I love how you actually like your dog. Some RUclipsrs make their animals a part of their videos but they treat the animal like a prop, like the animal doesn't have a soul. You treat your dog like he is actually your friend.
Tip: when growing in buckets or containers, fill it all the way completely to the top and then even mound the soil above the rim of the bucket so that when the soil settles you won't have 3-4 inches of wasted space at the top of the bucket. If you do this, after the soil settles, you'll only have about 1" or less of bucket rim showing and then you can fill the last inch flush up to the top of the bucket with mulch. Water will quicky go down below the mulch and not spill over the edge and this way you have maximum soil depth and container volume for deep roots. Also, leave the bottom sealed and only drill a few water drainage holes about 1 or 2 inches above the bottom of the bucket. that way you will have a small water reservoir on the very bottom of the bucket below the root zone.
I am a new gardener and having difficulty getting the firmness of the compost right, whether in garden or container.i think it is nice and level but as soon as I water, I get craters! The compost sinks and leaves holes. Takes ages to fill them in, so fiddly around the seedlings.
I've been using containers for 3 years. You never fill the container to the top, instead, as time goes, adding fresh mixed with small amounts of fertilizer. As you water your plants, you are definitely going to lose minerals, it happens.
I was just going to ask this question, thanks! Would you put a layer of pebbles on the bottom to prevent the bottom layer of soil from becoming too wet?
Yes, good point. In pots with a reserve sink like the one described above, a drainage layer is even more important than in the usual bottom-hole model. For instance, jerusalem artichokes aka topinambur would just rot when the soil is soggy. Or the roots of aloe and cacti need to breathe and cannot survive prolonged swamp situations
Just wrap TULLE around and over your pots & plants and clip it together with clothes pins from the $ Tree. Easy and only takes a couple of minutes to do.
I grow 2A in containers. I use an almost equal mixture of coir, vermiculite and perlite with a cup or two of green sand. A lot of my stuff has been in the same pot for 10 years. I just keep adding media as it disintegrates. My pots are a mix of air pots and homemade air pots out of food grade 5g buckets. Trees have their pot with most of the bottom being holes. Best of both worlds.
Hello ElementalDomain👋... I've gotta few questions about your comment (fairly newbie gardener here...SORRY🙄)...first, what is 2A??? Next, what is green sand??? Last, what are air pots??? Thanks soooo much (in advance)!!! You sound like a pro, and I'm trying to learn!!! Take care...Vicki (Newbie) in NC
Greensand is a soil amendment full of micronutrients plus a little potassium. I believe it was sand from ancient ocean beds. Great for drainage or weighing down pots so tall plants do not blow over in the wind
That would be awesome to do an education video on custom potting mixes for specific plant families. I learning to do all container gardening and my biggest challenge is what mix to use and how to fertilize containers for specific fruits/veggies. Thanks for all of your videos!
Ditto!!! I would LOVE some help, with which media mix, with which plant family!!! Thanks for all you do!!! P.S. You've got the CUTEST Garden Helper, I've EVER seen!!!❤️❤️❤️
I love it. James would be a great candidate for that! David the good did something like that, but it was ground planters… but not pots… One way to start, is to make something like an all purpose biochar/alfalfa/azomite blend for everything you want to try… anything that thrives and flowers/harvests with desired effects… done… anything that doesn’t work out, look up tips for their individual soil, sun and temperature needs and start experimenting. I have found the alfalfa and biochar to be game changers myself and the minerals are supposed to improve flavor.
Hiya, James & Tuck! 🥰🌱❤️ As a container gardener, this made my day to see this video and hear how you’ve changed your mindset about container gardening. ❤
Hey @SoxInTheGarden me and Tuck are glad to hear that! Thank you so much for your super generous donation and kind words, it means the world to me and the little boss! 🐕😁❤️
James and Tuck, I'm on my 2nd season of exclusively gardening in containers and have had very good success. I don't have any trees in my yard so when the summer temps heat up I utalize my trellises to drape 30 to 40 % shade cloth over my tomatoes and peppers. This year I've continually harvested tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Have fun and happy gardening!! ❤❤❤
I get pickle buckets free from work and I planted 23 buckets this year. San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, sweet banana peppers, bush beans, and snow peas did really good this year. I’m going to try potatoes this year. That pup eating that 🌶️ is TOO cute!!! 😂
I'm so jealous of you! I'm going to do more containers next year, this year I have 5 tomato plants growing in buckets inside my Apt! 3 cherry kind, 1 Purple cherokee beefsteak, and one 6 oz type. Got a large grow light, I've had tomatoes all summer, and they are still coming, gonna have tomatoes alllll winter!!
I live on a hill with no flat area to garden so ALL my plants are in containers all over the place. Although, I only use fabric. Yes, they require more water, but there's pretty much no chance of anything getting rootbound. I also have a bunch of trees and I can move certain ones around to follow the sun.. Hey, it's a loving obsession!
I have my pots, 110 gallon and five gallon, all tied to a single reservoir wicking system, covered with a trellis and mesh to protect them from pests and the heat. They will be covered by plastic this winter and we’ll see how well an overwinter crop will fare.
To increase the odds of your plants surviving the winter make sure the containers are not directly in contact with the ground and wrap around the container sides with bubble wrap or thick cardboard. Wishing you good luck.
@crankybanshee3809 I get why you'd wrap with bubble wrap, but I would have thought contact with the ground would be warmer than exposing the bottoms to the cold winds ??? I've been exploring different ways to protect my tree seedlings in fabric pots to overwinter them at 7500 feet, so I'm interested in your experience. So far I'm thinking of buying one gigantic fabric pot, and setting all the littler pots next to each other inside the big pot, and then stuffing bubble wrap or styrofoam in the cracks. And of course, putting the whole arrangement in a protected area at the back of the house.
@@urkiddingme6254 I don't mean putting the pots on a rack or similar air exposure, but putting some kind of insulating layer between the pots and the ground like bubble wrap, cardboard, styrofoam, wool packing etc (as well as around the pots). while ensuring moisture can drain away. The layer between the earth and the pots is for the same reason that we don't sleep directly on cold ground - it sucks the heat out and overwintering pot plants successfully is mostly about soil temperature and shelter. Keeping the roots alive means the plant may re-grow even if all above ground growth dies. I have zero experience of gardening at 7500 ft as that is pretty much exactly the same height as the tallest mountain in my country :). Your plan sounds reasonable to me (with adding a ground barrier "mattress") I wish you the best of luck.
@@crankybanshee3809 Thanks :) I really hadn't thought about the ground barrier. Will have to consider that. [ I have some old foam mattress toppers I was about to toss. Maybe I should rethink that. ] I read last week that soil is only about 5 degrees warmer than the top of the soil, compared to foam boards with an R value of 20-30 degrees. It was a surprise to think that container plants with foam board construction might be more protected than plants in the ground.
Hey James, a gardening greeting from COBB CO. GEORGIA 😎, I recently discovered your channel and it’s one of my favorites. I grow almost exclusively in CONTAINERS, due to having had many spinal surgeries , fusions etc. I hope you make many more tutorials on this method. I’ll share some of my POSITIVES and NEGATIVES gradually and as time allows, and I’m sure your community will give me some great tips as well. First, for moving my 5 gals around following the full sun, I install 4 swivel casters on the bottoms. Makes it so much easier, especially if I’ve installed a tall support pole or tomato cage on the interior or exterior of the bucket, you can steer it as you roll it around. Also, I use a Hot soldering iron to make drainage holes in bottoms or SIDES!
As long as its NOT too spicy!! Dogs can get upset stomachs from acidic or spicy foods. I wouldn't recommend letting them have anything hotter than a jalapeno but I personally wouldn't give my dogs anything hotter than a plobano
Another water conversation idea. containers can be put together so you use less water. I put holes about 2 in up on the sides so water is retained in the bottom when it rains. (NO HOLES ON THE BOTTOM) The roots dont grow down that far so i conserve water. I fill the very bottom 2 in with leaf mulch, straw, and shredded cardboard. These itms all absorb water and at the end of the season i dump them out to improve the clay soil.
One additional thing about mobility is if you are willing to take the time and have a spot, being able to take them in and out to avoid those last and first few frosts can give you another month or two on your growing season. I live in NC so I get some stuff rolling in like Feb and just put it out during the day when its warm and I have kept cherry tomatoes going in my garage just taking them out when its warmer until new years!
