How To Use Pots and Containers To Grow Foods

How To Use Pots and 

Containers To Grow Foods

June 29, 2017

Cathy Harris,  National Non-GMO Health and Wellness Expert

Updates located on Cathy Harris Garden Club Blog

(click here)

What I am learning is that a lot of growing foods is simply "trial and error." The key is to become a label reader and start reading labels, along with googling images and simply look at pictures. 

Many people, especially those that are renting, prefer toleave their plants in pots and containers so they can carry them to new locations. I spoke to a lady the other day after a class, who has 100 pots and containers and she said she was renting. Wow, that's really encouraging to be that dedicated to growing your own foods. 

We were both at a class at Austin Natural Gardener and she said when she visits the place, it like being in another world. So I  advise all families to at least take your family members to these types of natural and holistic garden centers, at least once in their lifetime, not just to garden centers at Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart and other stores, where you have a very small selection of organic products.

Buying Pots and Containers

To save money, you can go to Goodwill and look for pots,containers, measuring cups and other supplies for gardening. You can also find wood containers to sit pots and other containers inside of. 

You can clean out old pots orcontainers by using vinegar or bleach and reuse them again. You can plug up pots with silicone. 

There are all types of containers to grow foods in. There are Outdoor Planter Bed Bags for planting flowers or growing foods. 

Smart Pots or Grow Bags works very well with container gardening. These containers are easier for womento lift because of the handles and the roots seems to grow much healthier in these containers, which allows plants to receive more nutrients that can result in healthier and fastergrowing plants. The roots don't ball up like they do in ceramics and other pots and containers.

Ceramic pots works best for flowers and plants. Metal or plastic pots are the best containers for growing foods indoors or Terracotta (also Terra Cotta or Terra-Cotta) with legs on it. However, be careful with metal containers becausethey might leach heavy metals in your plants. 

Terracotta is a clay-like earthenware ceramic that can be either glazed or unglazed. In addition to being used for flower pots, terracotta is also often used for water and sewage pipes, bricks and sculptures.

Pots With Drainage vs. Pots Without Drainage

Before you get started, here are a few tips that will be handy to keep in mind, no matter which plants you choose to grow, s ome pots have drainage -- others do not. It's a pretty straightforward distinction, and yet that little hole at the bottom of your pot means a world of difference in terms of potting, plant care and maintenance.

Is it possible to keep your plant in a pot without drainage holes?  The answer is yes, but with caution. There is a lot of questions about how to plant in pots without drainage holes. Some people say not to do it at all, arguing that drainage holes are crucial to a plant' health. 

If you choose to use a pot with holes in the bottom, besure to put a shallow drainage container under the pot so the water doesn't drain onto your floor, shelf, or windowsill.

What is the purpose of a drainage hole? All plants need water to survive. And yet, over-watering is the most common (and perhaps most efficient) way to kill anindoor plant. 

Drainage holes allow excess water to seep out of pots after watering, ensuring that water does not pool at the base of a pot, helping to protect sensitive roots from rot, fungus and bacteria. 

Pots Without Drainage Holes

A little bit of water goes a long way.  Every drop of water

you add to the pot is going to stay in there. When watering a plant in a pot without drainage, you want to ensure that you water sparingly and slowly, so the water gets evenly distributed through the soil without pooling at the bottom.

Create a Drainage Layer

A drainage layer is created by adding a medium such as pebbles, stones, or even a broken pot to the bottom of a pot before adding soil. Soil particles are very small and tightly packed together, which means that water moves through them quite slowly. 

Adding a drainage layer allows excess water to get out of the soil more quickly and away from roots before they can be damaged. Though the water is still in the pot, a drainage layer can provide a barrier between too much water and your plant.

However, according to the instructor in our gardening class, when it comes to

putting rocks in the bottom of pots and containers, you only need to use these to keep the containers from falling over in heavy winds outside. She said it is a myth that you need these for drainage in pots and containers so you need to conduct your own research. 

Think You Over-watered? Tip It Over.

Hold the soil back with your hand, and gently tip your pot to the side (or even invert it, if possible) to allow the excess water to spill out. You can replace any lost soil later.

