Growing a Greener World

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

[gentle instrumental music] JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: I'm Joe Lamp'l.

For 10 years, Growing a Greener World has told the stories of the people and the places who are making a difference in the health of our environment and the sustainability of our global community.

But as we embarked on our 11th season, life changed overnight.

So many things we took for granted would never be the same again.

Now it's up to each of us to take a more active role in not just saving our planet, but making it better, feeding our families with organically grown food, conserving vital resources, protecting natural habitats, starting in our own backyards.

Growing a Greener World-- it's still our mission, and it's more important than ever.

You know, I really like how this combination has worked out Kristin.

KRISTIN: Yeah, me too.

JOE LAMP'L: We've covered a lot on this show about edible gardening and we've met people all over the country growing food in some really unusual places, from rooftops, to converted school buses, and even on the side of buildings.

And one thing we can say with certainty, you do not need a lot of room to grow a lot of fresh, delicious, organic produce.

In fact, all you need is some sort of container.

So today's show is all about container gardening, and we'll share some of our best tips for getting big results from some very small spaces.

And in fact, these tips are going to apply no matter where you live or what your situation, whether it's a tiny apartment balcony, or maybe a small patio outside, or even a large backyard garden like this.

So there are a lot of reasons to grow food in containers.

The most obvious, of course, is if you have little to no room.

Maybe it's just a driveway or a tiny patio.

Well, the container provides that soil in which to plant.

So it's perfect for that, but you know, even here at the GGW farm and gardens where we have lots of room, well, there are a lot of other advantages that even people with full-size yards should take into consideration.

First, even if you have a large backyard containers are a great way to fill design holes or give a different look to your garden space.

Let's say a crop is harvested and you're left with a large empty space in the middle of your vegetable garden or flower bed.

Well, you can place one of your containers there and quickly give your garden a lush, full look again.

Or if you have an unused corner of your property, a grouping of containers can fill that spot without committing to anything permanent.

Another advantage is that you have a lot less soil-borne disease and fewer pests.

By using potting mix, you're less likely to introduce problems.

And since the soil is protected on most sides, pests have a lot less chance of finding the roots.

And finally, container gardening gives you more control over things like the pH of the soil and the light conditions.

If you want to grow something like blueberries, for example, put your soil has a pH of around six, then you can grow them in a container and adjust the soil pH to between four and five, which is exactly what they need.

And it's much easier to keep it at that pH when you only have to amend the small amount of soil within the pot.

And if something you want to grow needs more light, you simply pick up your container and move it to a new spot.

Now, while it's true you can use just about any type of container for your plantings, it's a great opportunity to take your time and really make an awesome design statement.

But you don't have to spend a lot of money on a container either.

You could recycle something unusual like a wooden crate or even an old dresser drawer.

Of course, this would give you an eclectic look.

But if that's what you're looking for, well, then it's all about thinking outside the box, or in this case the pot.

But if money is no object, you have a lot of options there too, like these imported handmade terracotta pots.

Some of them are local, but they're all handmade.

A little more money for that, but they're certainly worth it.

Now, you and I probably grew up with these terracotta pots.

Very inexpensive, maybe a buck or two, and they come in all different sizes.

Now, the downside of this is they have a tendency to crack.

So over a year or two that will happen, but you can make it last a little bit longer if you would just bring them in over winter or don't plant into them over the wintertime.

You'll probably get an extra year or two that way.

The other downside about terracotta clay is that they really wick away the moisture, so you have to be extra vigilant to keep these hydrated.

Otherwise, your plants will get very dry very quickly.

Now, I love this terracotta look and I love a big pot, but with that extra size you get a lot more weight.

So unless that pot is going to be parked in one place, these don't become all that practical.

But if you like that look for a fraction of the weight, hello, plastic.

Plastic has come a long way in recent years to give you any type of shape and any kind of look at a fraction of the cost.

And for under $30, you get that right here with a terracotta design and look.

Also with plastic, you can get, like, a hand-spun clay look.

This is about $20, but I really like this.

And you can't tell that it's plastic.

That's the best part about it.

Now to plastic's credit, besides its cost, very low there, this does a good job of actually holding in the moisture.

So although it's always important to check the moisture in a container, this doesn't wick away water like the terracotta would.

If you really like that shiny ceramic look like I do, well then these are the ones you want to go with.

Now there's no way to know from a distance that this is not ceramic.

In fact, once again, plastic.

So super light, and yet you can get a huge pot and awesome colors.

These are under $30.

