Container Gardening - The Heimerdinger Foundation (2024)
Container Gardening, Part 2
Hello Giving Garden Fans!
Last month we discussed the benefits of container gardening and touched on the best plants and containers and soil to use. We also provided planting, pruning, and watering tips. This month, we are going to talk about the importance of fertilizer and ongoing maintenance. LET’S JUMP IN!
Fertilizing The three major nutrients that plants need arenitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are referred to by the initials of their chemical symbols: N (Nitrogen), P (Phosphorus), and K (Potassium).
“N” is for Nitrogen and is used by the plant to produce leafy growth and the formation of stems and branches. Nitrogen is essential in making sure plants are healthy as they develop and nutritious to eat after they’re harvested. That’s because nitrogen is essential in the formation of protein, and protein makes up much of the tissues of most living things. Notably, the more leaves a plant produces, the higher its nitrogen requirement.
“P” is for Phosphorus which is essential for seed germination and root development. It is needed particularly by young plants forming their root systems and by fruit and seed crops.
“K” is for Potassium which promotes flower and fruit production and is vital for maintaining growth and helping plants resist disease. It’s used in the process of building starches and sugars so is needed in vegetables and fruits.
Container-grown vegetables are best fed by mixing compost and a balanced organic fertilizer into the potting mix each time you replant, followed by a liquid fertilizer regimen when roots have begun to fill the container. Most name-brand potting soils already contain starter fertilizer, and organic potting soils have nutrients from the compost used to make them, so you don’t usually need to mix in dry fertilizer the first year. Thereafter, you can buy organic fertilizer or make your own. As I live in Nashville, I often use “Music City Gold” manufactured by Metro Water Services in my containers. IT’S FASCINATING! I suggest researching an organic fertilizer that suits your personal and plant needs.TIP: In his book “The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible,” Edward Smith recommends the following organic fertilizer mix:
1/3 cup blood meal (for nitrogen)
1/3 cup colloidal phosphate (for phosphorus)
1/3 cup greensand (for potassium and trace elements)
Maintenance
Proper drainage is key to keeping your plants from drowning. To promote drainage and prevent water settling, consider elevating your planter with planter feet or a saucer with an inner rim. Make sure you have plenty of holes in your container. You can drill more holes if necessary and cover any large holes with a screen or a coffee filter to prevent soil loss.
Once your plants are established, begin regular feeding with a plant food formulated for the type of plants in your container garden.
Water frequently and stay on a schedule. Haphazard watering leads to disease and disappointing yield. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soaking wet.
Fill in with additional potting soil as needed.
As the sun angle shifts during the season, be sure to move your containers around to ensure they get the optimal sun for their needs.
An all-purpose fertilizer is the best option to start with for container plants. Follow the label on fertilizers to avoid over-fertilizing plants. Depending on the size of the container and the temperature, you may need to water more than once per day to maintain even moisture.
Nitrogen is so vital because it is a major component of chlorophyll, the compound by which plants use sunlight energy to produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide (i.e., photosynthesis). It's also important because nitrogen is a: Major component of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Epsom salt spray can be used late in the growing season to increase tomato and pepper yield and keep plants green and bushy. Early in the season, you can add Epsom salt to the soil to aid germination, early root and cell development, photosynthesis, and plant growth, and prevent blossom-end rot.
Long-season vegetable crops such as tomato, cucumber, eggplant, and pepper may need to be lightly fertilized every 2 weeks, to produce a continuous harvest.
In areas where beans, peas, or other legumes are to be planted the application of N should be avoided as this can reduce the yield of these vegetables.
Symptoms of excess nitrogen include thickened and sometimes cupped leaves with atypically deep green color. Overfertilization can cause leaves to turn brown, gray, dark green, or yellow at margins and tips or overall. Affected foliage may wilt temporarily or die and drop prematurely.
Slow growth and uniform yellowing of older leaves are usually the first symptoms of nitrogen (N) deficiency. Nitrogen-deficient plants produce smaller than normal fruit, leaves, and shoots and these can develop later than normal.
A common recommendation for vegetables is to apply 1 pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer or 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 (or 5-10-10) fertilizer per 100 feet of row.
Until the plants begin flowering, you can use a balanced fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio such as 20-20-20. Once flowering, change over to a high potassium fertilizer. Most fertilizers blended for tomatoes fit this description. In our program, we've been using a fertilizer with a 9-15-30 plus micro-nutrients analysis.
Research has shown that Miracle-Gro can help improve plant growth and yield, providing your vegetable garden with the necessary nutrients for optimal development (source).
Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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