Growing Vegetables in Containers

Peanuts are strange.

Lily -

Thank you HoneybeeNC for the link. Very interesting read. Here are a few pics. taken this morning. There is a slight cool breeze out, I'll take advantage of that for a brisk walk. Have a good day growing veggies everyone.
1. Calabash is growing at a faster rate compared to that of cantaloupe.
2. Orka 'Clemson spineless' is making flowers (most are hiden from the oversized leaves).
3. The misty morning view of the 'portable garden'.

Lily, nice arrangement of plants you have there. Flowers are stunning and the okra looks pretty happy. Nice touch with that tag in the third pic. Did you do that in memory of Minnie Pearl? (wink) :)

Tehehehe, Minnie Pearl with her hat's tag uncut? Yah, love that. ~grin. Solace, I read on other thread you were dealing with spidermites problem. How did you solve that? I only found spidermites problem with plants being kept in basement make-shift greenhouse. Though, adding fans in the area helps. Spidermites flourish in cool, damp, air stagnant area I believe.

Dang, I'm late to the party. I enjoy container gardening and I've missed this entire thread. Wonderful container veggie "gardens", everyone. Everything looks great.

I planted some basil and marigolds in my back door (well, it's actually a side door) raised planter along with the pepper and tomato, and the marigolds have attracted the mites. I guess that's its job as a good companion. Now if they'll just stay there. :) It has been cool and lots of rain so far this year so I'm seeing more than usual. When it gets into the hotter weather of summer, the situation should change.

The plants have grown a lot since planted about six weeks ago. I'm going to use this planter like a salad table come winter.

A few other container photos as well.

Cville__Gardener, welcome to the thread, I love that planting table you've got. It's just about the perfect size to grow our herbs for the kitchen. Small enough to be relocated. Great idea!

The curcumbits are taking off, some are growing as much as 4 inches over night! About Marigold, I heard/read that they repel certain insects, have you found that's the case. Repel insects; but attract spidermites? Ummmm. We've got to do some more research don't we?

Lily, My eggplants, squash, beans, and other seedlings were in a hot dry room, but I'm not sure what the normal environment would be for spidermites. They loved it in there. I didn't get them until after I bought a couple of six-packs of marigolds and put them in there with the other plants. They may have already had them when I bought them. Don't know. I used Neem oil mixed with dish soap and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. I may have to spray again. I sprayed them every two or three days, but I think you have to reapply at the 10th day. They had a web super-highway going until I sprayed them. Nasty varmints. I loathe spider mites. Ughh.

Solace, I can't say for certain for I don't have any scientific data to back up my guess. But from what I've observed is that my ornamental tender perennials were troubled by spider mites indoor over the winter in years past. Comes spring, I get them outdoor, and that seem the end of their life cycle? They sure are nasty varmints!

My melons are growing at a high rate. We're getting more rain, 50% above annual average thus far in the growing season. Well drainage soil is a must for these containers.

I've planted two types of corn in containers and almost all of them are coming up. Planted some cantaloupes with them. I transplanted the eggplant and they're out in the driveway on the concrete, as well. Today I transplanted some brandywine tomatoes and I think, an amish paste tomato into containers for the driveway. I used 3/4 of the container aged barley straw, topped with mixture of Happy Frog soil conditioner, wood shavings, builder's sand, and some powdered fertilizer to transplant into, in the containers. For the seeded containers (corn and melons) I topped it off with a half inch of vermiculite to keep the seeds moist. Also transplanted a couple of Charleston Gray watermelons into containers and they're out on the concrete pad, as well. More to go. I'll have to put the sheer curtains (my version of shade cloth) over the watermelons and tomatoes tomorrow, if it isn't cloudy. The first Charleston Gray I transplanted is escaping the pot and already blooming. It got a head start on the others, being outside longer. Those will probably have to go inside, eventually, since my growing season is SOOOO short.

I forgot: my mix has some chick starter in it, too.

Thanks for the welcome, Lily. Much appreciated.

