Plants

[Guest Guest]

I want to grow some plants for healing and eating. I live in Mississippi. I have a heap of planters, and can get some dirt. I cannot get much else, so I don't want anything where I need trellis' or garden beds.

Here are some things I want to grow:
* Marigolds
* Lavender
* Mint (spearmint and peppermint)
* Strawberries
* Raspberries
* Blueberries

What other things can I plant in planters and dirt and require nothing else?

[Anon]

Alot of people plant tomatoes in planters...you just need a stake to tie them to. Strawberries spread, so that might not be good in a planter. Blueberries and raspberries get to be like big bushes as well so you'd need fairly large planters. I don't know a ton, but from what I've seen, flowers and herbs are the best in planters.

[Guest Guest]

I remember that my mum planted strawberries in planters, and when they spread she would just transplant some of them to other planters.

[Anon]

Oh ok! We planted some strawberry patches when we lived in SC and I just remember that I started with like 20 plants and in two years the entire corner was almost solid. They send out runners so fast! We planted raspberries and blueberries too...the blueberries took a few years to take off and we moved before we saw much fruit. The raspberries didn't do well. Both plants grew tall and large like bushes though...my grandma had HUGE raspberry bushes with yummy plump raspberries when I was really little.

I love fruit trees/bushes, that's the sad part about living where we do. But its ok. :smile I do know that tomatoes are a very successful planter item and herbs are really popular too.

Oh I had friends in Rapid City, they had a large garden. Anyway they would make and dry their own spices and make and can their own tomato sauce. They would make homemade pizza...spread it with homemade tomato sauce, and sprinkle their own dried basil, oregano, etc over the top. It was great!

[Guest Guest]

Weird. I was just going by the blueberries I see growing on the side of the road...they aren't huge bushes...oh well if they won't work they won't work I guess.

[Anon]

Weird. I was just going by the blueberries I see growing on the side of the road...they aren't huge bushes...oh well if they won't work they won't work I guess.

Well some get pretty tall. Check out a gardening website, usually they will tell you the heights and spread of each species of plant. Some blueberry plants get to be like 4' tall. You could maybe go online and search for mini plants for planters.

[Bakershalfdozen]

We had short blueberry bushes in WV and my Mom has very tall ones in here in NC. Maybe there are different varieties?

You could try growing bush beans in planters. They don't require a trellis. Maybe some peppers? I imagine nearly any herb would do fine in a planter.

[John81]

There are several varieties of blueberries, as well as many other things these days. Some have been specifically bred to be small so they can be grown in less space and some have been bred small so they can be grown in pots and such.

There are some good sources of information about these things on the web if you do a bit of searching.

[pneu-engine]

We had short blueberry bushes in WV and my Mom has very tall ones in here in NC. Maybe there are different varieties?

Very true. Like many other plants blueberries can be categorized in several different ways::::::::

Bush Size:::

***High-bush can grow as high as 10 feet.

***Low-bush will not grow nearly as tall..

Ripening Stages::::

***Early season

***Mid season

***Late season

Berry Size::::

***Both Chandler and Patriot can produce berries the size of quarters.

***There are many other varieties that do not produce such huge berries but they make up for it with prolific amounts.

Climate Suitability:::: Some are suitable only in southern climates while others will tolerate more cold weather.

Blueberries require the same care as Rhododendron, and other laurel-type perennials. They fare best in acid soil. Mulch well and feed generously with a lot of good compost.

You can plant low-bush varieties in five gallon buckets.

As with any fruit-producing perennial, production of berries of great size and numbers is all in the pruning and feeding.

You could try growing bush beans in planters. They don't require a trellis. Maybe some peppers? I imagine nearly any herb would do fine in a planter.

This is a most excellent idea. :thumb

Grapevines grow well on fences.

I've seen people grow strawberries in a wooden barrel. They cut out holes in the sides of the barrel and plant their berry plants in the holes.

Resist the urge to buy anything until you have exhausted all other possibilities first. Go around to local landscapers and ask for throwaway plastic containers. You may have success and you may not, but nothing ventured nothing gained. You'd be amazed at the free stuff that gets thrown out that is perfectly usable. Even plants get thrown out. Pray about it a whole lot and just see what God turns up for you to use. :Green Be resourceful. E.G. One time way back many years ago I wanted to start a strawberry patch and I knew that the local berry farm would till his plants under that bore that year. I simply asked if I may come just as he is getting ready to till, and he was perfectly fine with that. I got all the berry plants I could possibly want for free. Strawberry plants also grow well in hanging baskets. Get your hubby to concrete a 6' pipe or pole into the ground. On this pole you can have many hanging pots/planters/baskets all containing various plants like strawberries, flowers, herbs and spices, etc..

