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Container Gardening - Growing Vegetables.
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14-07-2007, 10:59 PM posted to rec.gardens
Mark Anderson
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 42
Container Gardening - Growing Vegetables.
In article
says...
Yes. My largest pots for tomatoes are about 20 inches across.
Eggplants and peppers will grow in smaller pots. I grow regular size
plants. I use cheap bagged topsoil.
Topsoil is the worst medium for growing plants in containers. Because
containers are an isolated environment, many gardening techniques are
completely different than techniques for in ground plants. The most
important aspect of containers is the growing medium which needs to
drain well, provide air to roots, and retain water somewhat. You need
to use a potting mix, not potting soil that is sold in bags or
especially not topsoil. You can buy potting mix in bags at the big box
stores -- there are several brands including Miracle Grow. I mix my own
using pine bark fines, peat moss, perlite, and slow release fertilizer.
That said, things will grow in containers filled with topsoil but they
will grow much better with a better growing medium. I used to use
topsoil and potting soil in my containers until one year we had a bad
drought and my plants suffered greatly because my growing medium was
unforgiving. Then I read this:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...12896.html?121
My container plants, especially tomatoes, have done much better in the
last few years after mixing my own potting medium.
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