A
Bucketload of Container Gardening Ideas
You don't have to have a back yard
or a whole lot of space to get into gardening with children. In fact, keeping
the plants collected, or contained, in a smaller space, simplifies garden
processes. It literally "contains" the concepts and makes them easier for
children to grasp.
Container gardening makes a lot of
sense practically, too. For most schools, homes and apartments, the soil that's
already in place in the ground is almost always substandard for growing
vegetables and flowers. There's usually asphalt, sand and gravel in schoolyard
soils, and sticky clay soils in back yards with bad drainage and low fertility.
So a container garden with
specially-mixed soil is a great solution to show kids how important good soil
is.
No matter what container you choose,
you can mix your own container soil with either of these recipes, using
storebought materials: 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 perlite . . . or
½ potting soil, ½ homemade or compost, and a handful or two of sand, bone meal,
vermiculite, or all three.
Also, no matter what container you
use, it's a good idea to pre-wash it to prevent soil diseases or pests. Use an
environmentally-friendly disinfectant, or a solution of 1 part bleach to 10
parts warm water.
Just be absolutely sure that your
container has drainage holes of some kind, because soggy soil will give you
rotten roots, and no flowers or veggies up top!
It's
also wise not to choose containers that hold too small a quantity of dirt. You'll
be fussing with them too much, and they'll be crying out to be watered so often
that it'll defeat the purpose of container gardening, which is supposed to be
convenience. Probably one gallon of soil is a minimum amount to spare your
schedule.
Also
be aware that some garden containers let the soil dry out really fast and heat
up too fast. If you're not sure you can water your container every day, or
every other day, you'd better not choose those that dry out faster than you can
replenish the moisture. Also avoid hot concrete for directly under your
container, or placing a container in a place that will get relentless, hot,
afternoon sun.
Basically,
things that hold just a small quantity of soil, or that are made of wood or
have wide air holes, like a crate with wooden slats with wide air spaces, will
dry out faster than larger, bulkier soil containers. The plants, including
their roots, will literally "fry." Of course, you can choose plants that LOVE
to be dry and LOVE a lot of hot sun, such as moss rose or cacti. Just be aware
to match your container gardening environment with the containers and plants
you use.
Now
. . . for the container . . . the heart of container gardening!
The obvious solution is to use a big
clay pot, or build a box for each student. A clay pot that is 18" across is
large enough for one cherry tomato plant, or maybe a dozen clumps of salad
greens. A square, 3' x 3', that's a foot or 18" tall, is a great idea into
which quite a few plants can be grown. In such a box on the ground, you can
spade down and turn over the soil inside and then pour your special container
mix of soil over. Ideally, you'll have at least 12" of soft, rich soil.
You can also use other simple
"found" boxes -- a wooden orange crate, a wooden wine box, a half-barrel, a
wooden window box purchased from a garage sale or junk store . . . and they'll
work great . . . but kids might enjoy brainstorming their own offbeat
containers - to "think outside the box" - with ideas such as:
Wheelbarrow
-- just make sure to select shallow-rooted plants, such as radishes and
marigolds
Sack
- just poke several drainage holes with a nail in the bottom of a sack of
compost, slit the top open, and fold and crimp the plastic rim around to form a
circular top that won't block the rain or your watering can; then plant one
potato or one tomato plant per sack
Tire
stack - it's fun to paint the tires with acrylic, outdoor-friendly paint
first, and then stack three tires. Fill the center with your potting mix. Plant
and water as usual.
Crock
- an antique store or junk store might have a beautiful ceramic crock or pot;
if it doesn't have drainage holes, you can put a brick or bricks in the bottom,
plant plants in a plastic or clay pot or pots with drainage holes, and place on
top of the bricks so that water drains into the bottom of the crock
Big
basket - it should be wide enough and deep enough to hold enough soil to be
worthwhile; you can line it with bubble wrap or a plastic gallon milk-jug
bottom with drainage holes poked in it with a nail, to hold the soil in place
Bathtub or sink - a very creative re-use of a
scrapped ceramic bathroom piece is as a container; you might be able to
position the piece to use the existing drainage hole with just a little nylon
net over the hole to hold the dirt in
Old
toy wagon - an adult could drill several drain holes in the bottom if
you're SURE you want to turn it into a plant-growing wagon
Big,
old bucket, including a milk bucket or a beach bucket - whether in metal or
plastic, a big bucket with several drainage holes punched out in the bottom
makes a whimsical statement of summer fun
You can use your imagination for
just about any other container! Have fun, and happy container-gardening!