When covid happened, I decided to finally garden and I had to do all containers because I was in an apartment and I called it my little forest, it was amazing! Now we just bought our first home and I CANNOT wait for spring! I have a huge backyard to plant all I want! I actually planted some cucumbers in a container a few weeks ago just because I was itching to garden because I didn't get to this year, and they're growing really well so far, I know it's late in the season but it's still pretty hot here in TN so I'm hoping I get a few! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Congratulations on getting land , We live in Montgomery County, Texas so our summer was so bad with temps since May 2023 triple digits plus the heat index so always 103-129 . We saved some plots by using shade cloth , But you can plant fall crop , broccoli 🥦, carrots 🥕, even new potatoes, salad mixes etc..... We took our whole 1/2 acre in back and have plots , plus fruit trees , As grass doesnt feed us , but all the food will ❤ start getting now trees , bushes as takes years to grow and get fruit an nut trees, blackberries, blueberries and can all be planted in containers ... I'm so glad alot of people are realizing this is the best way for us all to survive these higher prices . God bless you Mrs josette Tharp Montgomery County, Texas 🙏
Alabama here, planted more cukes in mid August just to see how they’d do after the heat took its toll on my spring plants. About two days away from picking the first ones of the fall, and the plants are full of blooms. Good luck, and may you enjoy plenty of cukes before the frost.
I have a couple of notes to add. 1) mid-to-late summer I like to look through my pepper beds and find plants that are getting shaded out, and pull them out into containers (usually 1 gallon is plenty for these as they are the small plants). This doesn't work so well for tomatoes except maybe dwarf varieties. 2) I use 2-3 gallon conatiners to start peas in the late winter, after there are few nights below 20F and long, long before the big trees get their leaves. So the peas get a great start with close to full sun (unavailable later on). I believe James drills holes in those 5 gallon buckets -- I usually go for leftover nursery containers that already have holes and which seem to accumulate without any real effort on my part. 3) In the fall, plants in containers can be easily moved into the garage to survive the random unusually cold night (my experience for peppers is actual temperatures down to 30F can be survived by many varieties (but don't count on it); while others (especially from tropical islands) take big damage even at 45F. And I account for at least +/-4F error on any forecasts). Protected areas fare better, strong winds and exposed areas make it worse, and containers in exposed areas are far more vulnerable than in-ground when it comes to cold snaps (so when in doubt, put them somewhere safer). 4) in the short run, bringing container plants indoors is fine, but overwintering is almost guaranteed to cause a major fungus gnat problem unless you take drastic measures before bringing them indoors to a place where you care about. In particular don't let outdoor plants anywhere near where you are going to start seeds or have long-term indoor plants, without a lengthy quarantine and monitoring process.
#6 benefit of growing in containers - I can grow in containers up on my deck so the deer don't get their free smorgasbord. I'm currently growing bush beans, pimento peppers, and sweet potato slips in containers. I grew white, red, and purple potatoes in the spring in containers. What kind of sweet red pepper were you and Tuck eating? You didn't say. I'm going to try overwintering the pimento plants this year. Question - should I give the overwintering containers some new growing medium, adding to the existing soil, that is?
My deer got up on the deck going after the tomatoes. You know that line from ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas that goes “And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.”? It’s true. They’re noisy as hell. I finally had to build a greenhouse.
This year as an experiment, I grew a few varieties of tomatoes in grow bags & those same varieties in raised beds. The result was higher yields & bigger fruit from the plants in the grow bags! I use regular containers too but I do prefer grow bags because they air prune your plants roots, resulting in a healthier root system that wont encircle the pot & get root bound. Because they are made of felt, they are aerated so your plants are less likely to experience root rot. However, on the other hand, you do have to water them more frequently. I will definitely be buying more of them for next year to expand the size of my garden (& harvests!)
@@Patriot1459J I guess that could work if you had the space for it. I personally use drip trays because my grow bags are all lined up along the south side of my house
@@Patriot1459JI do that for things like strawberries. I put them in tree seedling pots and they are all crammed into the kiddie pool so tight they won’t fall over. I keep about 1/2” water in the pool, they love it.
Fantastic video; I wholeheartedly agree. I live on the second floor of a house. The only space I have is a patio and by my front door, and I have 4 raised beds with vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and herbs (basil, 2 kinds of thyme, sage, and rosemary), 20 grow bags with other vegetables (more tomatoes, celery, 4 kinds of potatoes, and carrots) and herbs (tarragon, borage, calendula, 2 kinds of oregano, parsley, 4 kinds of mint, lavender, yarrow, bee balm, lemon balm, echinacea, dill, and anise hyssop), and at least 15 more assorted pots with 5 kinds of lettuce, Swiss chard, and flowers. A LOT can be done with very little space. 😊
❤❤Hey Tuck!!!❤❤❤ I kept my shepherd puppy in the garden and she follows me around while I weed, trellis, and pick ripe fruit/veg and she eats almost everything I give her. And she learned not to dig and her "stay" is perfect. One main reason why I watch your channel is because of your obvious affection for your four legged brother❤
I learned a lot from container size experiments I did this year, planting in a range from 1 gallon to 10 gallons and also deep containers vs. shallow tubs. For people who are short on space, I found dwarf tomatoes I planted (Tiny Tim) produced a lot even in the smallest 6" pot, rivaling the 5 gallon grow bag.
It took me over TWO YEARS and over 100 bucks to get REAL Tiny Tim tomato seeds. And then the potting soil company pulled a bait n switch and sold me half rotted toxic shredded cedar bark or something that nothing will grow in. So in fact, I can`t AFFORD to grow ANYTHING!
I tried 10 gal. fabric grow bags for the first this year, with mixed results. I also used some 5 gal. plastic buckets & rectangular 18 gal. I found success growing peppers & onions together in 1 container, also paired basil & tomatoes. Some of the best results included Swiss chard, various basils (purple, lime, globe, lemon &sweet ) also purslane. They all seemed to benefit from growing in containers, due partly to: custom soil mixtures tailored to the plant types; greatly reduced or even eliminated weeding needed, & in comparison to my in-ground garden, a reduced insect problem. My plan is to repeat using these techniques next year, & the same fabric pots, advertised to be reusable for years. The plastic ones may have degraded in the sun. The Sun was a big problem (many 100 degree plus days) for the fabric containers dry out so quickly. Many days required 2 waterings. I grouped heat sensitive plants together to reduce evaporation loss & suspended 50% shade cloth above them. Again, compared to identical plants in the ground, this worked very well. Swiss chard, Mizuna, Japanese sweet potato (purple !) & peppers all would wilt in full sun but did fine under the shade-cloth. One thing I learned about the fabric bags, the soil has to be much lighter in weight. I used a peat moss & wood fiber product for the bottom half, compost & sand for the top. About half the weight of regular soil, & it doesn't overly compact. Love your videos & look forward to more.
growing your own is an amazing experience. You can start small, You Can Grow French breakfast radishes in a milk container on a windowsill in about 24 days to a month Lettice's and herbs are very easy indoors
While everyone else in my Colorado Victory Garden group was discussing how to build soil with the Back to Eden method, I just plopped a cherry tomato seedling into packaged potting soil in a big tub. I moved it to different areas around the house exterior until I found the spot where the tomato got enough sun, but not too much sun, and had protection from the wind. When the first freeze came, while everyone else was discussing how to protect their outdoor gardens or how to hang the tomatoes upside down indoors to allow continue ripening, I just brought the tub inside the house and placed it in front of a sunny southern facing window. I had cherry tomatoes all winter. I even got tired of eating them.
I had a great container garden, and I will again. Yours is fabulous! The bright red of the peppers against the beautiful green leaves is stunning!!! I like that you have trays underneath many of them to recapture water and nutrients, and so that the roots don't go through to the ground. Those potatoes look delicious!
I live in the desert. Entire 2A is food forest. 18 years, all grown in containers. My forests are so dense it’s like a jungle. Growing in pots allows you to grow anything next to anything…fertilizer is pot specific. Pots use a fraction of the water. Another thing I’ve done is not weed the quack grass. I keep it trimmed at ground level. Keeps the ground protected from heat buildup, holds in the water, it’s a fantastic growing mulch. I trialed an asparagus bed, not cutting the quack grass at all. It’s as high as the asparagus….the asparagus is ten times healthier, and actually the bed uses less water. We have been lied to about almost everything people think are conventional rules of growing.