Don't Get Rained On

If you don't have a drainage hole in your pot, youprobably shouldn't use it for an outdoor plant, unless the plant will be sheltered from rain. You need to micromanage the amount of water going into your pot. If it get's drenched in a downpour, all could be lost.

If All Else Fails, Repot

You have to listen to your plant. Depending on your space, and your own over-or-under-wateringtendencies, your plant may thrive or be miserable in a pot without drainage. 

If the plant isn't doing well, gently remove it from the pot and take a look at the roots. Black or brown, mushy roots are a sign of over-watering. Try clipping off any damaged-looking roots, and re-potting the plant in a pot with drainage holes, keeping it a little moist until it shows signs of recovery.

Make it a Cachepot

A cachepot is an ornamental container, usually of china or tole ( enameled   or   lacquered   metalware) , for holding and concealing a flowerpot. If you're feeling a bitintimidated about the extra work as sociated with potting a plant in a pot without drainage, here's a trick. Find a plastic pot (with drainage holes) that's justslightly smaller than your planter. 

Pot your plant into the plastic pot, and then set this inside the planter. If done correctly, the plastic should be hidden, and it will appear as though your plant is potted directly into the planter. You can then take it out to water, and take advantage of the drainage holes in the plastic pot.

 

Use the Right Size Pot or Container

More soil means more moisture for longer. You should never move a plant up to a larger pot more than 1 or 2 inches in diameter. 

This is especially true with no drainage holes, since, without root mass filling your pot, all that soil will stay soggy for even longer, leading to careless over-watering.

Also keep in mind if you use big containers, too big for the plant, then there is a good chance that when you water the plant, the water will not go directly on the plant, instead it will go toward the sides of the container.

I believe this is called "overpotting." Overpotting is whenyou put transplants in pots that are too big for the plants, which can kill root balls. However, you can put annuals around a smaller plant in bigger pots. 

Annuals are plants that live only one growing season, such as beans or corn, then they die and you have to replant them every year.  

Choose the Right Type of Soil 

You can use the same soil for flowers and vegetables. Don't plant the plants too deep in the pots. It's better to plant them too high than too low so try to leave only an inch of soil at the top of pots and containers. 

You can purchase soil at a garden center or make your own, so choose whether or not you want to stick with organic soils. Each plant grows best in a slightly different soil environment.

What you need to understand is that you r soil is the digestive system foryour plants or its guts, so it extremely important to choose the right type of soil or potting mix. 

You need something that is not going to dry out.  Fox Farm andHappy Frog Organic Potting Mix has everything you need. So if you use these two organic potting mixes, all you need to do is add in a good fertilizer.

Mixing In Ingredients With Your Soil

You need to become a label reader. If the label states the soil has sand dust or bark wood -- avoid it! Don't use dirt in potting soil, especially since plants are disconnected from the ground. If you mix your own potting mix, use galvanized trash cans to do this. 

Play around and see which of the following ingredients works best for you in your soil. Growing foods is kind of like cooking, you play around with ingredients to see which has the best recipes or how healthy the plant turns out -- so again everything is "trial and error." 

If your soil doesn't come with earthworm castings, thenyou certainly need to buy it on your own.  Worm castings are an organic form of fertilizer produced from earthworms. Also known as vermicast, worm castings manure is essentially earthworm waste, otherwise known as worm poo. As these creatures eat through compost, their waste creates an optimal soil enricher.

Coconut Coir comes in bricks with coconut. It will make your soil drain again. Put the brick in water and it will fluff out to break down. Coconut coir comes from the fibrous inner shell of the coconut.Previously thought of as a waste material, it is now frequently packaged and sold as a soil amendment to replace peat moss in the garden. Coir provides similar garden benefits compared to peat when used properly to improve the garden bed.

Don't use peat moss in Texas. Peat moss is used to hold water. 

It has a remarkable ability to manage water efficiently and hold on to nutrients that would otherwise leach out of the soil.  

Both vermiculite and perlite are inorganic products, both are relatively sterile, and both are often used as soil additives. Vermiculite is a soft, spongy material made from super-heating mica. Perlite is a hard, highly porous material made by super-heating volcanic glass. Vermiculite is for water retention. 

