March - April 2014
More like the year of the Garden Rat in my case.I did say I would write about 'this and that', and this month it is about Gardening.
My plan is to use this blog page to create a little cheat sheet of how to create your own little garden in your patio (No you do not need a big yard). Oh yes, all this while I try this for the first time too. If I am not successful, then at the end of this at least the 'what not to do' will be clear. My quick troubleshooting source has been Google.
To buy:
Pots: They have to be good looking, No - this is not an important contribution to the growth of plants. But, It makes you want to go look at the plants in your little patio. Now for the technicalities - the pots should have proper drain holes. This helps the excess water drain out.Plants: For a beginner I would recommend perennial plants. These are easier to take care of, grow back year after year. If you live in a windy place, then make sure the plants are the ones with a strong central stem. Young plants tend to get damaged in strong winds.
Potting Mix: Get a sack of this mix - something that has at least a 6 month supply of fertilizer. This ensures that we beginners don't have to muck with the soil in the pot too soon before the roots are strong enough.
Fertilizer: You could of course get an easy to mix fertilizer like 'MiracleGro' the kind that can be simply mixed in with water. There are also options for organic fertilizer for any edible produce (tomatoes, jalapeno...).
Organic fertilizer for edible produce, regular fertilizer for the flower (I promise not to eat these):
Other things you might need:
Coffee filter cones
Flat and wide pebbles
Tools: There are many garden specific tools that are available in the stores, but the only tool I have needed has been the bypass pruner. As an interesting exercise you could check the options on the internet for converting your regular milk gallon can into a watering can, and maybe even a big mud scoop.
To pot:
I find that adding the potting soil directly to the pot is a lot of wastage since a significant amount simply falls out of the drain holes. Two solutions: Add a layer of wide pebbles at the bottom of the pot before adding the potting soil. OR, keep two to three coffee pot filter cones (paper) over the drain holes before adding the potting mix.Next add enough potting soil to fill the pot 1/4 of the way and set the plant on this (with the soil around it's root) to check if the height is sufficient. You might have to do this a few times. Trial and error is the way to go here.
Once the height is to your liking (Make sure the top of the root is not level with the top of the pot. It should be a few inches lower), put in enough potting soil around the plant to secure it in place. Pat down gently yet firmly, the soil should be not too hard but definitely not lose. This way you are allowing for some breathing space for the soil.
Watering the plants at this point helps settle the soil some more and you can decide if you need to add more.
Mulch:
The final step is to add mulch. The point of this is to arrest the evaporation of water. The most common option is bark mulch. Most gardening stores have sacks of pine bark mulch. Bark mulch not only prevents quick evaporation, it also absorbs water from the atmosphere or dew. The same can be achieved with a few layers of newspaper, only this doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing as bark mulch.My muse:
