Gardening in pots.

This blog post is my attempt to convince you to be a pothead. No, no, no…not that type. I’m talking about sourcing organic food by growing it yourself…in a gardening pot. As I spend more and more time understanding what makes good food, I, also, am becoming aware of how much of an undertaking it can be. I wanted to write about potting plants because many people question how to balance daily schedules with family, work, bills, etc. and then to all of a sudden add this in too?

I believe in starting small and when I say small, I mean small. No need to jump into this and overwhelm yourself by trying to grow a full fledged garden.You can start with one or two herbs and/or one or two vegetables. It’ll be less work and not to mention, it’s perfect for homes where you need to be efficient with space (rooftops, balconies, alleyways, sidewalks, etc.)

So, here’s what’s important. First, order the pot from Colorado…just kidding! Here you go again thinking this article is about weed. It’s not, ha! Seriously, here are some great guidelines to follow.

Pick: Choose what you’d like to grow. Vegetable, herb, etc. and then decide how you’d like to start. You can start by seed or by purchasing the baby version of your plant of choice. Growing by plant is an easier start for obvious reasons, but it doesn’t apply to all plants. Either way, growing by plant allows for less waste; a standard seed packet includes between 15–30 seeds and you most likely won’t need that many for your first time. Be sure to purchase the healthy plants and wash them before planting to get started off on the right foot.

Orientation and location of pot: Sun, sun, sun — approximately 6–8 hours of sun per day. There has to be a balance because too much sun leads to wilting and browning and not enough sun creates etiolation, which means they grow tall and spindly looking for sun. Leave them protected from the wind as well — wind leads to damaging and drying and keeping pots close together creates humidity (cold as we know is bad). If your plants are outside protect the plants (keep them indoors until early summer May) if they are outside because rabbits, deer, etc. will make every attempt to go after the fruit of your labor.

Pot Size and its contents: This depends on your plant. Go bigger with root crops. Bigger root crops need 8+ inches of soil and bigger pots — 10 or 15 gallon pots usually — are best. From speaking to local farms and gardening centers, the consensus is to use an organic potting soil with a mixture of organic fertilizers and compost (stay away from synthetic!). You may question why fertilizer as well, but it’s important to have fertilizer because pot planting has less nutrients than planting into good ol’ mother earth. When you water your plants, nutrients are often washed from the soil so it’s recommended to fertilize regularly. Espoma and Coast of Maine are very popular brands out on the market today.

When you first plant into soil, be sure to water a couple of times to ensure water is distributed throughout and water regularly, but don’t over due it. A good benchmark is to see if the first inch or so of soil is dry. If it is dry, it makes sense to water your plant.

Here are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth posted by Gardeners.com.

• 4–5 inches: chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander
• 6–7 inches: bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme
• 8–9 inches: pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary
• 10–12 inches: beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

Type of Pot: No plastic or polypropylene pot even if it is food grade plastic. Plastic is lighter and you can drill holes more easily, but ‘baked earth’ or terracotta is the way to go. Terracotta is clay and is great for a number of reasons. It’s a great insulator for the plant, especially if you’re worried about temperatures dropping.Terracotta is a sturdy alternative that stands up to wind a bit better. Some are not fond of terracotta because of its porosity (water easily seeps into the clay, which dries out the soil and kills the plant but a safe lining with proper drainage will help there.)

Good soil drainage and root aeration are key to successfully growing. Pots should have drainage holes. If a pot has only one hole in the center, you may want to find a pot with 4–6 drainage holes distributed evenly around the circumference. Be sure to do your homework and find terra cotta pots that have more than one hole. Add some mini rocks/pebbles to ensure there’s no blockage at the bottom of the pot (this helps keep soil in the pot after watering too). If you’re worried about weight, grab a solid dolly or planter caddies to easily maneuver to different places around your home. Don’t forget dollies too need a hole in middle for drainage.

You can garden solo, or with a significant other or maybe with your family. I, personally, find it very valuable when you know where and how food is sourced. It can even be a means of getting you outside to relieve stress! Enjoy and be sure to subscribe to www.PeterFiorita.com!