Perlite is a volcanic product that adds air to potting mix. 

So again see which ones works best for your potting mix, but you don't need these if you use a good, organic potting mix, which again, should have everything you need except a good "liquid" fertilizer, but again become a label reader.

Deficiency in Plants

People use azomite as a sign of magnesium deficiency,iron deficiency and zinc deficiency. Go to google.com and put in magnesium deficiency in plants and see how they look. Tomatoes are prone to magnesium deficiency. 

If you are using a good fertilizer, especially a goodliquid organic fertilizer, like Wholly Mackerel, you won't have a magnesium deficiency. Some of the fertilizers have a bad smell, but not that one.  If you use non-organic ingredients, you can burn your plants.  Just remember if you fertilize a plant that is dry, you can burn it also.

Use fertilizer even if you use a good potting soil mix. Just make sure the fertilizer is a nitrogen fertilizer. An ORGANIC liquid fertilizer is best for your plants in pots and  containers and you should use it every 2 weeks. The label on the fertilizer will say how much and how often so  just follow the instructions on the label.  Again, remember everything is "trial and error." 

Watering Plants

Watering is a big bugaboo in Texas.  Use water wands, which are more easier to use.  If you have a lot of food growing in pots, containers, raised beds, and in the ground, many people use drip systems for watering, however,others enjoy watering their plants manually so they can get more exercise. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to drip systems. Some of the advantages include -- 1) Easy installation - drip irrigation installation is easy to install. Tubing is weaved throughout the area requiring watering; and 2) It can save money on your water bill. 

Growing Plants Inside of Homes

Many plants grow best in areas that receive lots of sunlight and remain fairly warm throughout the day.Therefore, at least 6 (or more) hours of sunlight is needed for many plants to grow so sunny windows are extremely helpful for growing plants indoors. 

However, if you don't have sunny windows or if the area is a low temperature, grow lights will be your new best friend. They help maintain optimal light and temperature conditions for plants, regardless of outside weather or indoor conditions.

Be Careful of TOXIC Transplants

Transplants are also called seedlings. These are the plants that have already grown up from seeds that you can buy at garden centers. However, always make sure the plants you buy to repot haven't been treated with neonicotinoids! 

They are relatively a new class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affect the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. These insecticides have been strongly linked to harm bees and even cause bee deaths.  And we know that GMOs today are killing off all bees. 

Pollination is to convey pollen to or deposit pollen on (a stigma, ovule, flower, or plant) and so allow fertilization. Bees pollinate about 1/3 of our food crops so you can plant some bee-friendly flowers, too.  So in the long run, it 's best to buy ORGANIC  transplants or seedlings that are free of all toxic herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and artificial fertilizers. It's better for your health and the health of all life.

My Pots and Containers

We have 4 tomatoe plants growing in a big terracotta pot. We could have overpotted on the plants, however, tomatoes usually takes on a life of their own, once they start growing. You usually end up putting a trellis on the plants so they can grow upwards and give you more space.

We have at least 3 different types of tomatoes plants, where we mixed them all together. I heard when you mix different varieties of plants together, they feed on each other and will help each other grow. Some plants will even keep pests away, however, I am not up to date on those yet.

We have two fruit trees growing in pots - a lemon tree and tangerine tree, given to me by a friend in Houston.  When I initially changed the soil over touse Miracle Gro, the plants looked horrible for a couple of days because sometimes you really can't touch plants because they can feel it.

Or they could have looked that way because of the Miracle Gro soil, which is a Monsanto company and is probably TOXIC, but I did not know that at the beginning of my gardening journey. 

When I took the two plants out of the Miracle Gro potting soil, and placed them in my Smart Naturals Happy Frog Potting Soil, they did not react like they did before so it certainly could have been the Miracle Gro TOXIC potting mix. 

When growing fruit trees what you need to remember isthe right time to repot these trees. As the trees gets bigger, it's easier to take them out of plastic pots and containers than it is out of ceramic, terracotta pots or other containers so make sure you use the right containers as you grow your foods.