And of course, there's smaller options as well and they're going to cost you less.

If you like the look of metal, well there's options for that.

And again, this is plastic.

But you have a different shape here, lots of different sizes, and again very inexpensive.

Now one of my favorite options in recent years, these eco pods.

Now, they also come in different shapes and sizes but they're made of renewable, sustainable crops.

They'll last for a few years.

You can either plant right into them or drop a pot inside of it.

In a couple years when these start to break down, rather than throw them in the trash you throw them in your compost pile and let them break down there.

I like that option.

Now, in all cases pots need drainage.

And when you buy a plastic one, chances are they're not going to have a drainage hole in them so you've got to make sure that you do that.

So get a big drill bit, drill several holes into this.

Because plants cannot live in standing water, so you've gotta provide that drainage.

Other common options for containers include concrete.

It's a great look, lasts forever, but the heaviest of all options.

Styrofoam is another option that's becoming less common, but it mimics the look of concrete or stone but without all the weight.

Metal is another great look, but even galvanized products should be lined with plastic to avoid eventual rusting.

And wire baskets lined with coconut husks are popular, inexpensive, and reusable.

But they do tend to dry out in windy conditions, so place them where they can be watered easily.

Now if we've heard it once we've heard it 1,000 times, if we want to improve the drainage in our container we need to add something to the bottom, whether it's small stones, or marbles, or Styrofoam peanuts, or maybe even crushed aluminum cans.

We need to create that air space at the bottom of the container so the water moves through more easily.

Now the real life application, does that really work?

And rarely do we have a chance to see what goes on inside that container because usually it's something solid like this.

But today, we're going to take a look at that and we're going to use clear containers.

So I have two.

They both have holes in the bottom, and then the first one we're going to add some stone.

That's typically what we would do.

I'll add more than you might likely usually do to really illustrate the point.

That may be the normal stopping point, but just for today we'll go up to right about there.

And then I'll add some soil to the top.

A bit more there.

Now, in this one we'll go straight soil, nothing at the bottom for drainage.

OK.

So these are our two simulated pots that we're about to plant.

Now the first thing we need to do is put the water in there because that's what we want to see.

we want to see the results of what happens to the water, so here we go.

So we'll fill that one and we'll fill this one.

Maybe a little bit more in both.

So now we'll let the water drain through for a few minutes and then we went to see the results of where that water goes.

So it's been just a couple minutes and let's assess the results so far.

Now in the one where we added the stone to improve the drainage, take a look at this.

Now we have some air pockets here, but for the most part this is saturated soil.

The water hasn't moved through to the stones.

And in this case where we didn't add anything, all soil, look.

The saturation point is way down here at the bottom.

Now that's typical.

The water will move through to that point where the drainage or the exit point occurs.

In this case, it's all the way to the bottom of the container.

Here, it's at the bottom of the first substrate level.

Now the academic explanation for that is that water does not pass easily between two substrates of different pore sizes.

In this case, the water is going to collect in that area that's denser, the soil.

Now the real-life or practical application of this, when we plant into an area where we've added things for the drainage, the roots are going to sit-in an area where the soil is more saturated.

And we don't want that because our plants can drown.

Whereas in this case where we added nothing, there's more area where the roots aren't sitting in saturated soil.

That's what we want, more air space.

That makes for a healthier plant.

So the next time you want a healthier plant and improve the drainage, you don't need to do anything at all, just straight soil.

An important consideration with any container is the soil, and you have a lot of choices.

Now you might be inclined to just go out in the backyard and dig up what's there.

And I can't blame you for that, being a good steward and reusing what you have, but don't do it with your outdoor soil.

Now, this might be great for your trees and your shrubs but it's just too heavy for containers.

And it's all about the drainage, and this isn't going to do it.

OK, so we go to the garden center or nursery and we're looking at the myriad of choices.

And undoubtedly, you're going to see topsoil.

That's what it's called.

And at $2 a bag, it's a great deal.

But you know what it's best for?

Outdoor use, to add bulk to outdoor beds and maybe raised beds.

But it's not good for containers.

And the reason for that is, there's nothing in here to make it lighter, there's no time-release nutrients, and it's just not ideally suited for containers.

Now what about garden soil?

That's what it's labeled on the bag, and that's this right here.

Now we're getting closer.

It's lighter and it has some of those slow-release nutrients which are important in a container.

But it's not engineered for containers.

This is actually made for outdoor use.

It's not quite light enough, so keep this outside.

But what we do want is potting soil or container mix.

