{"id":1236,"date":"2024-08-25T11:16:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T11:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/proxy-botanicalinterestscom.epicgardening.com\/community\/blog\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2024-08-25T11:16:38","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T11:16:38","slug":"easy-patio-gardening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.botanicalinterests.com\/community\/blog\/easy-patio-gardening\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Patio Gardening!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I do not remember a time when I haven’t gardened. Even as a 20-something living in an apartment with a small balcony, I gardened. I suppose I’m a defining example of “If there is a will, there is a way.” With some creativity (most gardeners’ middle name) and some specially selected varieties, my containers became absolutely beautiful, productive, and, as a thrifty 20-something, I was able to do it on a tight budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the essentials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. At least 4 hours of sun<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Water<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Containers with drainage. (Think outside the box! You can use 5-gallon pickle buckets from the local sandwich shop as long as you drill holes in the bottom.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Potting soil<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Liquid fertilizer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Most importantly, if your space is really limited, narrow down your list by choosing only the plants you love to eat, and flowers that that bloom for a long time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    With only 4 hours of sun<\/strong> you can grow leafy crops like lettuce, Swiss chard, mustards, and herbs. Leafy crops are beautiful; with so many textures and colors, they can be ornamental as well as edible. Leafy greens and herbs will be happy even in short or smaller pots; however, the smaller the pot, the more often you may need to water. I recommend pots that are 8\u2033 deep or greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With\u00a06 or more hours of sun<\/strong>, the possibilities with fruiting crops like tomatoes, peppers, melon, eggplant, beans, and cucumbers are nearly endless! In the case of\u00a0tomatoes<\/a>, determinate types stay shorter, but if you have a trellis that can support a 6\u2032 indeterminate tomato, go for it! Tomatoes, in particular, need a good amount of root space; I recommend a minimum 5-gallon container.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Peppers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0eggplant<\/a>\u00a0do well in a 3-gallon pot.\u00a0Beans<\/a>\u00a0(pole or bush)\u00a0cucumbers<\/a>,\u00a0melons<\/a>,\u00a0pumpkins<\/a>,\u00a0summer squash<\/a>, and\u00a0winter squash<\/a>\u00a0need at least 1.5′ wide pot or so. Left untrellised, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and winter squash will appreciate about a 2\u2032 wide pot to support plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Typically, cucumbers, squashes, melons, tomatoes and pumpkins are generally thought of as space hogs, so we intentionally carry some real space-efficient choices.\u00a0‘Spacemaster’<\/a>\u00a0is an excellent bushy, rather than vining cucumber especially for small spaces. The same is true of\u00a0‘Honeynut’<\/a>\u00a0winter squash.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ‘Emerald Delight’<\/a>\u00a0gives and gives dark green, tasty zucchini all summer from productive, compact plants that are resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases.\u00a0‘Minnesota Midget’<\/a>\u00a0is also a space saver and produces the most delectable, 4″, sweet melons in no time!\u00a0‘Jack Be Little’<\/a>\u00a0is the cutest little pumpkin you have ever seen, and the flavor is actually amazing. These diminutive pumpkins make perfect bowls for pumpkin soup, or beautiful, long-lasting fall d\u00e9cor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s another great trick I learned: Growing vertically gives you more room! Use wall planters, hanging baskets, or trellises. A piece of lattice, cattle panel, or remesh (the less expensive option found near concrete at the hardware store) is sturdy enough to hold up tomatoes, small winter squash, and cucumbers. Create your own vertical planters using pallets, gutters, or sticks and strings to help you bring your garden to new “heights”. If you build it, plants will climb it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Remember, no matter the space, the miracle is in the seed. Seeds are programmed to grow, they just need you to give them that little bit of soil, sun, water, and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We love to hear what and how you are growing! Please share your patio garden tips with us in the comments below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I do not remember a time when I haven’t gardened. Even as a 20-something living in an apartment with a small balcony, I gardened. I suppose I’m a defining example of “If there is a will, there is a way.”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146068,"featured_media":1243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEasy Patio Gardening!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how to achieve a lush garden with minimal space using easy patio gardening tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.botanicalinterests.com\/community\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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