Solace, you are growing some interesting things in your containers. I have never tried corn in a container ... or watermelons/cantaloupes. What size containers are you all using for those?

Solace, this is my first year growing vining veggies in container. Do our growing in container changes the taste of the fruits? Last year my son grew some cantaloupe in the ground, the flavor was quite good.
In June, I purchased one of those "sun kissed" cantaloupe from publix. The flavor was super sweet. So I germinated two of the seeds, they are growing happily right now, in container, and I'm anticipating the fruits. I hope the taste won't be affected?
Cville_Gardener, like you I am interested to learn from others. Solace does have many interesting plants growing for the season.

At present, the calabash vines are growing much faster than cantaloupe vines.

Very nice, Lily. What is the pink flower you have in there? I should know it.

Swiss Chard in an old enamel dish pan
Leeks
Lots of potted herbs

Cville_gardener, those look good. I just returned from picking some peppers and herbs for lucnh. The nice thing about growing our own herbs garden, they can inspire us to eat healthy. ^_^

The red flower is Penta, I interplant those ornamental flowers for two reasons. 1. Beautify the pot. 2. The flowers attract night-pollinator moths, the Tersa sphinx to help pollinate nightblooming calabash and other nightblooming ornamentals. One of the ornamental nighblooming flowers is Angel trumpets for instance.

Here are more Pentas among others in my butterflies garden. Oh, the grassy looking plant in the background is Lemon grass. One of the edible herbs.

Happy July 4th everyone! I meant to say that earlier. Pardon.

Thanks, Lily. And a nice looking Crinum you have there, too. One of my faves as far as plants go. I probably have several dozen faves, maybe more. lol.

I picked hot banana peppers to put in the omelettes I made for lunch. Also picked my first big ol' 'Giant Marconi' pepper just to eat on the side. Luv peppers. And, of course, some yellow pear tomatoes from the side door planter. It's raining, raining, raining so I didn't get down there to pick any fresh parsley for the omelettes. Next time.

Here's my 'Giant Marconi' - picture taken on June 25th - it is larger now. I know people recommend picking the first pepper or so to set in order to put the energy into growing a larger plant, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It is already larger and setting more peppers. :)

Lily, the seeds you saved from the melon you purchased at Publix are probably from a hybrid. If you find a melon that you like from those, save seeds from it. If you keep saving seeds from year-to-year from your favorites, you should eventually have lots of melons that agree with YOUR taste buds.

HoneybeeNC, I learned that hybrid flowers don't turn out identical to their parentage--if planted from seed. Does that hold truth for fruits producing plants? Another word, will the taste differ from that of the last generation?

The 'Giant Marconi' pepper does look good. Like you, Cville_Gardener, I do like peppers. For me, the hotter the better. I was disappointed with my helopino Jalapeno peppers for it's very mild this year. Where as the ornamental 'loco' the ones that looks like Christmas light bulbs--are hotter, go figure! Oh thanks on the compliment on the crinum. It was a gift to me, and I'm delighted to find out it's a dark red variety. I nick named it "Freedom" for blooming on July 4th. ^_^

This message was edited Jul 4, 2013 12:42 PM

Lily - as far as know, all seeds from hybrids produce plants different from their parent, including fruits and vegetables.

That doesn't mean you will not have a melon, or melons that are not delicious. I've had volunteer melons from hybrid parents that have had a wonderful flavor. I've also had some that taste akin to motor oil!

Anticipation; is half of the fun when awaiting to harvest our crops. I planted more veggies today. No cooking, no fanfair, just kick back and enjoyed the garden and appreciate the mild weather ... in the 70'ish F. That quite unusual for this time of year.

Ah, I found a few more Peanut's flowers today. Also, my 1st baby okra. Yeah!

Just for the record Spider Mites like hot dry conditions. That's why they can be such a problem in Tx. I water one of my gardens with a sprinkler and have not had a problem with SMs. The garden with the soaker hoses is a different story. SM are common on houseplants bc the air is usually warm and dry. I have found that neem oil works really well.

