Intensive Organic Container Gardening

Pattie LoucheLisa Harty and Lisa Stefanick

Soil Preparation

• Reasons not to use outside dirt from your yard.– Too sandy, too much clay, too heavy– No nutrients– Weeds, seeds, diseases, insects– Chemical fertilizers may be present

• Reasons not to use soilless mix– Too light, not strong enough to support plant roots– Sterile and contains very few nutrients– Small amts of synthetic fertilizers and wetting agents-not

organic

• Read the label– “Certified organic”– Approved by OMRI (Organic Materials Review

Institute)– Some peat moss or limestone treated with

prohibited material– Unreliable amounts of compost- 20-50%– Should contain only natural plant and animal

derivitives

Recipes for soil mix• 1 part peat moss or mature compost• 1 part garden loam or top soil• 1 part clean builder’s sand or perlite

• Or

• ½ cubic yard peat moss• ½ cubic yard perlite• 10 lbs bone meal• 5 lbs ground limestone• 5 lbs blood meal

*note if using own compost make sure it is mature (made last summer for this spring planting)

Soil testing

• Soil testing ahead of planting will let you know what to add – Saturated Media Extract test– Offered by most university and commercial

horticulture labs– 1-3 week turn around

• Fill pot ¾ full and add organic fertilizer to top 3 inches of soil and you are ready to plant!

Containers

• Types• Preparation• Sizing for particular plants• How to fill with the proper blend of

soil/organic matter etc…P/K/N

Plant combinations

• 5 gallon: tomato/peppers/eggplant or tomato/cilantro/onion (successive planting)

• 2 gallon: strawberry/spinach/chamomile• 1 gallon: cabbage/garlic/green onion or

lettuce/cukes/green onion (successive planting)

To fertilize or not?

• Soil testing before planting is your key to what your garden needs

• Increased demands from intensive practices• Use organic fertilizer, fish emulsion, worm

casting or tea, compost and/or compost tea• Increased risk of overfertilizing – water

thoroughly each and let drain through• Adequate drainage is a must!• Clump containers together-

Pest and critter control

• Diligence is key! Prevention and early treatment is a must

• Beneficial bugs, partner plantings• Most pests are variety or crop specific • Keep on balcony or porch (keeps bunnies and

squirrels away!)• Blast with water, soapy water, Neem or

horticultural oils or cover with Remay cloth

Harvesting

• Trellising, supports, training upward or trailing downward, interplanting, successive planting, rotating plants, replacing with new seedlings often help prevent bolting and always having something new to grow and eat.

• Themes (Italian, Greek, salsa…) and partner plants

• Enjoy!