And this is it right here.

And you can see the difference.

Look at those different textures and colors in here.

Now that's designed to help make the soil really light for drainage and for root expansion in containers.

And yet the other thing is, it also retains a lot of moisture.

So it's the best of both worlds, and this is what you want.

The other thing is, it has those slow release nutrients.

And in a container, you're going to be watering all the time, even with things that retain the moisture.

But as you water, the nutrients are going to flow right through unless you have something in it that's time released.

And that's why that's important to have.

Now if you're an organic gardener like me, well, you can buy products that are still organic and have some of those slow release nutrients.

Or, worst case scenario, you just add them yourself.

You know, we hear from our viewers a lot, and a common question is how to garden in a small space.

And sometimes they don't have any space at all and they're looking for our best tips.

Well, why not garden against the wall or even on the wall, because these days there are specially made systems just for that purpose.

But one of our favorites of all is to use recycled material.

So what if you like the idea of a vertical garden, but maybe you're a do-it-yourself kind of person or you're on a tight budget?

Well, that's the case for two of our friends of the show, Monty and Ky.

They own a house in Asheville, North Carolina, and now that they're moving back they're serious about fixing it up.

And one of the first things they want to do, install a vertical garden.

But they have two rules, it's got to be simple and it can't cost a lot of money.

No problem.

Check this out.

Now, I don't know about you, but I can't think of many things more ubiquitous than the standard palette.

And you know what, they make a pretty darn good vertical garden frame as well.

And you can find them everywhere, from dumpsters to behind stores.

And usually they're free, but just make sure you check with the manager first.

And worst case scenario, sometimes you have to pay a few bucks but never more than that.

Keep this in mind though when you get a pallet, sometimes they're made of pressure-treated wood.

And you don't want that because you don't want those chemicals coming in contact with your roots, so look for pallets made of untreated wood.

Now when you get them home, make sure that you wash them off really well because a lot of times they're going to be kind of grungy.

And when you lay them out on a flat surface, you're going to notice that sometimes the pallet is going to have spacing that's different from one side to the other.

In this case, this is going to be our back side where the slats are much wider.

But we're going to cover that up.

What are we going to cover it with?

Well, we're going to use some landscape fabric for that.

We'll just line it out over the back, cut it to size, and then tack it in with some roofing nails, but you could use staples for that as well.

And there's one other layer that we're going to add and that's a thin piece of plywood.

Mainly, that's really there just to protect the house.

Now, what other tools do we need?

Well, we're going to hang the pallet to the house with these l-brackets, so we'll need these, and of course some screws and anchors.

But to make sure everything looks nice, of course we want to have a level and a tape measure.

But really that's about it.

You guys ready to work?

SPEAKER 3: Ready to work.

JOE LAMP'L: OK.

Position the empty pallet against the wall where you'll want it mounted and add the hardware before it's full of soil and plants.

And speaking of soil, setting the pallet back on the flat surface makes filling the void super easy.

Use a good quality potting or container mix that's lightweight and drains well.

And don't be stingy when adding the soil at this point.

Some will fall out and the rest will settle, but it's important that enough soil remains around all the roots.

And be sure to leave some for later.

We used about six bags, total.

And then the best part, adding the plants.

This pallet garden is just a random design using all edibles.

The plants are simply stuffed into place and soil is tucked around each root ball.

The beauty of this vertical garden, this is 100% edible.

And it's right outside their kitchen door, so it could not be more convenient for access to fresh food.

We've got some herbs in here, tomatoes, peppers.

We're going to put the peppers in the top, this area right here.

The peppers are going to get the tallest and they need some room to grow up, so we're saving this area.

We're reserving that for all of our peppers.

Then it's simply a matter of mounting it against the wall.

Pre-measuring and adding the hardware ahead of time makes this part a lot easier.

This is where it's helpful to have more than yourself getting it over here.

It's not terribly heavy, but it's a little bit awkward at this point.

So we put a cinder block in place just to kind of give us some positioning and leverage.

Monty and I held the palette in place while Ky inserted the screws through the already attached l-brackets.

finally, we added some upright pepper plants into the top section and watered all the plants in.

It's important to keep the plants thoroughly watered to allow the soil to settle around the roots and to help the plants establish.

Well the guys are already in the house getting their salad bowls ready, but it looks pretty good, doesn't it?

And the best part is, I think we met both of their requirements.

It was super easy to build, and in real-time it only took about an hour.

And the only cost here was the price of the plants and the soil.

Everything else was either free or they had the items around the house.

