| No more crawling along on hands and knees, creating crooked rows, and wasting good gardening time! Plant Your Garden, Mark Your Rows, and Feed Your Crops! This lightweight but very durable little planting cart does it all! |
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Picking the Right Plant Container Containers And if you like change - containers are about as changeable as you can get. First of all, you have all kinds of interesting containers, from classic to just plain wild. Don't limit yourself to only commercial pots. As long as you can provide adequate drainage, many flea market or garage sale items can make perfect container gardens. (Tea kettles, wash basins and wheelbarrows are just a few examples.) And then you have all kinds of great places to put a container garden - from a tiny balcony to a bare spot in a huge garden - or even indoors. You can hang them from poles or on walls, or set them on rolling carts - or even - (dastardly thought) just put them on the ground! Finally, almost anything that can be grown in the ground can be grown in a pot - and a few things actually prefer being containerized. (Is that a word?) You can change your floral display seasonally, hide the plants that are getting tattered around the edges, and generally, with a little slight of hand and a wee bit of planning, fool people into thinking you actually know what you're doing. Types
Of Container Materials A lot depends
on the climate you live in, because some materials may look strong and
then shatter into a thousand pieces with the first freeze. The kind of
plants you'll be planting may also make a difference, as some like to
live in swampy environments and will want containers that retain
moisture; others prefer to pretend they are in the desert and want
pots
that breathe. And then, of course, there is personal preference. You're going to like the look of some materials, and hate others. (Your neighbor may have quite the opposite tastes.) And finally, there is your budget. Some materials are for champagne budgets only, while others can be as cheap as - well. . . free! How To
Select, Prepare, And Maintain Your Containers The material your container is made of not only affects how happy you are with the total look of your garden but how happy your plants will be growing in it. The container itself will determine not only how easy your garden is to maintain but where you can grow things -- on walls, hanging from trees, or on the ground. A combination of the container type and material will determine how much maintenance your garden will need -- and how often you need to water it. You will
need to select containers appropriate for the types of plants you want
to grow and for the style of your house and garden design. Once these
are clean and filled with whatever materials will give your plant proper
drainage, they'll make good homes for happy plants. |
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1. Choosing the right plant: You won't have to spend as much time caring for your plants if you choose plants that are suited to your environmental conditions and gardening style. Browse our collection of Gifts that Grow™, and get the perfect plant shipped to your door.
2. Watering: Test the soil in your containers every day with your finger. If it's dry an inch below the surface - water. If you can't water your plants on a regular basis, consider self-watering containers. If you've got hard-to-reach plants, we'd recommend a watering wand, which has saved us from lots of stepstool time.
3. Fertilizer: Fertilizer is important. Mix a dry, time-release fertilizer into the soil when planting, and use small amounts of liquid fertilizer for regular feeding every few weeks.
4. Fighting Pests: Inspect plants regularly for fungus, insects, bugs, etc. Remove any diseased or dying leaves. Spray insects with water or other natural repellants to get rid of them.
5. Pruning: Don't be afraid to cut or trim plants to keep their shape and encourage growth - just leave at least 2/3 of the original plant intact so it'll have enough surface area to absorb sunlight. Pinch deadhead faded flowers regularly to encourage more blooms on annual plants. A good set of tools can make all the difference.
Keep in mind that every plant is different. Take some time to read up on your plants and learn as much as you can about their individual needs. A little time spent reading and planning now can save you a lot of time and disappointment later. |

Crabapple Cove Nursery, Inc. 6169 Telegraph Rd. Oakville, MO 63129-5223 e-mail: crabapplecovenursery@yahoo.com Fax: 314-846-8651 314-846-4021 Your LOCAL SOURCE for heirloom tomato plants,Missouri grown herbs, PREMIER PRO-MIX ORGANIC Products |
| Better Heat Circulation Means Earlier, Bigger Seedlings! Ingenious design maximizes airflow! |