I have been growing pepper plants in containers for a couple yrs now and they seem to do the same or better in containers. I put the pots in kiddie pools to help keep them watered so far so good.

You are right about the anticipation, Lily. I'm always watching my plants. I'm like an old mother hen sometimes. lol. I ate the big 'Giant Marconi' for lunch today. Was it ever good! Now I'll be anxiously awaiting more. The weather was unusually cool for so long this year that things got off to a slow start.

I have had more peppers than we can eat since growing them in containers. It turned cool and rainy for awhile (unusual for us this time of year) but will be warming up into the 90s again this coming week. The peppers and tomatoes will love that. However, we usually have lots of humidity. The spider mites are transient here. Occasionally we have a problem but it doesn't seem to persist. Even the Japanese beetles are transient. However, they can do some real damage while they are out. :(

The old boots aren't mine although I have a pair to plant this year.

Hello 1lisac and welcome. Basically, you've summed up the problem of Spider Mites that I've experienced. Cville_ yes due to the prolonged cool spring (not that I am complaining), lots of things in the garden were out for a late start. The humidity is bad here, no doubt. But the extended cool period is welcomed. It could be unbearable hot around our neck of the woods!

Hah, the vinery veggies are sending out tendrils. I'm guiding them up various poles to hopefully they will eventually climb up the arbor and trellises above.

Really like that frog. ;)

Thanks Cville, I've all kind of ornamental planting out there. Most boaters fishing along the shore really complimented that frog. Its name is "Bufford" He looks good with that 'firecracker fern' riding on his back doesn't he?

Yes, he looks just like a Bufford. I have a growing collection of frogs and lots of yard art. I'm always collecting something, it seems. ;)

At the meantime the initial vine is climbing up the pole. Whooohoooo! happygirl345, how is your garden coming along? Have pics.?

When I walk through a plant nursery, I find myself picking-off dead leaves and flowers!

^_^

Cville, I like your current Avatar! That seems to suite you best. ^_^ Is that 'Ellen Bosequet' crinum? I have one in the backyard and I just love its blooms. In previous years, I had but one inflorescence. This morning, I discovered 3. They multiply nicely.

Next, some of my calabash'es male flowers opened this morning. Whooohooo.

Thanks, Lily. Well now, I don't know but it does look like Ellen B. Someone sent me a crinum that was supposed to be C. angustifolium and I thought that is what it was going to be. But it certainly isn't. I planted another one around there that was supposed to be 'Red and White'. It's not that either. lol. So it's a conundrum. But I love this one. I have Ellen B and Super Ellen planted elsewhere but they bloomed earlier. So I guess I'll remain puzzled for awhile longer.

Squash is looking good! Yay on the blooms.

I just cut back the potted Nepeta cataria blooms. Didn't take 60 seconds for these two to arrive on the scene. Catnip indeed. :-D)))

Cute kitties. Bet they help keep some unwanted critters away from the garden? Crinums are easy carefree plants. All they need just some sun shine and enough water to thrive. I love them.

Cville, I am very excited about the squash/calabash. My goal is to train them up the arbor for an attractive ornament, then harvest and cook them when ready.

Here is another vine climbing up another arbor nearby.

This message was edited Jul 11, 2013 9:46 AM

The vine is growing like 'shrump' with all this rain. lol I feed the container roughly every other week. It seems as if it grows 4-6" over night.

More male flowers. Ummm, when will the female flowers be produced? What if the female flowers arrive late, and there will be no remaining male flowers available to pollinate?
I'm pleased to see more of the flowers this morning, and no sign of bugs Yeah!

Hi all, since I last post, that very day I saw a few female-like type of flowers on my gourd vine. But thus far, no real growth on those females, some have been aborted at a very early stage. The male flowers continue to open up daily. I'm scratching my head, what am I doing wrong? Any idea?

How's your pollinator situation? You might try hand pollinating those female flowers to see if that prevents them from aborting.