I'm in zone 8a in the desert... pots heat up the roots faster and up to higher temps, so far fewer plants survive them than being in the ground even though I have big, deep containers that get watered during the heat of the day AND early morning before dawn. I like pots to keep things from spreading, but a lot of things that are supposed to LIKE the heat just curl up and die in the first day we hit 100 f in the summer. I don't have a choice where I'm at, I can't put plants down into the gravel yard in my trailer park. So I've just done my best with what I have. Only sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary, asparagus, beets, green onions, chives and strawberries have survived the summers. A shortened list of things that died in the pots: yellow nut-sedge (considered invasive weed), horseradish (supposed to be hard to kill), tomatoes, peppers without shade cloth, yellow potatoes, cilantro, eggplant, elderberry, blueberry, raspberry vines, ginger, garlic, bulb onions, love-in-a-puff vine (locally grows like a weed), banana melons (supposed to be heat tolerant), ANY cucumbers even in the shade, pumpkins, and so many more I lose track! I make up for it by growing a bunch in the fall and in the winter growing the cold-hardy things under a layer of plastic since I only get a few hard frosts. But summer in the desert is brutal in containers and raised beds. I don't recommend it
I began experimenting with utilizing grow bags/containers indoors the Summer of 2020 when my organic garden had major chemical burns appear all over it after a hedgehopper flew overhead 6x once morn. We hadn't seen a hedgehopper here in 15 years, so I knew it was an intentional act. We live in the Ozarks, and our soil is solid stone 3" down, so I only grow in containers and grow bags. In the winter, I now convert our 800sf back den into a garden and move my containers indoors. Between the 16' hearth, 5 tier shelving, floor space, and lining under my desk (workstation) with foil, and utilizing lots of hanging grow lights and 4' grow light stands, I'm able to have fresh summer veggies and various greens year round for myself and bearded dragons, and lots of fresh tomatoes year round. In fact, I have 10 tomatoes cuttings rooting, presently, to grow back there over winter as well as greens I start in my kitchen aero-gardens. I love indoor gardening and not having to worry about airborne toxins being sprayed to contaminate our food sources. 😉
Garden in the foothills beside the mountains in the South Island of New Zealand, have been experimenting with different pots for winter gardening, ground gets very wet or freezes. Summer is too windy/hot and have very little water. But am into my third season of growing the same peppers and one chilli in pots, from five peppers am down to 2 this spring, brought a yellow bell pepper last week, potted it up placed it in its sunny bedroom spot where the peppers live from April to November, went back to the nursery on Thursday, they have roof and only 3 sides enclosed all the peppers and Curbits were dieing due to a cold wind we had for two days earlier in the week. My pepper is loving its warm and cosy spot, we may not have had a frost, but a extremely cold wind does as much damage. Have lettuces in the ground and in pots, planted 6 weeks ago, the potted ones could harvest some leaves if needed, but still have winter ones growing in the big troughs. Enjoy watching different ways of growing food, in different parts of the world.
Beautiful potatoes James! I'd love to see how you mix your soil for containers and how you hot compost the soil for use next year! Thank you so much for teaching us how to container garden. Do you drill holes in the bottom of the pots? I made a long low table of cinderblocks and free wooden skids to put my containers on. It made it easier on my back but I also have a more shaded table that gets partial sun. You are the most amazing gardener! Thank you and love to Tuck. ❤🤗
Yes, he does drill holes. If you rewind the video you will see the holes on the very bottom. About 8 or so. Some people like to only drill holes on the sides, maybe an inch or so up and equally spaced around. This permits some water to stay and act like a reservoir.
@@markb8954If you already have raised beds, partly burying your containers in the ground with landscape fabric around the bottom can help with temperature and moisture regulation. Water can flow in and out from the (large) holes in the bottom and the roots will stay closer to the temperature in the surrounding soil, which can be a BIG plus with plants that have sensitive roots (zucchinis!)
I grow all my potatoes in containers or staw bales, so much easier. I have a black 50 gallon(?) plastic planter that I believe had temperature problems. The potatoes on the side not facing the sun did better. To countermeasure, I buried it about 1/3 into the ground with landscape fabric underneath. I lined the inside bottom and sides with straw with my soil mixture in the center and a white styrofoam panel propped on the outside facing south to reflect light away from the container. The straw wound up up being about 1" thick around becaues of compaction and helps with temperature and moisture control. Sounds a little weird, but once you start setting it up, it's pretty intuitive. My soil mixture (middle) is mostly old composted straw bales mixed with used potting mix, grass clippings, old leaves and a little bit of (clean) grass clippings. It's a loose mix so I fill it up to the top and then mound up with a couple inches of leftover high quality soil (Happy Frog, Ocean Forest, composted manure, etc.) whatever is available. I figure all the nitrogen/fertilizer is going to seep down from the top when it rains. I don't fertilize until close to the end with low nitrogen but still get good results. By the end of the season it went from a mound to about 4 inches down from the top.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️and so many more for Tuck. I want him to stay healthy. I know he's been around awhile. I really enjoy your garden videos they are so informative and in plain English making it simple and clear to us . Thank you so much for all you do James
I have three. For me, they were a pain and now reside in the barn. But I grow most of my food and they were too high maintenance. I could never get them to water evenly. Top ones were too wet, bottoms too dry. I am thinking about growing Parisian carrots in them in the winter….that might work.
Lovelovelove my container garden. Grow bags let me get tons of herbs, greens, tomatoes, and fresh catnip out of a tiny apartment patio. And now that I've moved to the mountains, I can easily bring my fig trees into the enclosed porch for the winter, and not worry about them surviving the harsher weather.
Yep, I gave up on the soil. It was infested with bermuda and nut sedge. I grow on top of 2x4.s put on top of cement blocks. No weeds from the soil. I just mow the ground below and spray with roundup! I xtended the cold weather crop by moving the planters under trees for part shade. I use old soil by removing part, add slow release complete fertilizer with trace elements in the old lower half, and add new stuff on top. The old stuff on top goes to herbs and flower pots. I use an old chair to sit on to work the plants and pull weeds, etc., which are much less since I use new soil on top. I plan to expand the over the ground garden every year. Now I made my first planter, 2x2x12" high. They work better because I plant in the four corners leaving the middle for a garlic or other pest repelling plant. My biggest problem is ants that nest in the pots. So, I mix borax and sugar, spran just outside the planter, and the ants die. All the rest you mention is true also. Large scale gardening is another story but my property is so infested with noxious weeds and insects it would never work here.
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚 For Tuck!!!! I've been growing in 12 to 15 gallon containers for years (since a back injury/multiple surgeries) I have smaller containers for flowers. I have around 60 containers on my very large patio. I can keep my herbs close to the back door so all I have to do is run out and cut some for cooking. Yes, it is nice because I can move them around, well the Mr. does, as the sun shifts. I still have trouble with tomato diseases, but I finally figured out why thanks to you. All the soil is getting dumped to fill in low spots in the yard. I'm going to make your recipe! Thanks James! You have no idea what you do for some of us, including giving us reasons to get moving! Oh!! I bought net zipper bags that cover a plant in a pot. I hate to say where I found them, but it's the new place everyone is buying stuff online from CHEAP.
I love your channel and seeing Tuck in the videos. I have a small yard in a small town in Pennsylvania. If it weren't for buckets I wouldn't have half the produce I grew this year. I have 10 varieties of tomatoes, 2 varieties of peppers, cucumbers, and broccoli . Most varieties did very well. Thanks for all you and Tuck do to help us grow.❤❤❤❤❤
We have a small garden space too. Some plants take up so much room like zucchini so skipped that this past spring. We decided to put one in this fall. Staked and pruning saving us space. In the ground. Like James we are thinking outside the "box". Happy gardening from Ct. Zone 6b.
James, can you do a video for making soil for containers and for the needs of different plants? I’ve had a heck of a time with my soil. I’m in my 2nd real garden season and I’m still learning.
