Drip Irrigation In A Container Garden

Luffah Vine Starts in 18" pot with drip system. 

-- All Images: M Burgess

Recently I added a new drip irrigation system to my container garden. 

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I have posted a how to guide on building a drip system if you want to do this yourself. 

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The project did not entail more than an hours time and it was simple to assemble.You can read about my results in the images below and the article link.

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Drip System Irrigation For Container Gardens

Tips On Watering

Watering a garden is the essential secret to having a green thumb. Watering correctly can be tricky and you need to know when to add water and when to hold off. If you have moisture in the soil about 3 to 4 inches down then you can skip watering at the moment. Dry soil at this level is a sign that water needs to be added. Some plants won't mind extra water or a little dry conditions but others will have their fits either by wilting a little or not preforming well. It takes a delicate balance to tend to all the needs of your garden but you are the expert at your home.
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Gallery

Container Garden May 20, 2013

Items shown in this image from left to right starting from the water container: Small radishes next to the container. The next item is Basil, Oregano, then the light green is a Raspberry Bush. The lower right corner is Lavender and a Marigold plant in a window box. The Tomato is Cherry Tomatoes. The item in the bucket in front of the tomato is a Yellow Squash plant. Above that is Rosemary (not pictured. It is in the far left corner.) The pot with the window box on it is a set of Green Peppers. Above it is my Armenian Cucumber plants as shown in the image below.  From there you see the bottom of a lemon tree. Next is an 18" pot with loofah vines starting and on the other side of this is a Japanese Eggplant. Not pictured are another set of Peppers, Tomato, lettuce, and a set of onions in a window box in the far right corner.

In the following images you can see the tubing for the drip system threaded throughout the garden.

My Container Garden May 2013

 

Armenian Cucumber Vines And Blossoms

You can see this vine is very happy and is blooming like crazy! 

Cherry Tomatoes hiding Rosemary. 

I was unsure what this tomato plant was until this week when the tomatoes turned red.

Container Gardening

I enjoyed setting up and maintaining my container garden and have for years. I recommend this project to anyone who has the desire to garden but is limited in area with which to plant. I am delighted in the prospect of  home grown vegetables and the process of making them grow. I love my tiny garden and its wonders. The favorites are replanted year after year, though some of them stay with me over winter and continue to add their presence the next season.

If you are so inclined to start a garden of your own I hope this inspires to to plant TODAY!

Weekend Coming Up Replant Your Garden!

The Fun Survival Stuff Is Here! 

Gardening March 2013 - Lemons & Raspberries

Before The New Planting -
Container Garden  - March 20 2013
Image: M Burgess

I said when I started this blog that there is fun stuff to do when you are doing survival planning and one of those activities is gardening. 

My prepper planning includes two resident rodents, Guinea Pigs so I insist on having access to fresh home grown vegetables for them and for me. I live in Las Vegas so the gardening can get a little tricky here, but it is simple to set up.

How I Do Container Gardening In Las Vegas

I have a small porch but still manage to keep some lovely growing things in pots there. With the weekend coming up it is a great time to put in or replant a garden if you have not already done so.

In our fair city the weather for Las Vegas is finally beautiful and just right for gardening projects. Summer knocks most plants for a loop with the heat but it is early enough to get some plants going and set before the heat comes down.

I was driving home today intent on doing something entirely different when I just had to drop by the plant place! Well, I did need some new green peppers! I love having things in the garden that I and my Guinea Pigs can eat! Nothing beats a fresh tomato or anything home grown!

My container garden barely survived below freezing temperatures. I was really surprised several of the plants lived through this cold snap.  A strawberry, a rosemary plant, 2 lavender plants, and a few onions made it through. My two year old lemon tree is still hanging in there. I wish like heck I had more room and more time. I would be found for sure in a section of my garden somewhere up to planting and tending some tasty goodies!

Lemon Tree Blossoms - March 20 2013
Image: M Burgess

Lemon Tree In A Pot?