 

Overview - How To Grow A Plant:

• Choose the pots. Make certain there are one or more holes in the bottom of your container to allow water to flow out freely.
• Choose the potting mix. Do not use soil from the yard or garden.
• Choose the plants. Make "Right plant, right place" your motto. 
• Prepare the pots.
• Pot the plant.

So now along with my FIRST raised bed garden, I am certainly looking forward to growing more foods in pots and containers, especially inside of my home.  I feel really comfortable with growing foods in raised beds and in pots and containers outside of my home. So I hope to bring you more information in the future on growing foods inside of homes. 

Showing others how to grow foods in pots and containers, in raised bed gardens and in the ground is certainly a major opportunity for business owners who would like to become Garden Consultants and create job's programs and business opportunities around growing foods -- so join us in the VirtualOrganicGardenClubs.com movement to set these up. Don't forget to go back and read  "10 Steps To Start Growing Your Own Foods."

10 Steps To Start Growing Your Own Foods

10 Steps To Start Growing  Your Own Foods  June 15, 2017 by Cathy Harris, Non-GMO Health and Wellness Expert Step 1 - Buy The Book: The below book will lay out the foundation for this new national food project as it will teach each family, who is not familiar with growing their foods - how to start a home, school, or community garden, food co-op or food coalition so read the book today, available as an e-book and paperback book  "Overcoming Food Deserts in Your Community: How To Start A Home, School or Community Garden, Food Co-op or Food Coalition."  Step 2 - Set Up "Virtual Organic Garden Clubs" andHold Monthly Meetings: There are two types of garden clubs - a FLOWER and PLANT garden club and a FOOD garden club. Of course we are dealing with growing our own foods. If you can grow flowers and plants, then there is a good chance that you can also grow foods - so get started today. I also have my own garden club at  "Cathy Harris Garden Club"  ( www.CathyHarrisGardenClub.com ), where I will be posting relevant and timely YouTube.com videos and posts to help you on your gardening journey. You can get a FREE blog also at www.blogger.com  or www.wordpress.com  or pay $12.00 a year for your own domain name.  Try to use meetup.com groups, which are $19.99 a month for 1 to 3 groups, to set up local garden clubs in your cities. I have set up  "Virtual Organic Garden Clubs" on facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/VirtualOrganicGardenClubs/ I will be holding monthly virtual garden club meetings for this new project "Virtual Organic Garden Clubs" by phone at  www.FreeConferenceCall.com and by video at www.zoom.us (video training program for $16.99 a month), every third Tuesday (starting on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 7:00-8:30 (CST). I suggest others do the same.  Everything will be posted on the link on my website or go to thefacebook.com group and join it so you can receive all the latest announcements. These meetings by phone and video will beMasterminds, Think Tanks and Classrooms and we will also educate everyone on " The Cathy Harris Show, through e-newsletters, articles, blogs, etc.  Our only stipulations are you should not be involved in Network or Multi-level Marketing (aka Pyramid Schemes).  Step 3 - Know What Region You Live In: Find out which foods grow in your region. Do you know your growing zone? Use the USDA.gov Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find out. You are lucky if you live in a location where there is a longer food growing season, unlike people who live up north or in the midwest in colder climates.  In Austin, TX, where I live, there are two climates, hot and hotter, so the climate here is different than the climate anywhere else in the state of Texas.  Also once you find out your region, research which pests thrive in your region, so you will know how to control them once you spot them on your flowers, plants or foods. Step 4 - Make A List of the Foods You Enjoy: You should first grow the foods you will be eating in your own home then branch out and grow foods you can sell. Just because you enjoy a certain food, doesn't mean you need to grow that particular food.  First conduct your research and figure out if the food is good for you and which diet you will eat. Most Americans eat theStandard American Diet (also called "SAD") and that along should tell you something. It's full of GMO processed foods.  You also have the vegetarian diet, vegan diet, gluten free diet, blood type diet, etc.  I only eat foods for my blood type so invest in the book "Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type"   and eat foods specifically for your blood type, which will give you tons of energy and vitally. Green leafy vegetables are the most "nutrient-dense" foods, however, green cruciferous vegetables blocks iodine and causes hypothyroidism, so this is why 90% of women have thyroid issues. If you eat these foods, you also need to takeadditional iodine supplements. Besides green leafy vegetables, the next best foods to eat are antioxidants - the blue, purple, red, orange and yellow foods, but they should only be eaten in as natural form as possible (juiced, steamed, blended, etc.) in order to maintain a " nutrient-dense" base. Many people get into gardening in the first place to grow big ripe red tomatoes. Eventually after starting out in a pot or container, inside or outside of your home, you will probably need to get a tomatoe trellis so the foods can grow upwards, which will give you more space.  