I planted in pots and grow bags this year. Here are a few observations: 1. The smaller the pot, the smaller the plant will be. A small pot might be enough to sustain the plant, and it will be healthy and produce for you, but it's size and production will be limited. Always use a bigger container than what's required for that particular type of plant. 2. If you put your container on grass, it will kill the grass in that spot. So be prepared to reseed in the fall. 3. Related to this, if you put your container on a surface you don't want damaged (like decking or a patio), be sure to put a nice large saucer under the container. Otherwise, you could stain the underlying surface due to water filtering through the soil and ending up on whatever surface the container is placed on. 4. This is my biggest one. I planted some chili pepper plants in little 8" plastic pots. Pepper plants grow tall, so they have a high center of gravity. They also grow out, so they act like sails in the wind. Every time the wind blows a little bit, all my pepper plants blow over and I have to pick them up. It's so annoying! Next year, if I grow in containers, I'm going to go with wide, shallow pots to give the plants a lower center of gravity to prevent blow overs. 5. Be prepared to spend a shitload of money on soil! I planted tomatoes in ten gallon grow bags. Ten gallons equates to almost two cubic feet of soil. A two cubic foot bag of Happy Frog Soil costs almost $25. For ten tomato plants, that's $250 just for soil! If you plant them in the ground, the soil is free. Just my two cents. Containers can be good, but you just have to be aware of certain aspects of growing in them.
Make your own potting soil. Even the organic ones often carry disease and bring in bug eggs. Mix a equal amount of vermiculite, perlite and coir. Add a couple handfuls of green sand. If you dig a shallow hole you can put the pot in it and it won’t fall over. 😊
Hopefully you can convince people to grow less lawns. I had the thought people could grow animal feed for farms with the right relationships and respect to the soil 🖖🏻
Amen. The lawn care industry is such a racket- they plant grass entirely inappropriate for the area and then you pay (and pay and pay) and work in and endless cycle to maintain it. I replaced my bluegrass lawn with native grass got off the lawn care hamster wheel.
Dear James, Perhaps you did not know but the weed you had growing in with your moringa is called sour grass or oxalis. It makes a delicious drink. Add moderate amount of oxalis, zest of lemon pour on boiling water, enough to cover and let steep for 10-15". Strain and sweeten with honey and pour over ice; a very refreshing drink. Also if you raise rabbits they enjoy a nibble every so often. Enjoy your show and enthusiasm!😊
*James has 1.3 MILLION Subscribers! Someone please find him a wife! He is so super duper nice and just a wonderful person! I do believe hes available! In his mid 30's! Now, get with it people and find him a wife! One who is loving and loves to garden like he does!*
Yours has become one of my top three YT channels. I can’t believe you’re not scripted! So much information in each video. I appreciate you here in Chicago.
Thank you for your great ideas. I live in the high desert, which means shorter growing season, lots of heat and intense sun. I grow in pots, with good luck. The critters can get at the plants, so this year I placed an upside down pot under the plant pot. It worked. Next year I plan to use a “crop cage” to keep out bunnies and ground squirrels. I figure that will also give me a way to put up sunshade netting. I figure I can attach it, when it is time, and perhaps it will survive the winds! Thanks again for your sharing.
❤❤❤❤❤...for Tuck Thanks so much for this video on container growing! I, too, used to think that in-ground was the only way to grow. Part of that, I think, was that although I love the *look* of raised beds in neat and tidy frames which I always visualize as timber/lumber with or without a "sitting" top edge, I had to choose between building (and filling) raised beds, one per growing season if things went well, and buying seeds and some soil amendments: I chose seeds and improving the soil. And, I was a bit defensive about that. (I'm growing on very sandy soil, though, so the "drains faster, warms up a bit sooner" advantage of a raised bed wasn't an actual need: the soil I have drains quickly and warms up early.) And because I finally had space for an in-ground garden, I thought I would never, ever want or need to container-garden again which was how I'd been gardening in an apartment. Hadn't thought much about specific soil "recipes" for containers according to what's going to be grown although that makes perfect sense. Thanks again for all that you and the little boss do. Much gardening love from Ohio.
James, I would definitely appreciate a video explain container potting mixes, Many thanks to you and Tuck for educating and keeping us entertained😉💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
Thank you for all your information. Love the stuff you plant in your pots as well. And love seeing your doggy. He's so cute. I love eats all those vegetables.
Tip to save $$$ I go to bakery at Sam's and they sell food grade buckets that contained cake icing for $2.00 @ with lid ! I use them to store prep foods too ! Happy gardening y'all 🍓🍎🍍🍈🥝🌶️🍅🥕🌽🌽🥒🍠🧅🫑🍆🧄🥔🥑🫒
I’d love to see a video on soil composition for the pots and various plants. Also, I’d love to see how you you build your insect screen on the raised beds.
I love how you actually like your dog. Some RUclipsrs make their animals a part of their videos but they treat the animal like a prop, like the animal doesn't have a soul. You treat your dog like he is actually your friend.
Thanks, he’s my best friend in the whole world! 🐕😁❤️
@@jamesprigioni love it
Tip: when growing in buckets or containers, fill it all the way completely to the top and then even mound the soil above the rim of the bucket so that when the soil settles you won't have 3-4 inches of wasted space at the top of the bucket. If you do this, after the soil settles, you'll only have about 1" or less of bucket rim showing and then you can fill the last inch flush up to the top of the bucket with mulch. Water will quicky go down below the mulch and not spill over the edge and this way you have maximum soil depth and container volume for deep roots. Also, leave the bottom sealed and only drill a few water drainage holes about 1 or 2 inches above the bottom of the bucket. that way you will have a small water reservoir on the very bottom of the bucket below the root zone.
I am a new gardener and having difficulty getting the firmness of the compost right, whether in garden or container.i think it is nice and level but as soon as I water, I get craters! The compost sinks and leaves holes. Takes ages to fill them in, so fiddly around the seedlings.
I've been using containers for 3 years. You never fill the container to the top, instead, as time goes, adding fresh mixed with small amounts of fertilizer. As you water your plants, you are definitely going to lose minerals, it happens.
Thx for the info.
I was just going to ask this question, thanks! Would you put a layer of pebbles on the bottom to prevent the bottom layer of soil from becoming too wet?
Yes, good point. In pots with a reserve sink like the one described above, a drainage layer is even more important than in the usual bottom-hole model. For instance, jerusalem artichokes aka topinambur would just rot when the soil is soggy. Or the roots of aloe and cacti need to breathe and cannot survive prolonged swamp situations
Just wrap TULLE around and over your pots & plants and clip it together with clothes pins from the $ Tree. Easy and only takes a couple of minutes to do.
Yes... please share with us how you prepare different soil mixes for different plants in containers.
I grow 2A in containers. I use an almost equal mixture of coir, vermiculite and perlite with a cup or two of green sand. A lot of my stuff has been in the same pot for 10 years. I just keep adding media as it disintegrates. My pots are a mix of air pots and homemade air pots out of food grade 5g buckets. Trees have their pot with most of the bottom being holes. Best of both worlds.
Hello ElementalDomain👋...
I've gotta few questions about your comment (fairly newbie gardener here...SORRY🙄)...first, what is 2A???
Next, what is green sand???
Last, what are air pots???
Thanks soooo much (in advance)!!! You sound like a pro, and I'm trying to learn!!!
Take care...Vicki (Newbie) in NC
Greensand is a soil amendment full of micronutrients plus a little potassium. I believe it was sand from ancient ocean beds. Great for drainage or weighing down pots so tall plants do not blow over in the wind
I had no idea a little doggos loved peppers❤ what a sweetie pie I love his little ears he's like a Flying Nun😂
Tuck❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
That would be awesome to do an education video on custom potting mixes for specific plant families. I learning to do all container gardening and my biggest challenge is what mix to use and how to fertilize containers for specific fruits/veggies. Thanks for all of your videos!
Great idea
Ditto!!! I would LOVE some help, with which media mix, with which plant family!!!
Thanks for all you do!!!
P.S. You've got the CUTEST Garden Helper, I've EVER seen!!!❤️❤️❤️
Yes, specific soil mixes for containers would be awesome, James!
I love it. James would be a great candidate for that! David the good did something like that, but it was ground planters… but not pots… One way to start, is to make something like an all purpose biochar/alfalfa/azomite blend for everything you want to try… anything that thrives and flowers/harvests with desired effects… done… anything that doesn’t work out, look up tips for their individual soil, sun and temperature needs and start experimenting. I have found the alfalfa and biochar to be game changers myself and the minerals are supposed to improve flavor.
