watered well on saturday or so? and just been letting it sit since. not gonna touch it until it's really dried out... and everything looks MUCH better since the weekend and the wilted basil.

slowly but surely, i'm learning.

5/21/2009 10:02:37 AM

I scored some dill seeds! I am so excited since dill is impossible to find here

[Edited on May 21, 2009 at 7:07 PM. Reason : d]

5/21/2009 7:07:23 PM