Lots of growth in the last few days. Had to raise the lights again because the beans are getting so tall. I'll be transplanting them to the 4" pots very soon.
Good amount of growth on the newest seeds, too, plus on the ones that take a while - tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. So much so that I had to take the lids off and move the plants close to the light.
The flowers have already started for the year! The lilac bush and tree that we bought are both budding. We weren't sure the bush actually was still alive last year when we planted it. Same with the 3 peonies, but they are popping up as well.
Photos taken March 22 - 31, 2023
You may notice that when your seedling first comes up, the set of leaves that pops up looks nothing like the plant. Eventually those leaves start turning yellow or brown and fall off, which worries many folks who are new to growing seedlings. So why does this happen?
Two examples of cotyledons in cucumbers.
So you might have heard things like "don't plant two kinds of tomatoes near each other" or "my hot peppers made my sweet peppers taste funny." And you've probably heard that it was because of cross-pollination. Which may have made you think - what is cross-pollination?
Beans, peas, and squash are growing like crazy. Won't be long until I have to transplant them.
Having to move around a lot of packs of seedlings to account for differences in heights. Lids have come off most of the trays except those that take a long time to germinate or the ones planted on the 27th.
First growth of the seedlings. I planted really late on the 18th and found growth early in the day on the 22nd. That meant it was time to set up the lights.
So it's that time again! I've got seedlings started for the garden this year. Not only does this save a lot of money, but gives us much greater variety.
I wanted to create a garden along our driveway and brick planter that would have various flower bulbs growing in it. The area was covered with thick grass and weeds, though. So in August, I covered the area with cardboard and put planters, large rocks, etc on top to hold it down. I routinely watered it, which helps to weigh it down.
Welcome to my blog on container gardening. I lived in an apartment and as such didn't have the option to plant anything in the ground. As such, I had dozens and dozens of containers surrounding my patio filled with herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Now I am lucky enough to own a house and am working to greatly expand my gardens.
I started out with just a few planters of strawberries around my garden. Then I added a few hanging baskets of flowers for our son. Each year I've expanded and expanded my garden. I've been buying bigger and bigger containers and adding new plants. I've found some things that have worked well for me - like the Asian finger eggplant that produced probably 100 eggplants - and things that haven't - my rapini never grew and it's just too cold for melons to do well.
I hope to share what I've learned thus far, tips, and more through this blog. I also hope to hear from you about what has worked for you.
Be sure to check out the photo galleries! Lots of photos there showing what I'm growing, how the plants are doing and more!
Jenni grew a container garden around her apartment for more than 10 years with more than 50 various pots and containers. Last year, her family was able to move into a house and create Horsetail Garden - a series of gardens in raised beds as well as around the yard. She lives in Portland, Oregon , which is the 8b plant hardiness zone. Every year she is able to grow a large amount of vegetables for her family and gives away hundreds of pounds of veggies to the community. They sell a number of items, including holiday baskets and greeting cards, to help pay for the garden.
Jenni started this blog to help people find advice and assistance with container gardening, particularly for renters who don't get a lot of control over what they can and can't do with their space. She also hopes to help more people learn how to grow seedlings inside and create new garden beds in their yard.
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