container gardening & raised beds rachel melvin- former urban horticulturalist
TRANSCRIPT
Container Gardening & Raised Beds
Rachel Melvin- former Urban Horticulturalist
College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources
Getting Started
• Container Gardening– Advantages– Drawbacks– Wonderful World of
Containers– Growing Media– Fertilizing
• Raised Beds– Advantages– Drawback– Building Material– Framed & Unframed
Container Gardening
• Can utilize small space• More control over soil
media, water, light, nutrients, location, etc.
• Raised height may aid those with back or knee problems
• Fewer weeds• No need to till• Vertical growth saves space
Possible Drawbacks
• You have more control • Need to pay more attention
to type of media plants are in• Water more frequently• More caution with fertilizer
Choosing a ContainerType Pros Cons
Plastic Light – easy to move
Can blow over
Use ones specifically for outdoors
Need to insure good drainage
Will break down quickly otherwise
Avoid dark colors –heat rapidly
Choosing a ContainerClay/Ceramic Won’t blow
over easilyHeavy
Generally more attractive
May dry out quickly
Wood Can rot- avoid ones treated with creosote
Self Watering Containers
• Have a reservoir below the media that holds up to a weeks worth of water.
• Allows plant roots to grow deeper and heavier
• Can buy commercial or make your own
The Earth Box
Sizing Containers
• Recommended Media Depth:– 4-6”: salad greens, mustards,
garlic, radish, basil, cilantro, thyme, mint and majoram
– 8-12” beans, beets, chard, carrots, peppers, eggplant, tomato, squash, rosemary, parsley, lavender and fennel
Sizing Containers
• Recommendations by Volume:– 1-3 gallon pot: herbs, onions,
pepper, dwarf tomato, cucumber or basil
– 4-5 gallon pot: full sized tomato, cucumber, eggplant, beans, peas, cabbage and broccoli.
– Smaller pots dry out more quickly than large ones –check daily!
8 cu. Ft. of growing mediaWhiskey Barrel 1 to 2 plant capacity
Growing Media
• Growing Media• 100% Soilless mix(light and
few nutrients)• 25% Soilless+ 25% Garden soil
+50% Compost• 50% Soilless Mix + 50%
Compost (my favorite)• Use your own compost
General Care
• Veggies require a pH between 5.5 and 7
• When combining ornamental and vegetable/herb, group plants by similar needs: ie, most herbs need sandier soil and full sun-porous containers are perfect.
General Care
• Pre-water the media before planting
• Make sure drainage holes are adequate. Don’t let plans sit in a full saucer.
• Over watering can cause as much damage as under watering! Check moisture with your finger.
Fertilizing
• ‘How Much’ and ‘how often’ depend on type of fertilizer, plant and container.
• Nutrients leach easily from containers, so crops (even quick ones like lettuce or brocolli raab) usually need to be fertilized several times.
Fertilizing
• Long season crops like tomato, cucumber, eggplant and pepper might need light fertilization every 2 weeks.
• Soluble fertilizers are quick and recommended for containers
• Slow release works well, can be more expensive, but lasts 2-4 months
Organic Fertilizers• Emphasizes soil improvement
through addition of organic matter• Liquid Sea Kelp and fish fertilizer can
be made water soluble• Blood meal, composted chicken
manure, cottonseed and alfalfa meal and worm castings are dry fertilizers that can be incorporated at planting and reapplied as needed.
University of MD Salad Table
Salad Table features
• Cost about $35 each in materials; takes 2-3 hours to build
• 58” long X 33” wide X 3.5” deep • Growing area surface- 11.1 sq. ft.• Growing area volume- 2.8 cu. ft.• Frames placed on saw horses or legs at
desired height
“Salad Box”- 15 in. X 21 in.
Raised Beds
• Warm up quickly in spring.• Drain well; less compaction
and erosion.• Increase available rooting
area. • Can produce greater
yields per square foot
Drawbacks
• Up-front labor and expense.• Dry out quickly if weather is
hot and dry.
Constructing a Raised Bed• A bed 3-4 feet wide is ideal for most
vegetable crops,– allowing the gardener to reach the entire
bed from the side• Tomatoes are well suited to a bed 24” to
36” wide, with one row of plants down the middle.
• Beans and peas are easier to pick in a single or double row down a bed rather than in the block-style planting. Here a bed 24 “ wide would be ideal.
• Length can be what ever works for the space.
4 ft
8 ft
2 cuke plants
3
tom
ato
p
lant
s
row
of
bus
h b
eans
Size
Constructing a Raised BedDepth/Height• Here a four-inch height would be adequate.
– Variations in heights (4”, 6”, 8” and 10”) among different beds
• In situations where the soil below is not suitable for crop growth, eight to twelve inches of soil is considered minimal.
• To accommodate gardeners with special needs, bed height may be raised to minimize bending or to allow gardening work from a wheelchair.
• For ease of irrigation, beds should be reasonably level, both across and lengthwise
Raised Beds-Building Material• A simple way to construct a
raised bed garden is to use construction lumber (2x4, 2x6, 4x4, 4x8). Untreated lumber will last for several years( up to 10 years), except in high salt areas or wet sites.
• ACQ pressure-treated lumber contains copper, but no arsenic. We don’t have sufficient research information to assess potential health risks.
• Brick or other building materials may also be suitable.
Simply cut two pieces the width of the bed (typically four feet) and two others to the desired bed length. Using three and one-half to four inch
decking screws, screw the corners together to make a four-sided box. Place the box-like frame
on the soil and fill.
Unframed Raised Beds• Raised beds may also be made
without sides. • Organic matter is mixed in at the
same time the garden is tilled. • Walkways are dug down with the
soil thrown up on the bed.• Beds are four feet wide at the
base and three feet wide at the top.
• The entire bed is covered with organic mulch like dry grass clippings to prevent soil erosion and reduce compaction from rain and sprinkler irrigation.
Resources
• Grow It! Eat It!http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
– We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog!
• Home and Garden Information Centerhttp://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
– We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
• Maryland Master Gardener Programhttp://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
– Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Washington County
University of Maryland Extension