I've always thought that University Extension services were a terribly underutilized resource. Here's a new website from my Alma Mater which discusses the basics of container gardening, which those new to the practice may find of interest. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/containergardening
New Basic Container Gardening Website
That is a great site and beautifully done. Kudo's to your Illini buddies............I didnt know they knew how to grow anything but corn. =) I was once stationed at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois and it was solid cornfields from there to Champaign/Urbana where the U of Illinois was located.
Excellent site and great info. Coincidently I use the coco coir from Boca Bob on our Marketplace and do not have to add anything but an aluminim screen on the bottom of the containers to insure I do not lose any mix and also to prevent roots from growing out of my containers and getting contaminated from our poor and diseased soil.
What a wonderful resource! Thanks for sharing illinguy. I'm planting to feature container groupings down a long stretch of fence which is fronted by a cement walk so this site will be really helpful for me.
Perfect timing, I'm hoping to give a class at church on growing vegetables in pots. great reference tool. Thanks!
cathy4 ---Don't forget to stress the importance of an excellent container mix, not soil, as they tend to confuse the issue. I have done a little teaching on the subject and no matter what some still used soil and had terrible results because the soil compacted or drowned the root system. Also dolomite lime very important depending upon PH of mix but I found an extra cup mixed in was always a good practice. I miss the teaching because of my health and am happy to participate in DG...Good Luck with your class! Wish I could be there?
Ted
come on up, I have an extra bedroom. If things go how I hope, it will be hands-on with the soil supplied, but I will certainly cover that.
Boy wish I could! We live in a very nice double wide mobile home on school property as we are the guardians of the school. Cheaper for the school than having a guard on the payroll as my son is a police officer and it is a common practice in parts of Florida. As a compensation to us all utilities are gratis but because of my gardening many parents stop by with their children to inquire about my veggies and plants. As a result some of the children become interested and nothing gives me more pleasure than to see their eyes light up when I let them plant a seed in a container over our chain link fence because we can't have direct contact with the children because of the child protective laws so they can't come on our part of the property but they do participate thru the fence. I don't want to be accused of a almost 72 year old potential child molester? My father, when alive taught me and I would like to pass my knowledge along to the young ones as I am doing with my grandson. I did once but they had to destroy the childrens garden with the additional school construction of the cafeteria. Maybe I'll get permission to start a new one for them but I doubt it as my son, the police officer says it would be better not to unless it was in the classroom as some parents today may complain so a chain link fence is fine and safe for all.
Tplant
One of my ex-SIL teaches school. They were told to never even pat a student on the back to say well done as even that can get you into trouble with some over zealous
parent as sexual harrassment. It is really sad what some things have come to.
Annie
Oh I know! So many times I just wanted to hug them because they are so trully interested in my work and just caught myself before I did ! One rotten apple has made it bad for the rest. I have to be extra,extra careful as I love children and my son is a police officer and besides the trouble I'd be in, imagine the embarassment of having to arrest his own father and we are very close as father and son can be. What has happened to this world?? Love has become a curse word....
Getting a little off topic, don't you think?
Kind of but your article was so informative and conclusive that nothing more could be added! It is a shame that so few children which grow to be adults are not taught such wonderous agricultural marvels and that was all we were trying to do. Sorry Fertisorb!
Thanks so much for posting that link. It's a very nice site for beginners (in which class I put myself!); lots of good information.
I just came across this thread and added the site to my favorites. I think it'll help me alot this year. I'm growing quite abit in containers and injoyed it last year.
Thank you very much,
Vickie