Yes, please, please do a video on soil for containers. It's the #1 challenge on our place.
Hiya, James & Tuck! 🥰🌱❤️ As a container gardener, this made my day to see this video and hear how you’ve changed your mindset about container gardening. ❤
Hey @SoxInTheGarden me and Tuck are glad to hear that! Thank you so much for your super generous donation and kind words, it means the world to me and the little boss! 🐕😁❤️
James and Tuck,
I'm on my 2nd season of exclusively gardening in containers and have had very good success. I don't have any trees in my yard so when the summer temps heat up I utalize my trellises to drape 30 to 40 % shade cloth over my tomatoes and peppers. This year I've continually harvested tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Have fun and happy gardening!! ❤❤❤
Great potato harvest! What kind of potato did you plant?
I get pickle buckets free from work and I planted 23 buckets this year. San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, sweet banana peppers, bush beans, and snow peas did really good this year. I’m going to try potatoes this year. That pup eating that 🌶️ is TOO cute!!! 😂
I'm so jealous of you! I'm going to do more containers next year, this year I have 5 tomato plants growing in buckets inside my Apt! 3 cherry kind, 1 Purple cherokee beefsteak, and one 6 oz type. Got a large grow light, I've had tomatoes all summer, and they are still coming, gonna have tomatoes alllll winter!!
Are your pickle buckets green? 😉
I live on a hill with no flat area to garden so ALL my plants are in containers all over the place. Although, I only use fabric. Yes, they require more water, but there's pretty much no chance of anything getting rootbound.
I also have a bunch of trees and I can move certain ones around to follow the sun..
Hey, it's a loving obsession!
We love you’re channel James. We love what you and Tuck do for us every episode. Greetings from Melbourne Australia👌🏻
Thanks! Me and Tuck are super happy to hear that cause we love making the videos. Thanks for stopping in from the other side of the globe. 🐕😁❤️
Another one from Melbourne here, I just found the channel last week… just starting my self sufficiency journey.
I’m Aussie as well James inspired me to garden 🪴
I am in Brisbane Australia and love seeing another video from James and Tuck.
I always love seeing more videos, I’m nsw
I have my pots, 110 gallon and five gallon, all tied to a single reservoir wicking system, covered with a trellis and mesh to protect them from pests and the heat. They will be covered by plastic this winter and we’ll see how well an overwinter crop will fare.
To increase the odds of your plants surviving the winter make sure the containers are not directly in contact with the ground and wrap around the container sides with bubble wrap or thick cardboard. Wishing you good luck.
@crankybanshee3809 I get why you'd wrap with bubble wrap, but I would have thought contact with the ground would be warmer than exposing the bottoms to the cold winds ??? I've been exploring different ways to protect my tree seedlings in fabric pots to overwinter them at 7500 feet, so I'm interested in your experience. So far I'm thinking of buying one gigantic fabric pot, and setting all the littler pots next to each other inside the big pot, and then stuffing bubble wrap or styrofoam in the cracks. And of course, putting the whole arrangement in a protected area at the back of the house.
@@urkiddingme6254 I don't mean putting the pots on a rack or similar air exposure, but putting some kind of insulating layer between the pots and the ground like bubble wrap, cardboard, styrofoam, wool packing etc (as well as around the pots). while ensuring moisture can drain away. The layer between the earth and the pots is for the same reason that we don't sleep directly on cold ground - it sucks the heat out and overwintering pot plants successfully is mostly about soil temperature and shelter. Keeping the roots alive means the plant may re-grow even if all above ground growth dies. I have zero experience of gardening at 7500 ft as that is pretty much exactly the same height as the tallest mountain in my country :). Your plan sounds reasonable to me (with adding a ground barrier "mattress") I wish you the best of luck.
@@crankybanshee3809 Thanks :) I really hadn't thought about the ground barrier. Will have to consider that. [ I have some old foam mattress toppers I was about to toss. Maybe I should rethink that. ]
I read last week that soil is only about 5 degrees warmer than the top of the soil, compared to foam boards with an R value of 20-30 degrees. It was a surprise to think that container plants with foam board construction might be more protected than plants in the ground.
Hey James, a gardening greeting from COBB CO. GEORGIA 😎, I recently discovered your channel and it’s one of my favorites. I grow almost exclusively in CONTAINERS, due to having had many spinal surgeries , fusions etc. I hope you make many more tutorials on this method. I’ll share some of my POSITIVES and NEGATIVES gradually and as time allows, and I’m sure your community will give me some great tips as well. First, for moving my 5 gals around following the full sun, I install 4 swivel casters on the bottoms. Makes it so much easier, especially if I’ve installed a tall support pole or tomato cage on the interior or exterior of the bucket, you can steer it as you roll it around. Also, I use a Hot soldering iron to make drainage holes in bottoms or SIDES!
Tuck is adorable! Please do a video on mixing your own soil and how to safely reuse the soil. Thank you!
I have never seen a dog eating a pepper,cute.
Indoors in tents, those habanada peppers grow amazing. I use autowicking dual bucket design.
❤❤❤Tuck❤❤❤
As long as its NOT too spicy!! Dogs can get upset stomachs from acidic or spicy foods. I wouldn't recommend letting them have anything hotter than a jalapeno but I personally wouldn't give my dogs anything hotter than a plobano
My dog's (chiweenie and jackruss) also casually goes into my garden and pick off tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to snack on.😂
That’s what I call a hot dog 🌭
Another water conversation idea. containers can be put together so you use less water. I put holes about 2 in up on the sides so water is retained in the bottom when it rains. (NO HOLES ON THE BOTTOM) The roots dont grow down that far so i conserve water. I fill the very bottom 2 in with leaf mulch, straw, and shredded cardboard. These itms all absorb water and at the end of the season i dump them out to improve the clay soil.
❤ Love seeing Tuck eat his veggies. I have my Chihuahuas watch him eating vegetables, but they're not buying it😅.
My JackChis LOVE baby carrots, try those with your Chis. Seriously, they like them even better than their regular dog treats! 😂
One additional thing about mobility is if you are willing to take the time and have a spot, being able to take them in and out to avoid those last and first few frosts can give you another month or two on your growing season. I live in NC so I get some stuff rolling in like Feb and just put it out during the day when its warm and I have kept cherry tomatoes going in my garage just taking them out when its warmer until new years!
This could be the first in a series on container gardening! I loved this. Super helpful info!
My whole garden is in containers and when I saw the title, I thought you were going to tell me I was doing it wrong! Thanks!
Haha! Nope, I am a huge fan of growing in containers now and every year I grow more and more in containers!
Thought the same, whoa I better watch this, containers could be bad???
I have about two inches of top soil and after that it is all clay. That is why I grow my peppers in pots.
Smart! Sometimes it's just not fighting against what is, just better to work smarter instead of harder
That is ingenious idea for planting a tomato under a tree! I really enjoy your content.
When covid happened, I decided to finally garden and I had to do all containers because I was in an apartment and I called it my little forest, it was amazing! Now we just bought our first home and I CANNOT wait for spring! I have a huge backyard to plant all I want! I actually planted some cucumbers in a container a few weeks ago just because I was itching to garden because I didn't get to this year, and they're growing really well so far, I know it's late in the season but it's still pretty hot here in TN so I'm hoping I get a few! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Fall of planting is also good. Enjoy your carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels
Congratulations on getting land ,
We live in
Montgomery County, Texas so our summer was so bad with temps since May 2023 triple digits plus the heat index so always 103-129 .
We saved some plots by using shade cloth ,
But you can plant fall crop , broccoli 🥦, carrots 🥕, even new potatoes, salad mixes etc.....
We took our whole 1/2 acre in back and have plots , plus fruit trees , As grass doesnt feed us , but all the food will ❤
start getting now trees , bushes as takes years to grow and get fruit an nut trees, blackberries, blueberries and can all be planted in containers ...
I'm so glad alot of people are realizing this is the best way for us all to survive these higher prices .
God bless you
Mrs josette Tharp
Montgomery County, Texas 🙏
Alabama here, planted more cukes in mid August just to see how they’d do after the heat took its toll on my spring plants. About two days away from picking the first ones of the fall, and the plants are full of blooms.