Tomatoes grow well in five gallon buckets with the plant coming out a small hole in the bottom of the bucket. Hang the bucket up about 6' high off the ground. The bucket needs to have a 2" diameter hole cut into the center of the bottom. Over the hole put a blob of compost-loaded sphagnum moss and it is into this compost that the tomato plant is planted with the bulk of the plant hanging out of the bottom. Then fill the rest of the bucket with good compost and water it well. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the luscious tomatoes that are borne on this upside-down tomato plant. :drool :lol:

[pneu-engine]

More on blueberries:::::::

High Bush varieties can be pruned back and kept low, but Low Bush types cannot be made to grow tall. :Green However, all things being equal, it's usually best to let any given plant equalize to its best height and size.

I have a tiny property and am utilizing "skyscraper" techniques for the things I plant. This is done for the same reason big cities build large buildings vertically as opposed to spreading them out over wide areas of real estate.

The Grape Arbor should be 9' tall with tiers at 24", 40", 56", 72", 88", and 104".

The blueberries I've selected are all Highbush varieties.

Black Raspberries could grow as high as six feet. I have to experiment. :Green

A new Strawberry patch can be started in a new vertical hanging system. It won't yield any fruit this year, but that's ok; My regular patch is bearing. :thumb :thumb

[Guest Guest]

Someone gave me the idea of using plastic kiddie pools instead of planters so that I had "garden beds" in a container. I like that idea.

[matie-k]

Has anyone grown the herb Rosemary in an indoor pot? I'm interested in trying that some time. Maybe a few other herbs too...not sure which ones.

[pneu-engine]

Has anyone grown the herb Rosemary in an indoor pot? I'm interested in trying that some time. Maybe a few other herbs too...not sure which ones.

These herbs do quite well in indoor pots. :Green

Please click here:::::::

http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pl ... nd-in.aspx

...an exerpt:::::::

This year, rosemary was selected as Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association, and it's easy to see why. This aromatic evergreen is an indispensable kitchen herb, it's used as an ornamental element in the garden, and it is used in aromatherapy.

Rosemary is a member of the Labiatae or mint family, and it grows as an evergreen perennial shrub in mild-wintered regions of the world. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis, means "dew of the sea," a reference to its Mediterranean roots.

But I don't live in anything like a Mediterranean climate. Here in Minnesota, conditions are less than ideal for growing rosemary, but I don't let this deter me. Still, growing rosemary indoors in the winter can be a challenge. It is easy to nurture and care for indoor rosemary too much. Excess water will damage the roots and cause the plant to die, so I let the soil dry, then water thoroughly. Rosemary needs a southern exposure, and my kitchen window is perfect for this.

When I was first learning about rosemary, it struck me that there is a great deal of variability within the genus Rosmarinus. The many cultivars offer diverse plant shapes and flower color, as well as a range of foliage color and subtly different flavors (both leaves and flowers are edible).

Propagate by cuttings
Most rosemaries are cultivars or clones, which are propagated by cuttings. Growing rosemary from seed typically results in low germination and excessive plant variation. With cuttings, the plants are always identical to the stock plant. Rosemary is easy to propagate, and sometimes roots will develop even in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. I have found that the best time of year to take cuttings is in the late fall and early winter.

To take cuttings, clip 2-1/2-inch stems from new growth on an established plant (see Propagating rosemary). Snip off the bottom leaves (rather than pulling them off) and dip the bottom 1/4 inch into a hormone rooting powder. Place the cuttings in a container with equal amounts of peat moss and perlite. Spray the cuttings with a light mist on sunny days.

[proverbs356]

I tried growing everything in pots but wasn't very successful. Hot peppers do grow well though.

Aloe is a wonderful healing herb to grow and so is ginger root.

I had tried growing rosemary but it soon died inside.

Last year I was blessed with a small yard to plant. Everything was from scratch so I learned alot of lessons.

Never plant 4 "big boy" tomatoes, 2 herbs, and 4 peppers in a 3x5 area. :thumbdown

And definately do not try planting 6-10 different herbs a 3x5 planter either. Most of them didn't grow, except for my basil. But low and behold, I have 3 different herbs growing like wild today. I am thankful that I got to see some of my hard work pay off

[Guest Guest]

I have heard that having Marigolds keeps the insects away from your plants. Is that true or not?