May Gardening Discussion
I found this when I was reading my emails this morning
http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/633adc77-47bc-49bd-8734-80fbb55f878f/potholes-drainage-disks-for-pots-starting-at-2-for-4-95
I thought the product was pretty cool.
by
hobbit
asked 2 years ago
Yes, I like the idea. A few years ago when I was looking around for some small rocks (I live on sand)I decided to use some large ripple-shaped styrofoam peanuts. They worked well, did not add any weight to the pot, and I have re-used them twice. The roots just kind of grow around them.
Seems interesting, but I don't garden much in pots, other than for temporary measures. I do use good potting soil (containing perlite, not vermiculite), or sometimes make my own. I am thinking that I'd rather use perlite than vermiculite if I decide to try the square foot gardening (I posted a deal on the book, and was quite amazed to see it become popular).
On that deal, someone said that they'd used vermiculite from the insulation section in the store, and that it was much cheaper than in the gardening section. It made me wonder if the insulation one had anything extra added to it.
It seems like a very good book. I know that @debbiedunlap had talked about doing this, which is why I noticed the book on Amazon.
@sand4me: that is a good idea too, although are they making those things anymore? I also know there are studies that styrofoam emit nasty things into the air, I forget what now. I just remember my University was one of the first to ban styrofoam containers from being used on campus. Poor Marriott when they took over the food service contract, they had to comply with the leftist school that we were.
This is an interesting conversation on the relative merits of perlite versus vermiculite (which can be very expensive).
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/sqfoot/msg0318081129111.html
I don't have a green thumb at all, but years ago I took a class on container gardens and made one. I used a product called Soil Moist. You wouldn't believe how great my plants turned out.
http://www.soilmoist.com/products/soil-moist.php
I'm scouting a good deal to post for it.
Um, I'm growing (trying to grow) cucumbers and carrots in pots...
thats about all I know. :(
It isn't going to be in a pot, but I just acquired a lemon basil plant. I will put it in the ground tonight when I get home.
@hobbit: Put the basil by your tomato plants (if you have any planted). They like each other. I often plant marigolds among my vegetables, too, since many bad insects do not like them. I love basil, every single kind.
@cassandratroy: No tomatoes this year. I killed them last year so I I didn't even bother. I can get really nice heirloom ones at the farmers market. The basil will stand along this year. I might go get another Rosemary plant to put in the backyard though, they grow like weeds out here.
http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/9033caaf-1839-4679-bda5-1087d1b32a6d/north-american-native-plant-sale-for-2-and-up not my deal but I thought this was pretty cool.
@hobbit: Rosemary is a weed. The root structure for rosemary spreads even wider than does iris. I dug one up this spring so that I could put a new rose in its place, and thought I would never be finished pulling the roots out. I'm still finding them, and I pulled it up in March.
It's a really good weed, though. I just need to make sure not to plant it near other plants. Dusty Miller is beginning to be on my "it's really a weed" list, too. It just isn't pretty enough for how much space it tries to take up.
@cassandratroy: true but it is a weed I can cook with and it just smells so good.
@hobbit: There are actually beliefs that rosemary offers protection from evil, and that you should plant it by the front and back door. I'm always willing to follow any superstition that isn't inconvenient (especially if I would do it anyway), so I have a sizable rosemary by the back door, and just started a new one by the front.
I love rosemary, garlic, and fresh pepper for a nice roast lamb. I also love it mixed with olive oil in bread. I've forgotten the name of the bread that I used to make, and searching brought me so many links of recipes I got tired of reading them. Now I'm hungry.
I'm overrun with thyme and oregano this year. I potted them and they've gone crazy. Can't say the same for my basil plants. I'm pinching them back to get them to branch but they're slow growing this time around.
The potted tomatoes are growing like gang busters. All but one (four different varieties) has fruited. I've used tomato set on the straggler and if that doesn't work, I might have to bump the calcium up a bit.
Discovered this little plant at my local nursery and am using it in some of my larger planters in place of the dusty millers. Same gorgeous silvery color but has such a fragrance. Smells like curry, rosemary and oregano every time I water. Heavenly. http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/heltalicum.htm Just wish I could cook with it.
Want to find caraway thyme. The family likes throwing it in pan sauteed cabbage. All the taste of caraway without the seeds.
@hobbit: Lemon basil sounds wonderful.
http://deals.woot.com/questions/details/d33d38ab-6275-4056-8c8c-6f087d914c26/woot-off-deal-question-mosquito-shield#30 I added a post about a different bug bite resolution item that a friend sent me yesterday. I have not tried it yet.
@hobbit: You know another weed you can cook with and really smells good? Oh, and it has myriad health and medicinal benefits and grows wild in just about every state in the US!
@formula420: It has to be legal you twit.
@formula420: yeah, but is cooking with it gonna be like eating Chinese food...you're hungry again in an hour or two?
I really miss @glindagw and @debbiedunlap a lot. Sigh.
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