Good luck, and may you enjoy plenty of cukes before the frost.
I have a couple of notes to add.
1) mid-to-late summer I like to look through my pepper beds and find plants that are getting shaded out, and pull them out into containers (usually 1 gallon is plenty for these as they are the small plants). This doesn't work so well for tomatoes except maybe dwarf varieties.
2) I use 2-3 gallon conatiners to start peas in the late winter, after there are few nights below 20F and long, long before the big trees get their leaves. So the peas get a great start with close to full sun (unavailable later on). I believe James drills holes in those 5 gallon buckets -- I usually go for leftover nursery containers that already have holes and which seem to accumulate without any real effort on my part.
3) In the fall, plants in containers can be easily moved into the garage to survive the random unusually cold night (my experience for peppers is actual temperatures down to 30F can be survived by many varieties (but don't count on it); while others (especially from tropical islands) take big damage even at 45F. And I account for at least +/-4F error on any forecasts). Protected areas fare better, strong winds and exposed areas make it worse, and containers in exposed areas are far more vulnerable than in-ground when it comes to cold snaps (so when in doubt, put them somewhere safer).
4) in the short run, bringing container plants indoors is fine, but overwintering is almost guaranteed to cause a major fungus gnat problem unless you take drastic measures before bringing them indoors to a place where you care about. In particular don't let outdoor plants anywhere near where you are going to start seeds or have long-term indoor plants, without a lengthy quarantine and monitoring process.
#6 benefit of growing in containers - I can grow in containers up on my deck so the deer don't get their free smorgasbord. I'm currently growing bush beans, pimento peppers, and sweet potato slips in containers. I grew white, red, and purple potatoes in the spring in containers. What kind of sweet red pepper were you and Tuck eating? You didn't say. I'm going to try overwintering the pimento plants this year. Question - should I give the overwintering containers some new growing medium, adding to the existing soil, that is?
That's why I grow in containers on my deck. I like the deer and other wildlife but they can eat the nuts and seeds I give them :)
My deer got up on the deck going after the tomatoes. You know that line from ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas that goes “And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.”? It’s true. They’re noisy as hell. I finally had to build a greenhouse.
@@DDGLJ wow!!
@beckysnead8914. He said it was an "Apple Sweet" pepper. I googled it and it's also called "Sweet Apple"
Btw, wood sorrel is an edible plant! Delicate and lemony! Great pot gardening vid! Awesome!
This year as an experiment,
I grew a few varieties of tomatoes in grow bags & those same varieties in raised beds. The result was higher yields & bigger fruit from the plants in the grow bags! I use regular containers too but I do prefer grow bags because they air prune your plants roots, resulting in a healthier root system that wont encircle the pot & get root bound. Because they are made of felt, they are aerated so your plants are less likely to experience root rot. However, on the other hand, you do have to water them more frequently. I will definitely be buying more of them for next year to expand the size of my garden (& harvests!)
What about putting a kids pool under the grow bags for watering?
@@Patriot1459J I guess that could work if you had the space for it. I personally use drip trays because my grow bags are all lined up along the south side of my house
@@Patriot1459JI do that for things like strawberries. I put them in tree seedling pots and they are all crammed into the kiddie pool so tight they won’t fall over. I keep about 1/2” water in the pool, they love it.
Can they be reused?
Fantastic video; I wholeheartedly agree. I live on the second floor of a house. The only space I have is a patio and by my front door, and I have 4 raised beds with vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and herbs (basil, 2 kinds of thyme, sage, and rosemary), 20 grow bags with other vegetables (more tomatoes, celery, 4 kinds of potatoes, and carrots) and herbs (tarragon, borage, calendula, 2 kinds of oregano, parsley, 4 kinds of mint, lavender, yarrow, bee balm, lemon balm, echinacea, dill, and anise hyssop), and at least 15 more assorted pots with 5 kinds of lettuce, Swiss chard, and flowers. A LOT can be done with very little space. 😊
❤❤Hey Tuck!!!❤❤❤ I kept my shepherd puppy in the garden and she follows me around while I weed, trellis, and pick ripe fruit/veg and she eats almost everything I give her. And she learned not to dig and her "stay" is perfect. One main reason why I watch your channel is because of your obvious affection for your four legged brother❤
I learned a lot from container size experiments I did this year, planting in a range from 1 gallon to 10 gallons and also deep containers vs. shallow tubs. For people who are short on space, I found dwarf tomatoes I planted (Tiny Tim) produced a lot even in the smallest 6" pot, rivaling the 5 gallon grow bag.
It took me over TWO YEARS and over 100 bucks to get REAL Tiny Tim tomato seeds. And then the potting soil company pulled a bait n switch and sold me half rotted toxic shredded cedar bark or something that nothing will grow in. So in fact, I can`t AFFORD to grow ANYTHING!
Tuck is half the reason we watch so often ❤❤❤
I tried 10 gal. fabric grow bags for the first this year, with mixed results. I also used some 5 gal. plastic buckets & rectangular 18 gal. I found success growing peppers & onions together in 1 container, also paired basil & tomatoes. Some of the best results included Swiss chard, various basils (purple, lime, globe, lemon &sweet ) also purslane. They all seemed to benefit from growing in containers, due partly to: custom soil mixtures tailored to the plant types; greatly reduced or even eliminated weeding needed, & in comparison to my in-ground garden, a reduced insect problem. My plan is to repeat using these techniques next year, & the same fabric pots, advertised to be reusable for years. The plastic ones may have degraded in the sun. The Sun was a big problem (many 100 degree plus days) for the fabric containers dry out so quickly. Many days required 2 waterings. I grouped heat sensitive plants together to reduce evaporation loss & suspended 50% shade cloth above them. Again, compared to identical plants in the ground, this worked very well. Swiss chard, Mizuna, Japanese sweet potato (purple !) & peppers all would wilt in full sun but did fine under the shade-cloth. One thing I learned about the fabric bags, the soil has to be much lighter in weight. I used a peat moss & wood fiber product for the bottom half, compost & sand for the top. About half the weight of regular soil, & it doesn't overly compact. Love your videos & look forward to more.
Blessings to all!
Blessings Rev!
@@jamesprigioni
May you be blessed more abundantly!
❤❤ ❤❤
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❤❤❤
❤❤
❤
I love seeing Tuck ❤
growing your own is an amazing experience. You can start small, You Can Grow French breakfast radishes in a milk container on a windowsill in about 24 days to a month Lettice's and herbs are very easy indoors
While everyone else in my Colorado Victory Garden group was discussing how to build soil with the Back to Eden method, I just plopped a cherry tomato seedling into packaged potting soil in a big tub. I moved it to different areas around the house exterior until I found the spot where the tomato got enough sun, but not too much sun, and had protection from the wind. When the first freeze came, while everyone else was discussing how to protect their outdoor gardens or how to hang the tomatoes upside down indoors to allow continue ripening, I just brought the tub inside the house and placed it in front of a sunny southern facing window. I had cherry tomatoes all winter. I even got tired of eating them.
I had a great container garden, and I will again. Yours is fabulous! The bright red of the peppers against the beautiful green leaves is stunning!!! I like that you have trays underneath many of them to recapture water and nutrients, and so that the roots don't go through to the ground. Those potatoes look delicious!
I live in the desert. Entire 2A is food forest. 18 years, all grown in containers. My forests are so dense it’s like a jungle. Growing in pots allows you to grow anything next to anything…fertilizer is pot specific. Pots use a fraction of the water. Another thing I’ve done is not weed the quack grass. I keep it trimmed at ground level. Keeps the ground protected from heat buildup, holds in the water, it’s a fantastic growing mulch. I trialed an asparagus bed, not cutting the quack grass at all. It’s as high as the asparagus….the asparagus is ten times healthier, and actually the bed uses less water. We have been lied to about almost everything people think are conventional rules of growing.
Would love to see your soil mix and proper way to plant in containers
I'm in zone 8a in the desert... pots heat up the roots faster and up to higher temps, so far fewer plants survive them than being in the ground even though I have big, deep containers that get watered during the heat of the day AND early morning before dawn.
I like pots to keep things from spreading, but a lot of things that are supposed to LIKE the heat just curl up and die in the first day we hit 100 f in the summer.
