Growing Herbs in Pots11.30.09

Herbs can be grown quite effectively indoors in pots or containers. Window boxes or hanging baskets are also other places they will thrive. Growing herbs indoors away from the herb garden is not any more difficult. Indeed as you would expect, indoor herbs require the same conditions to flourish as those outside. Click here for more: grow herbs pots

The main ingredients are of course; water, sunlight and fertile soil. Herbs are no different. Sunlight is key to growing any type of plant including herbs whether they are grown indoors or in a garden. When growing indoors, place your herbs in a south or west facing position to make maximum use of the available sunlight. Although there are a few herbs with specific light needs, all of them need a sunny bright spot in the house. Growing herbs for some means supplementing the light with lamps and artificial light.

Herbs also need a well drained, not too rich soil to grow in. It is good practise to add one part of coarse sand two parts of sterilized potting soil to your herbs containers. To ensure adequate drainage, place about an inch of sand aat the base of your containers. To sweeten the soil, and give it a flavor herbs like, it is a good idea to add a teaspoon of lime to every five inch pot.
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Water is the next important factor to consider. Misting the plants and moistening the pebbles will help to keep the herbs within humid conditions. There is no difference in watering your indoor herbs a opposed those in the garden, but ensure the roots are not soaked. One of the main advantages of growing herbs in a container or pot is the ability to move them.

It is ok to leave annual herbs indoors all the time but it is recommended to place perennial herbs outside during the summer. Make sure you bring in all your herbs early so as not to exposed them to the first frost. This is a rule can often be missed out when considering tarragon, mint and chives. That is because these herbs will become dormant in a light frost leading to a healthier growth afterward. All herbs can be grown in containers but some herbs do better then others. Mint is an herb that needs to be contained or it will take over the garden.

On the whole it is quite easy to manage an indoor herb garden. It keeps the herbs handy and within reach anytime you need them for cooking. And with these tips listed above, you will be able to care for your herbs and ensure a healthy plant. Its also a good idea to repot your herbs once a year and give a light feed every so often. You will also have to remember to replant annuals each year and move perennials outdoors when needed. Plus, use your herbs as much as you want as well as harvest them occasionally. It is no secret that pruning plants it encourages new growth. This rule also applies to herbs. So dry them, store them and add them to your cooking recipes! Click here for more: Herb Gardens

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Choosing Tomato Cultivars for Container Gardening08.17.09

Given a large enough pot, nearly all varieties of tomatoes are suitable for container gardening; however, some will yield better results than others.

What Size Tomato is Best for Container Gardening?

The large beefsteak tomatoes like Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine and Celebrity may not yield the super-sized fruits when confined to a container, although properly watered and fertilized, the flavor can be every bit as good as the 1-2 pound fruits the plants might produce planted in the ground.

Cherry and grape varieties suffer least from the dwarfing effects of container gardening tomatoes. The smaller fruits are naturally more adapted to the limited water and nutrient environment of a container.Tomatoes bred include Tumbler, Window Box Roma, Florida Basket, Tiny Tim and Patio for container gardening. The largest of these produce 2- to 3-ounce tomatoes. Tumbling Tom, a newer tomato hybridized for container gardening, grows only 6 inches wide, making it a perfect focal point plant in a container herb garden.

Between the two size extremes, mid-sized slicing tomatoes like Early Girl and paste tomatoes like Romas will often yield satisfactory results grown in containers. These naturally yield tomatoes in the range of four to eight ounces. While they may not grow quite as large confined to a container, with proper care, the difference is minimal.

Determinant or Indeterminant Tomatoes for Container Gardening
Tomatoes are classified into two main growth habits: determinant and indeterminant. Seed packets or transplant nursery tags will note this information. Each tomato has advantages in container gardening, and disadvantages.varieties of tomatoes such as determinant or indeterminant is determined by desired purpose and aesthetics of the tomato container garden.

During the growing season indeterminant tomatoes set clusters of tomatoes consistently throughout the summer. Indeterminant tomatoes make better hanging baskets than patio specimens, as the vines can cascade over the sides of the basket and keep growing. A consistent supply of blossoms and fruits adds visual interest, but even with container gardening, tomato vines can grow to 6 feet or more on indeterminant cultivars, making them difficult to support without a large tomato cage, which may not be attractive while the plant is growing into it. The size also requires a large pot, with at least a five gallon capacity.

Determinant tomatoes grow to a set size and tend to set all the fruit at once, or in two to three flushes over a few weeks. The limited size makes these easier to manage in containers with stakes, smaller tomato cages or ornamental supports, and container gardening with determinant tomatoes does not require quite as large a pot as with indeterminants. However, the determinant tomatoes have a shorter period of being attractive plants for display.

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Container Gardens: Some Great Ideas07.25.09

People who are working with small sized gardens often find themselves at a loss when it comes to what to do with their small space. By applying some well thought out ideas to your small garden, however, you can make it something beautiful. Remember that small spaces can still include lots of variety in both types of plants and colors.

Making Use of Containers

Using containers is a great way to maximize the limited space you have in your garden. Flower pots might sound boring or dull at first, but the reality is that they can be used to create a beautiful garden dcor.

First of all, your pots don’t have to be the same color. They can be several different complementary colors. Paint plain pots different shades that match if you want, or pots of the same color in different shapes and heights. Hanging baskets are also a great option if you have limited space, this way you are using all the available space you have.

Choosing the Correct Container

In order to choose the proper container for your garden, you will need to think about what kind of plants you plan on using in the container. One essential feature of any container used for any plant is a drainage system that will prevent the plants roots from rotting.

Ceramic planters should have four or five drainage holes. Plastic and steel containers can have holes added to them with a drill.

There are lots of interesting household items that can be used as containers for a garden. Painted tin cans, watering cans, and even wellington boots are just a few ideas. Baskets can be used in a garden if you line them with coco fiber or sphagnum moss in order to prevent the soil from leaving the basket and to allow for drainage. In reality, you can use anything you want for a garden container. Your only limit is your imagination.

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