Container Gardening For Beginners: A Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Edible Flowers

145 Pages·2021·5.001 MB·English

by  Tammy Wylie

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ISBN: Print 978-1-64876-810-1 | eBook 978-1-64876-236-9
R0
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all future gardeners. I hope this book
helps you learn how to grow a healthy, productive container garden.
CONTENTS
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE
CONTAINER GARDENING
Why Grow in Containers?
Things You Can Grow in Containers
Essential Tools and Equipment
CHAPTER TWO
CONTAINERS
Types of Containers
Choosing the Right Pot for Every Plant
Spacing and Garden Design
Best Practices
CHAPTER THREE
SOIL
Soil Quality
Soil Mix
Testing Soil
CHAPTER FOUR
PLANTING
Seeds vs. Seedlings
Seed Starting
Planting Seedlings
CHAPTER FIVE
GROWING AND HARVESTING
Watering
Care and Maintenance
Harvesting
CHAPTER SIX
PLANT PROFILES
VEGETABLES
Beans (Green)
Beet
Bell Pepper
Carrot
Cucumber
Eggplant
Garlic
Lettuce
Okra
Onion
Peas
Potato
Radish
Zucchini
HERBS
Basil
Cilantro
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Stevia
FRUITS
Blueberry
Meyer Lemon
Pineapple
Strawberry
Tomato
FLOWERS
Borage
Nasturtium
Pansy
Gardening Journal
Growing Zone Map
Resources
About the Author
INTRODUCTION
A re you dreaming of growing your own fresh food? Maybe you thought
it was only possible if you had a green thumb or access to a large
piece of land. Perhaps the idea of gardening just seemed too complicated
or too expensive. Whether you’ve never grown anything in your life or
have been mostly unsuccessful, whether you have a limited budget or live
in an apartment, you can successfully grow your own food in containers!
Hi, I’m Tammy. I started gardening at my dad’s side at two years old.
Sure, the tools were a little bit too big for me to handle, but what kid
doesn’t love digging in the dirt? I vividly remember the pride of picking
and eating all that food that I had grown myself.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to continue experiencing that
feeling of happiness and fulfillment through a variety of gardening
methods, including traditional, raised bed, and container. I’ve discovered
that each method has its challenges, as well as a wide range of advantages
and opportunities. Container gardening, in particular, is an excellent
choice if you have limited room or are on a budget, if you want to try
gardening for the first time, or if you just want to grow a new plant or two.
Container gardening is the practice of growing plants in containers
rather than in the ground. The strategy behind it is quite simple: Take a
container, put the proper soil in it, plant a seed, water it, and watch it grow.
Of course, there are some tips and techniques that can help you grow
your own food or flowers more successfully. This book will guide you
through the simple but important principles to follow for a great crop.
Not only is container gardening simple, it is incredibly versatile. In
addition to fruits and vegetables, you can grow an endless variety of
plants, such as herbs and flowers. There are also so many containers to
learn about and choose from, such as pouches, vertical containers, and
planters.
With container gardening, you can start small, with just a few herbs on
a sunny windowsill, or you can start with something larger, such as
tomatoes, eggplants, or green beans. While you might not be able to plant
enough of a crop to freeze or can, you can adapt to the growing conditions
of your plants or change up the plants you are growing so you can enjoy
fresh food all year round.
Container gardening is for everyone, including children and people
with accessibility issues. This method puts a lot less strain on knees and
backs than traditional gardening does. Some containers are designed at
standing or wheelchair heights. There are even plant carts for larger pots
so you can move them around for better sun exposure.
Container gardening is also more budget friendly than traditional
gardening. You just need to buy your containers, soil, and hand trowel,
and you’re in business. No need for additional tools like rakes or shovels
or big, bulky rototillers.
As you can imagine, weeding is much easier in containers due to the
smaller space. Instead of a 40-foot garden row, you have a 15-inch planter!
It’s also far easier and more economical to water your container garden.
You don’t need to build or maintain irrigation systems, and a smaller
garden requires less water.
In this book, you’ll see how anyone can grow their own food in a
container garden. In the first part of the book, I’ll guide you through how
to get started with container gardening, from gathering the tools you
need to choosing the right container and soil mix. You’ll learn what you
should plant and when, when to water and how, and finally, how you can
successfully grow and harvest your crop. In the second part of the book,
we’ll explore the profiles of 30 different vegetables, fruits, herbs, and
edible flowers. Each profile includes the plant’s particular characteristics
and needs so you can start with the plant that is right for you.