You can actually make these yourself like the above picture. Some people start off growing tomatoes in homes then plant them outside in the ground, in raised beds or in bigger pots and containers.  I don't eat tomatoes because it's not allowed on my B blood type diet, but my mate eats them so we will still be growing tomatoes. Step 5 - Learn Where You Can Grow Foods? If you can look out your front, side or back window of your home and see your own plot of land, then you are all set. If you don't feel comfortable growing foods in your native soil, then think about raised beds, pot or container gardening.  This way you cancontrol the type of soils you use. So understand that you can grow foods in front and backyard gardens, on patios, balconies, porches, rooftops, and in kitchens in pots and containers.  To find out if your native soil is okay for growing foods, have the soil tested for pH, nutrients, and lead (heavy metal) contamination by a soil testing  laboratory in the fall. You can find these by asking your garden centers for information.  If your site is contaminated, the simplest solution may be to find another site or try raised bed, pot or container gardening with different soil. Always use organic soil, which helps the environment.  The goal is to grow foods from the ground up using organic soils, seeds (or seedlings or transplants). If you have to buy aseedling/transplant plant because you don't have access to organic seeds, then wash the root off carefully before replanting it in organic potting mix in pots or containers or organic soil in raised bed gardens or in the ground. You need to understand when you plant these transplants that have already started growing, mostplaces like homedepot.com, lowes.com and other local gardening centers, used fertilizer that wasn't organic, which means these fertilizers will do nothing, but continue to corrupt your soil and the environment so it's the goal of our new project to help your family GO ORGANIC from the ground up. Step 6 - Set Up Job's Programs Through Food Co-ops and Food Coalitions: Instead of just growing the foods at homes, some families will be in a position to grow QUICK-GROWING foods to sell to grocery stores, farmer's markets, restaurants, catering services, roadside stands, etc., especially in food co-ops, food coalitions and other food projects.  The problems with food coalitions will be: Not having effective leaders. Lack of volunteers. We need volunteers, but they must eventually be paid. Lack of participation from churches. Churches will have a hard time giving up the land so that we can grow foods. We need land to grow foods on. There will be tons of business opportunities around growing foods. You can become a Gardening Consultant and have your clients meet you at garden centers so you can help them find the right products (organic soils and potting mix, organic seeds, gloves, pots, containers, tools, etc.) or you can meet them at their homes and build front or backyard gardens, or show them how to grow foods on patios, balconies, porches, rooftops, and in kitchens in pots and containers. Then you can come by every week to maintain them or just give classes in communities or at homes. The sky is the limit! Many families will pay you for these services, just like most black women who have homes pay $40.00 (or more) every two weeks for guys to come and mow their lawns.  This field would also be good for black women or youth entrepreneurs, especially pre-teens and teenagers with green thumbs, since most women, especially single parents, would feel more comfortable with other women, or teenagers coming around -- instead of men. Again, the sky is the limit! Try to work with your community to set up job's programs and help create business opportunities, especially for our youth who can't find work in the summer and former prisoners. And don't forget  we are creating a SELF-SUFFICIENCY MOVEMENT. We are finished with begging!  Step 7 - Set Up 'Garden Based' Education in Schools: This is an apple tree coming up from plain apple seeds that my friend' grandson planted so get your kids excited about growing foods. It will be imperative to get 'garden-based' education started in most schools, so reach out to parents and others heavily involved in www.PTA.org or school board meetings or who are members of school boards, to implement this idea. This will need to be approved by school boards. Schoolyards, greenhouses, parking lots, courtyards, and rooftops can all be potential sites for school gardens. If space is limited then consider pot or container gardening outside or even inside ofschools. If it is not possible to have a garden at the school, consider options within the community like city parks or vacant lots, places of worship, naturecenters, retirement centers, and community gardens. Encourage children to share their ideas and include them in the planting of the garden. Their participation will instill a sense of ownership, pride, and responsibility among students. Teachers and garden leaders should provide activities that keep all kids engaged. You can get an Extension Master Gardener volunteer in your area to help with your garden. Step 8 - Look for Local Organic Food Groups:  Remember we are not trying to reinvent the wheel so it will be extremely important to work with local groups, garden clubs, etc., in your area that is already educating others through monthly memberships and e-newsletters.  