My lemon tree is in full bud and bloom and if the wind doesn't knock all the buds off of it again I should have a nice crop of lemons. These flowers are very fragrant and they are fun for the bees and butterflies to visit. There visits mean the flowers are pollenated and will bear fruit. In fact their are tiny lemons on it as we speak.. er rather read.

The pollen count is high right now. On St. Patrick's Day in Las Vegas we generally get the first dusting of flower pollen everywhere so my allergies are kicking up at this time as well. Funny how all that yellow green dust comes in to welcome the Irish holiday!

 Ah, it's ok. The sneezing means I don't have to bundle up anymore. Spring is definitely here!

New Plants For Veggie Garden 2013
Image: M Burgess

A New Addition To The Garden

I added a new plant to test out this year. I have wanted to see if anything besides strawberries could be grown in a small scale garden so I purchased a raspberry plant. If it does well I am sure to have blossoms with in a couple of weeks.


I also bought these sets of starter plants:

Armenian Cucumbers- Banana Peppers - Green Peppers - Yellow Crook Neck Squash - Tomato - Raspberry - Sweet Pod Peas - And a marigold plant.


    I just have to have a little color!

Marigolds
Image: M Burgess

Tried And True Vegetable Plants For Container Gardening

These plants are already tried and true container garden items for my experience as a small area gardener. I have successfully grown all of these over the past few years and I like the way they look when the plant fills out, the fruits and veggies they produce, and the general comfort they give me.

Potting Soil & Spade
Image: M Burgess

New To Container Gardening?
After you have set in your plants there is very little effort you need to take care of them. Watering when needed and tending to their pruning and picking is about all you need to do to keep up with them. The fertilizer will come out next week. It's a bit of a shock to them to be transplanted so I want to let them settle before I give em a boost of nutrients. Try to fertilize LIGHTLY every 6 weeks or so. Heavy fertilizer will burn them so go easy on it.

If you are replanting in containers you do need to add fresh soil every year and update the soil as it is drained out the bottom of the containers. I removed most of the leftover soil from the last season and replaced it for the new plantings and for the existing survivors.

Raspberry In A Pot
Image: M Burgess

Preparedness Garden For The Family
All of the foods in this garden are part of my family diet plan and survival preparedness efforts. My family at this time include me and 2 guinea pigs. If the we ever have to rely on a garden for food substances I want to make sure this garden is in full growth mode as my piggies are used to having fresh foods. You really can't store foods for pets like these. You have to grow them!

More about gardening and guinea pigs are in this article:
My Guinea Pigs Favorite Foods
You will see some images from my garden last year and photos of my ill fated Sweet Red Pepper plants....

I will update you with new pictures soon and I hope when you drop in you could share what you do for your garden and ...

Hey, do you know what I should expect from that new raspberry plant?

Container Gardening

Tomatoes and Lavender 2012

Gardening in small spaces is as simple as keeping a regular watering schedule. The maintenance level is low. Clean up is easy and if you decide you want to rearrange the area all you have to do is move the pot.


I have kept a container garden active for over 3 years now and really enjoy this hobby. Gardening is part of my preparedness planning and I am actively seeking out ways to make it more attractive and produce better. This year I added more herbs to my pots and am happy with the results I am getting. The tomatoes are producing and I am getting flowers on the peppers and the eggplant as well. This year I did not plant cucumbers but I may do just that when mid summer reaches us as the cucs tend to produce better in the fall.


The garden is not only a source of food stuff it is a nice place to relax and meditate. The area to me is soothing and helps me get back into a slower pace as I tend to it's light needs. The heaviest task that it needs is in the beginning of spring when I need to either replace soil or replant the pots. It's a healthy activity with fun results. The feeling of watching the plants produce their product is fun. The moment you actually can pluck and eat a fresh grown item makes the work very rewarding!


For Gallery and More info see: Container Gardening on Survival-Recovery.com