I'd like to know your thoughts on this. Hubby thinks this is going to be a disaster because they're such spreading/vining plants and we have a bit of a limited space... though if anything is lightweight enough, I could potentially go up with the vines...
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Cucumber
Mini pumpkins
Gourds
Squash:
Butternut
Zucchini
Patty Pan
Sweet Dumpling
Acorn
Crookneck
Am I crazy for putting these veggies in containers?
I have to side with your hubby. I think the fruits and veggies would be to heavy, but thats just MHO, lets see what others have to say
Christine
These all grow fine in containers, but growing them in a container isn't going to save any space versus growing them in the ground as they will grow to the same size as long as you meet their water/nutrient needs and the containers aren't so small the roots are excessively constricted.
You can trellis cukes without much trouble, but melons and squash are heavier. They can also be grown vertically, but you said "if anything is lightweight enough, I could potentially go up with the vines..." which makes me think you may not be prepared for the weight of all those plants.
I've grown all but the melons on trellises, but they have to be strong ones (I use metal), and you can't let anything get over grown, pick while on the small size. They will take LOTS of water, and they get top heavy so it would be best if they are up against a fence or deck rail, and protected from high winds if possible. Good Luck!
I have to grow in containers because we cannot rip up the lawn, sprinklers, or existing gardens for veggies (we rent) so we're using an unused dog run with cement stone floor.
I'd read yesterday that watermelons in dwarf varieties (7-10 pounds) can be trellised. So I was thinking zucchini, mini pumpkin, gourds, acorn and possibly the crookneck could go upwards????
Otherwise I think the floor of the dog run is going to end up being covered in one huge carpet of veggie vines and in that case, is that okay? Other than having to figure out how to walk thru that, I assume they could all grow close together and be fine.
Maybe 3-4 of the varieties could be set in their containers in the existing rose beds where they can stretch out.
Thanks for letting me talk out loud... helps me decide what to do with everything!
I forgot to mention that you need to be aware of where the shade from each of the pots with trellises falls, you don't want them to shade each other. The crooknecks may not form the shape you want if they are hanging, without supporting them from below. Make little hammocks from fabric or old nylons.
The vines on concrete might get very hot, just a thought.
Hubs and I are chatting about the heat..
Watermelon supposedly likes heat and my packet says grows well on black landscape cloth. I am not sure what to do with the others though. I'd read patios will be generally much hotter than yards and containers will be 125 degrees or so inside.
Thanks for bouncing things off me - I need to think about everything.