Container Gardening For Vegetables

solution by dissolving 2 cups of complete fertilizer in 1 gallon of warm water. 

A growing solution is prepared by diluting 2 tablespoons of the base solution in 1 gallon of water. 

Application starts by pouring 2-3 tablespoons of the growing solution on the soil media around the plants at the time of transplanting. 

The frequency of application may vary from one crop to another, but one application per day is adequate. It is advisable to leach all unused fertilizer out of the soil mix once a week by watering tap water to cause free drainage through the holes in the bottom of the container. 

This practice will prevent buildup of injurious materials in the soil media. If you want to use organic fertilizer, you should use pure or 2/3 compost in the growing media. 

If both the organic and inorganic fertilizer will be used, at least one part of the growing media should be compost and one tablespoon of the growing solution applied at least once a day. 

If you’ll use synthetic mix growing medium, which is already enriched with superphosphate and complete fertilizer subsequent fertilization may not be necessary for early maturing crops. 

For late maturing crops, daily application of the growing solution is necessary until maturity or shortly before harvesting. 

Water Management  

Water is the life for container garden plant. It’s important that you should not neglect this requirement. Proper water management is vital for a successful container gardening. 

Basically, one watering a day is enough for container-grown crops. But for vegetables grown in small containers may require 2 times of watering a day. 

Plants grown in clay pots needs more frequent watering since pots are more porous and extra water is allowed to drain out from their sides. 

If the  growing medium appears to be excessively dry and as the plant shows signs of wilting, the containers should be grouped together so that the foliage creates a canopy to help shade the soil and keep it cool. 

Poor drainage of the growing media or container can lead to water-logged condition that may results to plant death due to lack of oxygen. 

To make sure you have a vigorous plants, always check the containers at least once a day and twice on hot, dry, or windy days and to feel the soil to determine whether it is dump. 

To reduce water evaporation for container plants, you should apply mulching materials such as plastic mulch or putting windbreaks. 

You can also install trickle or drip irrigation system to the plants base if you think you can’s attend to your plants daily. 

Pests and Diseases Control 

Control of pests and diseases in containers needs your careful assessment because wrong use of pesticides may cause damage to  the environment, especially children who may often come closer to your container plants. 

To be safe, you should implement the Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This approach is focused on the so called systematic pest management which means to prevent problems before the pests and diseases appears. 

How you can do this? 

It is done by monitoring pest population, identifying pests, and choosing a combination of control methods to keep pests population at a minimal level. These methods includes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods (which is the last resort to be applied  when serious condition is discernible). 

l  Select insect and disease-resistant varieties of vegetables. Avoid insect attracting plants in the garden or those that are susceptible to pests. Beans, peas, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce and squash are more resistant to insect pests. 

l  Water the plants adequately to keep them healthy. Fertilize and thin plants to reduce competition for moisture and nutrients. 

l  Remove weeds to conserve soil moisture and eliminate hiding places of pests. 

l  Encourage natural enemies of insect pests, such as predators and parasites. Attract beneficial insects like; Western Damsel Bug, Lady Beetle, Green Lace Wing, and Minute Pirate Bug into your garden by planting small flowered plants such as; daisies, cosmos, marigold, and clover. Be sure they are in flower bloom throughout the growing season. 

l  Avoid growing the same types of vegetables in the same spot year after year. A 4-year rotation cycle is recommended. 

l  Exclude pests from plants by using fiber materials, row cover, and other barriers such as plastic bottles and plant collars. 

l  Remove infested part of the plant right away. Remove all plant residues from the containers after harvesting all the crops. 

l  Use traps to disrupt mating cycles of insects. Yellow sticky boards catch winged aphids, whiteflies, and leafhoppers. 

l  Handpick pests or knock them off plants with a stream of water from a garden hose. Kill the insects by putting them a soapy water. 

l  If all other control methods fails, the least toxic insecticides includes botanical control such as neem and pyrethrin. Insecticidal soap, horticultural oil may also be used for insect control. Always identify the pests before choosing a pesticide and use according to label directions. 

Harvesting 

Harvesting varies with vegetables. Leafy vegetables may be harvested when the desired leaf size is required for every use they are intended. Others harvest leafy vegetables after the required age is meet. For fruit vegetables such as, Luffa, Cucumber, Eggplant, beans, Okra, and Upo they are harvested when their size are big but tender. For squash varieties, they are harvested either matured or big but tender depending on the preference of users. 

Cabbage, cauliflowers, and broccoli should be harvested when their heads are already compact. Peppers and tomatoes may be harvested when their fruits have started to ripen. 

If you’re growing container-grown vegetables just for home consumption, you can harvest only some part of the plant and retain the rest for future use. But if you think you have more than enough  for family use, you can harvest them all and sell or give them to your neighbors. 

Never allow your vegetables to bear flower before harvesting them except when your purpose is to collect the seeds for future planting.  

Maturity Indices of some Vegetables 

White potato, onion, garlic – Tops begins to dry and topple down   Cowpea, sitao, snap beans, batao, sweet pea, winged bean – Well-filled pods that really snap   Okra – Full-sized fruits with the tips that can be snapped readily   Lima beans, pigeon pea – Well-filled pods that are starting to lose their greenness   Upo, luffa – Immature (if thumb nail can penetrate easily)   Tomato – Seeds slip when fruit is cut, or green color turning pink   Sweet pepper – Deep green color turning dull   Musk melon – Color of lower part turns creamy yellow, produces dull hallow sound when thumped   Cauliflower – Curd compact  (over mature if flower clusters elongates and begin to loosen)   Broccoli – Bud cluster compact (over mature if loose)   Cabbage – Heads compact s (over mature if heads cracks)   Sweet corn – Exudes milk sap when thumbnail penetrates kernel   Eggplant, ampalaya – Desirable size is reached out but still tender   Honey dew – White color cream with aroma   Squash – Big enough with dried leaves   Watermelon – Dull hollow sound when thumped and lower color part turns yellow   Water spinach – Leaves at their broadest and longest  

  Problems Encountered in Container Gardening

 In container gardening you’ll  meet some problems that may hinder your daily operations. This is sometimes discernible when you’ll not attend the plants due to negligence.

 However, you can prevent these problems if you’ll religiously observe your plants closely. Small pests and diseases can’t be seen visibly if you’ll not see the plant appearance  closely. You’ll only see the affected plants once you come closer and actually touch them.

 Some symptoms, causes, and corrective measures you should observe:

 l  Tall, spindly and not productive. The plants receives insufficient sunlight and excessive supply of Nitrogen. To correct them, you should transfer the containers to a place where there is sufficient sunlight.

l  Yellowing from bottom, poor color, and lack vigor.  The plants receives too much water and low fertility. To correct this, you have to reduce watering intervals and check the pots for good drainage.

l  Plants wilt even with sufficient  water. The plants has poor drainage and aeration. To correct, you should use a potting mix with high percentage of organic matter. Increase the number of holes of the container for good drainage.

 l  Burning or firing of the leaves. The soil medium is high in salt. To correct this problem, you have to leach the container with tap water at regular intervals.

 l  Stunted growth, sickly, and purplish color of leaves. The temperature is low and low phosphate. To correct, you should relocate the containers to a warmer area. Increase phosphate level in base solution.

 l  Holes in leaves and distorted in shape.  The plants are pests infested. To correct, you should use non-chemical insecticides or other biological control for insects.

 l  Spots on the leaves, dead dried areas or powdery or rust occurrence. The plants are affected with a disease. To correct them, you should remove the disease affected parts or the whole plant in serious condition. You can use non-chemical pesticides

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