For instance,  Natural Gardener in  Austin,  was able to supply organic seeds, organic soils, and other info my family  needed to get started with our FIRST garden journey. I am a regular at their weekly classes.  What I really like about this group is they have a calendar of what you should grow monthly in our area. For instance, what I should be growing in June (click here) . I found this group by simply going to google.com and putting in my city and then the words "organic" and "natural gardener".              And because of this group, I will be joining a 70 year old group, Austin Organic Gardeners, who meet the second Monday of each month. Meetings are FREE. Membership dues are only $10 per year. So find these types of groups in your city, until you have enough info to break away and work with food co-ops and food coalitions to help build job's programs and create business opportunities in black communities. Rome wasn't built overnight, but it was built. Step 9: Look for Local Health and Wholefood Stores: The goal is to eat "nutrient-dense," "high-quality"foods, otherwise you will come down with a sickness or disease. P eople shop at Wal-mart because it's dirt cheap - I get it! Wal-mart has put over 90% of mom and pop businesses out of business, including businesses that grows foods.  So we seriously need to figure out how we can get everyone to visit other low-cost organic venues, (such as roadside stands, etc.) or grow their own foods instead. Just remember that Wal-mart organic foods is different than foods in health and wholefood stores. Health and wholefood stores are a good source of information for those trying to eat healthy. Remember you won't be able to grow all your foods, not in the beginning, so you will still need to buy foods from healthy, organic venues, and chances are they will be more expensive, but this food will also keep down doctor's visits. And remember with organic foods, it spoils quicker, so you will need to shop more often. Talk to the managers and owners of these stores, who are more knowledgeable than just store clerks, about seminars, workshops, and organic food growers. Again, many of these farmers and other experts, (INCLUDING YOU), will have classes on what to grow and when to grow it. Step 10: Gain Help from Other Resources:   USDA's People Garden website has how-to videos and databases filled with garden-based learning curricula, free seed and funding sources, and healthy gardening practices. But remember this is a self-sufficiency movement so we don't really want to depend on the government for anything. Along with attending weekly classes at Austin Natural Gardener, I am also reading books on gardening on Amazon.com, watching gardening videos on YouTube.com and posting the really good ones at (www.CathyHarrisGardenClub.com), for you to view and educate your family. So remember your home must literally become a learning center. So information is not hid under a rock! If you truly want to start your own garden, or gain access to local food co-ops or food coalitions, or start these your ownself, then again, start with reading my book. Good luck with your gardening journey. Action Steps (Homework) Your homework assignment is simply to read the book "Overcoming Food Deserts in Your Community: How To Start A Home, School or Community Garden, Food Co-op and Food Coalition" and this e-newsletter, especially the 10 steps above, and send this e-newsletter to everyone that you know.  Also listen to the radio show above -- "The Cathy Harris Show"and the 2-hour panel discussion entitled "Black Farmers Panel Discussion Update" on the plight of the black farmers and why their movement and ours need to merge. We will be sending out a press release soon on that merger along with a series of articles to educate you on the plight of black farmers in this country. If we are truly working to save our families and communities, then it's vital that we all be on the same page. Remember our ultimate goals are to form black business districts throughout the land as we fed, clothes and shelter our own families.  And one of the best ways to get black people, especially teenagers and former prisoners, who can't find work, especially in the summertime, involved in business ownership at this time is around growing foods. However, not everyone can start a business so we will be using food co-ops and food coalitions to start job's programs in urban agriculture, farming andgardening.