Dr. Grow: Container gardens a good option for those with little space

When I was growing up, plants were planted in the ground. The only time pots were used was in the greenhouse when growers were trying to get seedlings large enough to take outside so they could be transplanted.

Things are a little different today. You can buy a geranium in a 12-inch pot and grow it in that same pot all summer long. I've grown tomatoes in 30-gallon pots. The tomato roots never touched a native soil.

You can also find specialized pots such as the Topsy Turvy and Earth Boxes. Gardeners have told me about growing tomatoes and flowers in buckets, old wheelbarrows, tractor tires and even in an old bathtub.

I can think of several reasons gardeners grow their favorite plant in a container. If you only have sun on your back patio and not in your lawn area, a pot will allow you to grow your favorite Big Boy tomato next to your barbecue grill.

I see several pots of flowers near the entrance of downtown stores. All they have is pavement next to their stores, so if they want to grow flowers they must use pots.

Because container gardening is becoming so popular, I thought I would make some suggestions on how to make your efforts successful. First, make sure the pot you are using has a drainage hole in the bottom. It is easy to overwater and drown the plants if there is no drainage.

If you have a selected a decorative pot that you want to use but it has no drainage hole in it, find a cheap plastic pot that fits in your decorative pot. Plant your favorite flowers or vegetables in that plastic pot and then place it in your decorative pot.

Purchase a well-draining potting mix (soilless mix of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite). Thoroughly mix two cups of lime to each 25 quarts of potting mix. You want to make sure that the pH of the potting mix stays between 6.0 and 7.0 during the growing season.

Fill your pot to about one inch below the rim with the mixture of potting mix and lime. You want to leave room for water when you give it a drink.

Now plant your vegetable or flower transplants into your pot. Plants like crowded roots. A single, small tomato plant in a five-gallon pot is easily overwatered, resulting in root rot and a plant that doesn't perform well.

Next, water your new transplants with water-soluble fertilizer such as 9-59-8. This ratio of nitrogen (9) to phosphorous (59) will tell the plant to produce lots of good roots.

Throughout the growing season alternate the same water soluble fertilizer (9-59-8) with a water-soluble 20-20-20. Make applications of fertilizer weekly as you water.

Let the soil tell you when to water. Simply put your finger into the soil. When the soil is dry to the touch, water the plant. When the soil is wet, leave it alone. More plants grown in containers are ruined by too much water than anything else I know of.

Place your planted container in the appropriate location. Put vegetables in an area that gets sun most of the day. Some flowers such as impatiens need afternoon shade, while others like petunias need afternoon sun.

If you don't have a garden spot but want to garden, try growing plants in containers. You can enjoy flowers and vegetables growing on your patio, porch or deck.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.<I>