I don't have a choice where I'm at, I can't put plants down into the gravel yard in my trailer park. So I've just done my best with what I have. Only sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary, asparagus, beets, green onions, chives and strawberries have survived the summers.
A shortened list of things that died in the pots: yellow nut-sedge (considered invasive weed), horseradish (supposed to be hard to kill), tomatoes, peppers without shade cloth, yellow potatoes, cilantro, eggplant, elderberry, blueberry, raspberry vines, ginger, garlic, bulb onions, love-in-a-puff vine (locally grows like a weed), banana melons (supposed to be heat tolerant), ANY cucumbers even in the shade, pumpkins, and so many more I lose track!
I make up for it by growing a bunch in the fall and in the winter growing the cold-hardy things under a layer of plastic since I only get a few hard frosts.
But summer in the desert is brutal in containers and raised beds. I don't recommend it
Thanks for this video on container growing! Please do a video on the soil mixture that’s good for tomatoes in containers! ❤❤❤
I began experimenting with utilizing grow bags/containers indoors the Summer of 2020 when my organic garden had major chemical burns appear all over it after a hedgehopper flew overhead 6x once morn. We hadn't seen a hedgehopper here in 15 years, so I knew it was an intentional act.
We live in the Ozarks, and our soil is solid stone 3" down, so I only grow in containers and grow bags. In the winter, I now convert our 800sf back den into a garden and move my containers indoors. Between the 16' hearth, 5 tier shelving, floor space, and lining under my desk (workstation) with foil, and utilizing lots of hanging grow lights and 4' grow light stands, I'm able to have fresh summer veggies and various greens year round for myself and bearded dragons, and lots of fresh tomatoes year round. In fact, I have 10 tomatoes cuttings rooting, presently, to grow back there over winter as well as greens I start in my kitchen aero-gardens. I love indoor gardening and not having to worry about airborne toxins being sprayed to contaminate our food sources. 😉
Would love to see a video on your potting mix for containers.
Great channel! Greetings from Colorado
Garden in the foothills beside the mountains in the South Island of New Zealand, have been experimenting with different pots for winter gardening, ground gets very wet or freezes. Summer is too windy/hot and have very little water. But am into my third season of growing the same peppers and one chilli in pots, from five peppers am down to 2 this spring, brought a yellow bell pepper last week, potted it up placed it in its sunny bedroom spot where the peppers live from April to November, went back to the nursery on Thursday, they have roof and only 3 sides enclosed all the peppers and Curbits were dieing due to a cold wind we had for two days earlier in the week. My pepper is loving its warm and cosy spot, we may not have had a frost, but a extremely cold wind does as much damage.
Have lettuces in the ground and in pots, planted 6 weeks ago, the potted ones could harvest some leaves if needed, but still have winter ones growing in the big troughs.
Enjoy watching different ways of growing food, in different parts of the world.
❤ Great video. Very informative. Love your energy. And love seeing little Tuck. How cute that he snacks on garden veggies.
Beautiful potatoes James! I'd love to see how you mix your soil for containers and how you hot compost the soil for use next year! Thank you so much for teaching us how to container garden. Do you drill holes in the bottom of the pots? I made a long low table of cinderblocks and free wooden skids to put my containers on. It made it easier on my back but I also have a more shaded table that gets partial sun. You are the most amazing gardener! Thank you and love to Tuck. ❤🤗
Yes, he does drill holes. If you rewind the video you will see the holes on the very bottom. About 8 or so. Some people like to only drill holes on the sides, maybe an inch or so up and equally spaced around. This permits some water to stay and act like a reservoir.
@@markb8954 Thank you very much Mark :)
@@markb8954If you already have raised beds, partly burying your containers in the ground with landscape fabric around the bottom can help with temperature and moisture regulation. Water can flow in and out from the (large) holes in the bottom and the roots will stay closer to the temperature in the surrounding soil, which can be a BIG plus with plants that have sensitive roots (zucchinis!)
I grow all my potatoes in containers or staw bales, so much easier. I have a black 50 gallon(?) plastic planter that I believe had temperature problems. The potatoes on the side not facing the sun did better. To countermeasure, I buried it about 1/3 into the ground with landscape fabric underneath. I lined the inside bottom and sides with straw with my soil mixture in the center and a white styrofoam panel propped on the outside facing south to reflect light away from the container. The straw wound up up being about 1" thick around becaues of compaction and helps with temperature and moisture control. Sounds a little weird, but once you start setting it up, it's pretty intuitive. My soil mixture (middle) is mostly old composted straw bales mixed with used potting mix, grass clippings, old leaves and a little bit of (clean) grass clippings. It's a loose mix so I fill it up to the top and then mound up with a couple inches of leftover high quality soil (Happy Frog, Ocean Forest, composted manure, etc.) whatever is available. I figure all the nitrogen/fertilizer is going to seep down from the top when it rains. I don't fertilize until close to the end with low nitrogen but still get good results. By the end of the season it went from a mound to about 4 inches down from the top.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️and so many more for Tuck.
I want him to stay healthy.
I know he's been around awhile.
I really enjoy your garden videos they are so informative and in plain English making it simple and clear to us . Thank you so much for all you do James
Thats a bIg yes to a soil prep and mixing video, yes please!
💖❤💖❤💖❤ Love Tuck! You and Tuck are my favorite gardeners. Thanks for all your information, passion and joyous enthusiasm!
I grew in buckets this year and would love to see a video on how you prepare your soil for them. ❤❤❤ to Tuck!
❤❤❤ tuck also learned a lot about container garden ❤
Thank you James and Tuck. Another great video! Could you do a video on vertical planter like Greenstalk?
I have three. For me, they were a pain and now reside in the barn. But I grow most of my food and they were too high maintenance. I could never get them to water evenly. Top ones were too wet, bottoms too dry. I am thinking about growing Parisian carrots in them in the winter….that might work.
Lovelovelove my container garden. Grow bags let me get tons of herbs, greens, tomatoes, and fresh catnip out of a tiny apartment patio. And now that I've moved to the mountains, I can easily bring my fig trees into the enclosed porch for the winter, and not worry about them surviving the harsher weather.
Well done! I appreciate how you flesh out what your growing medium is and are honest about the pro/cons equally.
Yep, I gave up on the soil. It was infested with bermuda and nut sedge. I grow on top of 2x4.s put on top of cement blocks. No weeds from the soil. I just mow the ground below and spray with roundup! I xtended the cold weather crop by moving the planters under trees for part shade. I use old soil by removing part, add slow release complete fertilizer with trace elements in the old lower half, and add new stuff on top. The old stuff on top goes to herbs and flower pots. I use an old chair to sit on to work the plants and pull weeds, etc., which are much less since I use new soil on top. I plan to expand the over the ground garden every year. Now I made my first planter, 2x2x12" high. They work better because I plant in the four corners leaving the middle for a garlic or other pest repelling plant. My biggest problem is ants that nest in the pots. So, I mix borax and sugar, spran just outside the planter, and the ants die. All the rest you mention is true also. Large scale gardening is another story but my property is so infested with noxious weeds and insects it would never work here.
I'd love to see videos on the "personal" soils for various plants! That would be super helpful
💕❣💝💝💌 Tuck is great in the garden. I have to grow in containers because I have two vertebra that are damaged in my back.
TUCKIE HEALTH UPDATE PLEASE!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤love you Tuckie!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚 For Tuck!!!! I've been growing in 12 to 15 gallon containers for years (since a back injury/multiple surgeries) I have smaller containers for flowers. I have around 60 containers on my very large patio. I can keep my herbs close to the back door so all I have to do is run out and cut some for cooking. Yes, it is nice because I can move them around, well the Mr. does, as the sun shifts. I still have trouble with tomato diseases, but I finally figured out why thanks to you. All the soil is getting dumped to fill in low spots in the yard. I'm going to make your recipe! Thanks James! You have no idea what you do for some of us, including giving us reasons to get moving! Oh!! I bought net zipper bags that cover a plant in a pot. I hate to say where I found them, but it's the new place everyone is buying stuff online from CHEAP.
