By Vanessa Richins

For many of us, gardening season is coming to an end.

The leaves are changing, and the promise of snow looms in the near future.

While you may keep some plants indoors in the house or greenhouse, you anxiously await spring.

Some, though, are a bit more fortunate. They live in the warmer zones where it rarely snows and you can garden for most, if not all, of the year. I used to enjoy that (sigh), since I spent my first 20 years living in Zones 9/10 California.

Back home in Southern California, we would get rainstorms during the winter. Since I lived in the mountains, the wind would blow especially hard and the storm wreaked havoc on the yard. Our banana tree was destroyed this way.

When you have a container garden, it’s important to Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Vonnie writes:

“I plan to eat beets grown inside my kitchen in containers and would love any tips!”

Hi Vonnie. That should be a fun project!

For starters, make sure your container is deep. It should be at least 12″ deep. Since beets are root crops, the more room you can give them, the better.

Also, since a large root is being formed, the soil needs to be loose. Sand is the best soil for producing well-formed roots. Make sure there are no rocks or sticks that could make the roots grow strangely.

When you go to plant your seeds, it’s important to give them a good start in life. Plant them 1″ apart in your container. As Marie Iannotti points out, “Beet seeds can be slow to germinate, because of their tough outer shell. Soaking the seed clusters over night will help soften the shell and speed germination”.

Once the beet seeds have sprouted Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Reader Judy sent in the following question in a comment on UGC’s article about upside-down tomatoes:

Author: Judy

Question: I am disabled. I have a walker I use but planting a regular garden is really out of the question. I was thinking if we can do tomatoes this way, what about planting maybe beans on top or some other veggie.

If I planted a garden this way, I could use my walker out there to water and then harvest but I would want to do more then just tomatoes. What do you think of lettuce maybe and beans on top and maybe peas also upside down, etc. Has anyone tried that?

Answer: Judy, upside-down growing is a real boon to those of us with disabilities. I was in an accident in 2003 and now walk with a cane. My balance problems are fairly severe, and so I hired a landscaping firm to tear Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Richard writes:

“I’m looking for plans for building my own containers-square or rectangular wood primarly. Do you have any suggestions?”

One aspect of the Internet that I love is the vast wealth of knowledge available.

Here are just some of the directions I was able to find on wood and other materials.

Wooden Planter Box

This website has a good description of the strengths and weaknesses of wood planters:

“Wood is an excellent material for container gardens because it lets the plant roots breathe and it is relatively light weight. You can also make your own containers to whatever size you like. The wood will deteriorate after several years, however, Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Reader Question:

Hi, I live in Boston, Mass. and I would like to grow garlic on my back porch this fall. The time is approaching for the actual planting, but I’m still unsure of what I should plant my garlic in, i.e. how large, how deep,etc. I know that garlic should be about 3 inches below the surface, but how much more depth do I need to accommodate for root growth? Any suggestions for containers? I appreciate any info you can provide. Thanks - Lindsey

Lindsey, that’s an excellent question.

The allium family are all well suited for container growing, and garlic is an especially useful plant to grow in a small garden space.

Not only are the garlic bulbs easy to grow, the greens can be harvested and eaten once before allowing them to finish growing. They are delicious and a very healthy addition to stir-fries or salads.

The most important thing to remember about garlic is Read the rest of this entry »