Get Growing... Or Not...
What to do with gardening pots if you don't have a green thumb
Simple container gardens are great for growing all types of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Unless you don't have a green thumb. If you bought a lot of planters with high expectations only to be left wilted and dry, test out these planter upgrades!
Create a Simple Container Garden!
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Home gardening can be great adventure to take up. Not only can it provide your family fresh produce, there is also a great satisfaction in plucking a vegetable right off a plant that you have grown yourself! While having your own garden can seem daunting at first if you keep it simple you will have fresh produce in no time.
A full home garden would be great, however time a space can often limit our abilities to have such a setup. A great way to get your feet wet is to start with a simple container garden! |
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First, take a look at the space you have available. Make sure to give you plants room to grow. Even in containers plants will need additional room as their canopy expands.
Keep in mind most vegetables will need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day to produce. East or South facing locations tend to do best. (Not sure which way is east or south? Most smartphone have a built-in compass you can use.)
Next, decide what you want to grow. The best way to do this is head over to your local nursery or home improvement store and see what is available. Nursery’s typically have a wider variety than the big box stores. Both options will have plants that are ideally grown in our area.
What are your favorite vegetables to eat? Grow the things you and your family like to eat first. If you see something interesting do not hesitate to give it a try though!
Make sure to grab a few pots and potting mix too! You can get a wide range of pots ranging in size and material. I like to just use the plan nursery style plastic pots pictured below. (They are inexpensive, light and come in a wide range of sizes)
Time to plant!
For this demonstration I grabbed a few peppers (sweet and hot verities) and a cherry tomato.
Keep in mind most vegetables will need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day to produce. East or South facing locations tend to do best. (Not sure which way is east or south? Most smartphone have a built-in compass you can use.)
Next, decide what you want to grow. The best way to do this is head over to your local nursery or home improvement store and see what is available. Nursery’s typically have a wider variety than the big box stores. Both options will have plants that are ideally grown in our area.
What are your favorite vegetables to eat? Grow the things you and your family like to eat first. If you see something interesting do not hesitate to give it a try though!
Make sure to grab a few pots and potting mix too! You can get a wide range of pots ranging in size and material. I like to just use the plan nursery style plastic pots pictured below. (They are inexpensive, light and come in a wide range of sizes)
Time to plant!
For this demonstration I grabbed a few peppers (sweet and hot verities) and a cherry tomato.
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Prepare your first pot by filling it about half way with soil. Then remove your first plant from the small container and test fit it into its new container. You want the bottom of you plant to be just below the top of your container.
After you get the level correct fill in around the root ball making sure the plant is secure but not packed in |
***Bonus Tip: For better results sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) in to your container before planting. This will give your plant additional nutrients to get them kick started!
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Clip off any low hanging growth to prevent issues as your plants grow.
Finally, Place your containers in a sunny location and water until water comes out of the holes at the bottom of your container. ***Plants may look droopy right after you pot them, don’t worry, they will pop back once they become accustom to their new home.***
Finally, Place your containers in a sunny location and water until water comes out of the holes at the bottom of your container. ***Plants may look droopy right after you pot them, don’t worry, they will pop back once they become accustom to their new home.***
Plants Day 1
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Plants Day 6
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Make sure to check your plants daily and water as needed.
Tip #1
Did you know you can grow a wide variety of citrus trees in South Carolina?
Anyone up for a Key Lime Pie?
Check back with us to learn more about growing citrus fruits from our resident expert, Alex!
Anyone up for a Key Lime Pie?
Check back with us to learn more about growing citrus fruits from our resident expert, Alex!