I love your channel and seeing Tuck in the videos. I have a small yard in a small town in Pennsylvania. If it weren't for buckets I wouldn't have half the produce I grew this year. I have 10 varieties of tomatoes, 2 varieties of peppers, cucumbers, and broccoli . Most varieties did very well. Thanks for all you and Tuck do to help us grow.❤❤❤❤❤
We have a small garden space too. Some plants take up so much room like zucchini so skipped that this past spring. We decided to put one in this fall. Staked and pruning saving us space. In the ground. Like James we are thinking outside the "box". Happy gardening from Ct. Zone 6b.
9:05 not only leaves, you can cook and eat the fruit also... and it's good for health and tastes pretty good too, and you can cook it in many ways
James, can you do a video for making soil for containers and for the needs of different plants? I’ve had a heck of a time with my soil. I’m in my 2nd real garden season and I’m still learning.
Keep it simple and use pro mix. Or find whatever potting mix is made locally.
Love you &.Tuck too!! Awesome channel & chock full of wisdom!! Love 💘😻💜💛💚🧡💘
My garden failed this year so next year I’ll use pots!!!
Good idea! They eliminate a lot of issues that can be hard to combat for a new gardener
❤❤❤❤❤ sweet Tuck
I planted in pots and grow bags this year. Here are a few observations:
1. The smaller the pot, the smaller the plant will be. A small pot might be enough to sustain the plant, and it will be healthy and produce for you, but it's size and production will be limited. Always use a bigger container than what's required for that particular type of plant.
2. If you put your container on grass, it will kill the grass in that spot. So be prepared to reseed in the fall.
3. Related to this, if you put your container on a surface you don't want damaged (like decking or a patio), be sure to put a nice large saucer under the container. Otherwise, you could stain the underlying surface due to water filtering through the soil and ending up on whatever surface the container is placed on.
4. This is my biggest one. I planted some chili pepper plants in little 8" plastic pots. Pepper plants grow tall, so they have a high center of gravity. They also grow out, so they act like sails in the wind. Every time the wind blows a little bit, all my pepper plants blow over and I have to pick them up. It's so annoying! Next year, if I grow in containers, I'm going to go with wide, shallow pots to give the plants a lower center of gravity to prevent blow overs.
5. Be prepared to spend a shitload of money on soil! I planted tomatoes in ten gallon grow bags. Ten gallons equates to almost two cubic feet of soil. A two cubic foot bag of Happy Frog Soil costs almost $25. For ten tomato plants, that's $250 just for soil! If you plant them in the ground, the soil is free.
Just my two cents. Containers can be good, but you just have to be aware of certain aspects of growing in them.
Make your own potting soil. Even the organic ones often carry disease and bring in bug eggs. Mix a equal amount of vermiculite, perlite and coir. Add a couple handfuls of green sand. If you dig a shallow hole you can put the pot in it and it won’t fall over. 😊
Thanks!
You're welcome, and thank you for the generous donation @amyhanus4816 , it means a lot to me and the little boss! 🐕😁❤️
Hopefully you can convince people to grow less lawns. I had the thought people could grow animal feed for farms with the right relationships and respect to the soil 🖖🏻
Amen. The lawn care industry is such a racket- they plant grass entirely inappropriate for the area and then you pay (and pay and pay) and work in and endless cycle to maintain it. I replaced my bluegrass lawn with native grass got off the lawn care hamster wheel.
Dear James, Perhaps you did not know but the weed you had growing in with your moringa is called sour grass or oxalis. It makes a delicious drink. Add moderate amount of oxalis, zest of lemon pour on boiling water, enough to cover and let steep for 10-15". Strain and sweeten with honey and pour over ice; a very refreshing drink. Also if you raise rabbits they enjoy a nibble every so often. Enjoy your show and enthusiasm!😊
🌺gnome spotted at 5:20
Good eye!
Thanks! Love your channel!
You're welcome @suzannegibbons4051, thanks for the kind words and generous donation, it means the world to me and the little boss! 🐕😁❤️
*James has 1.3 MILLION Subscribers! Someone please find him a wife! He is so super duper nice and just a wonderful person! I do believe hes available! In his mid 30's! Now, get with it people and find him a wife! One who is loving and loves to garden like he does!*
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes we would love to see different types of soils please and thank you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yours has become one of my top three YT channels. I can’t believe you’re not scripted! So much information in each video. I appreciate you here in Chicago.
I grow eggplants and peppers in containers. Potatoes are also successful but I don't get as many
What I do is go around to the espresso stands, ask for ice cream buckets, they are food safe too.
Hearts for Tuck and his best friend😍😍
❤❤❤ for Tuck and you
Thank you for your great ideas. I live in the high desert, which means shorter growing season, lots of heat and intense sun. I grow in pots, with good luck. The critters can get at the plants, so this year I placed an upside down pot under the plant pot. It worked. Next year I plan to use a “crop cage” to keep out bunnies and ground squirrels. I figure that will also give me a way to put up sunshade netting. I figure I can attach it, when it is time, and perhaps it will survive the winds! Thanks again for your sharing.
Thank You Too Tuck. 💕And His Love Of Vegetables. 🤗and Many Thanks Too You James.
Love All The Information. You Share🤗
Great video James. Your intro always makes me smile! Thanks.
Thanks!!! Glad to hear that, I was starting to wonder if I should switch it up so your feedback is appreciated
❤❤❤more pepper love for Tuck
❤❤ Your own Garden of Eden! I love the idea of overwintering tomato plants! Are there certain variety that do better?
Hearts for Tuck❤️❤️❤️❤️ I remember when I didn't have much room..container gardening was a life saver...
I was wearing tucks shirt the other day in a zoom meeting and someone got so excited! He was so hype that I had a tuck shirt. Your reach is far!
I love using pots in small open areas of my garden. ❤❤❤for Tuck. 😊
❤❤❤❤❤...for Tuck
Thanks so much for this video on container growing! I, too, used to think that in-ground was the only way to grow. Part of that, I think, was that although I love the *look* of raised beds in neat and tidy frames which I always visualize as timber/lumber with or without a "sitting" top edge, I had to choose between building (and filling) raised beds, one per growing season if things went well, and buying seeds and some soil amendments: I chose seeds and improving the soil. And, I was a bit defensive about that. (I'm growing on very sandy soil, though, so the "drains faster, warms up a bit sooner" advantage of a raised bed wasn't an actual need: the soil I have drains quickly and warms up early.)
And because I finally had space for an in-ground garden, I thought I would never, ever want or need to container-garden again which was how I'd been gardening in an apartment.
Hadn't thought much about specific soil "recipes" for containers according to what's going to be grown although that makes perfect sense.
Thanks again for all that you and the little boss do.
Much gardening love from Ohio.
Already on it, but thanks for the reassurance. 💗💗🐕💖💖💖
James, I grow my tomatoes every year in old recycle bins (2 plants per bin)..then I raise them up on overturned old retail totes. Works like a charm!
James, I would definitely appreciate a video explain container potting mixes, Many thanks to you and Tuck for educating and keeping us entertained😉💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
Interesting commentary on the bridge season of the peppers and how it relates to summer/fall veggies.
❤ I love all the information that you and Tucker give! Keep up the great work 🍇🍐🫛🥦🥬🥒🍅🍑🌶️
Thank you for all your information. Love the stuff you plant in your pots as well. And love seeing your doggy. He's so cute. I love eats all those vegetables.
❤❤❤, He’s Awesome ❤️❤️❤️
I agree! Containers have a lot of advantages! Especially if you live in the desert!
I have a yorkie too, she joined me weeding today and climbed up into my container and found, picked and ate my only 'red' tomato 🍅.❤❤❤ Love you Tuck!
Tip to save $$$ I go to bakery at Sam's and they sell food grade buckets that contained cake icing for $2.00 @ with lid ! I use them to store prep foods too ! Happy gardening y'all 🍓🍎🍍🍈🥝🌶️🍅🥕🌽🌽🥒🍠🧅🫑🍆🧄🥔🥑🫒
I agree with this by experience too. Heavy rains or hail? No problem, bring them in under the patio.
Thankyou so miuch.
I’d love to see a video on soil composition for the pots and various plants. Also, I’d love to see how you you build your insect screen on the raised beds.
Got my Gardening is Life shirt today. I love it!!! Super comfy❤❤❤
I actually grew jalapeños and other peppers in grow bags. They performed so well and I got many peppers