Now, I know you probably want to build one like this at home, a vertical garden using a pallet, and we have all that information on our website.

And the address is the same as our name, it's growingagreenerworld.com.

You'll find it under the show notes for this episode.

[music playing] At some point, I think we all find ourselves asking the same question, just what plants do well in a container?

Or conversely, what shouldn't I plant in a container?

Well, the fact of the matter is just about everything does well in a container.

Even dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees do exceptionally well.

In fact, all fruit trees and vegetable plants do well.

But the most important consideration is paying attention to the size of the root mass.

For example, if you're growing carrots you need to take into consideration the size of the taproot in maturity.

So you'd want to have a container that's big enough to accommodate it at full growth.

And some other plants that would do well in a large container like this, tomatoes and fennel.

Now on the other hand, if you're growing micro greens or maybe spinach, mescaline mix or even radishes, well they only need a couple inches for them to be happy.

So something like this would be perfect, and there's no need for overkill.

That's a good choice.

Now, when choosing your plants and seeds, read the descriptions and look for words like compact growth, dwarf, semi-dwarf, baby, or even great in containers.

That tells you that the plant will not get too large, yet still produce well.

From there, you can use your imagination to combine different textures, colors, and even different heights to give your container interest.

Now here's a quick tip.

You know, even if you're only interested in growing edibles, buy some flowers anyway and put them in the container with your plants or somewhere nearby in the garden.

Because not only will it make everything look better, but more importantly it will attract pollinators.

And that's always a good thing.

Now, one of the most important considerations to keeping your containers looking great all the time is to make sure they get watered pretty much all the time.

And of course, that can be a big concern for a lot of people.

So an easy way to take the worry out of all of that is to put your watering on autopilot with a drip irrigation system and an automatic timer.

The systems are sold as complete kits, so everything you need is included.

They're very easy to assemble, and if you need additional parts you can buy them separately.

This kit comes with a supply hose, micro soaker hose, and black PVC tubing, along with all the connections for five containers, and cost about $30.

Step one in setting up this system is to attach the quick connect to water controller to the garden hose.

The timer is sold separately, but if you're using one go ahead and attach it to the faucet.

Choices range from basic timers to programmable options with more features, like this one for about $50.

Cut the green garden hose to length for your first container.

Attach the hose to one side of a micro adapter and the remaining hose to the other side.

Next, cut a length of soaker hose, make a circle, and connect each end to a t-fitting.

Now, cut and attach a length of black tubing that reaches from the fitting in the container to the adapter on the garden hose.

Finally, repeat the process for your remaining containers.

Now, one of the most common areas that's often overlooked with container gardening is the fertilization.

And yet it's so important to the plant's long term success.

Now keep in mind, when you put a plant in the container the only access it has to nutrients are what's in the container.

And the more you water, the more those nutrients wash out.

And that's why it's so important to come back with supplemental periodic feedings.

Now, you can do that a couple of different ways.

As an organic gardener, I like to use either a granular organic fertilizer-- you can get that just about anywhere-- or you can use a liquid version such as fish emulsion or sea kelp.

It doesn't matter which you use as long as you come back consistently with low doses and do that through the entire growing season.

Now, what about wintertime?

Well at that point your plants are likely going into dormancy, so you don't need to fertilize at all.

In fact, you'll probably bring your plants indoors to ride out the harsh conditions of winter.

Now there's one fall project that's likely on everybody's to-do list, even if you have just a small deck or patio, and that's getting your special plants inside and protecting them over the wintertime.

Now, placing them in front of a bright, sunny window is ideal.

But if you don't have that, maybe a garage or a basement where they're out of the freezing temperatures and the wind.

The plants will go dormant or semi-dormant, and they should be good to go next spring when it's warm again.

But what about the containers themselves?

Some of these can be so attractive and yet so expensive you'd hate to lose them to cracking.

And yet, it's a common occurrence in the wintertime.

Now the reason for that is, when they're full of soil and the soil gets wet, and then it freezes, it expands.

So there's a lot of pressure on the inside of the container.

But since the container is rigid, it has no flex, it has nowhere to go, and that's where the cracking comes in.

So it's best if you can get your containers inside.

But sometimes the containers are so far away from the house, or they're just darn right heavy, or maybe you don't want to take on another project in the fall.

I understand that.

So try this instead.

When you empty the container of the soil next time, before you add soil back in, use some of this shipping wrap.

It has the bubbles in it.

Line the inside a couple times.

Now what that's going to do, it's going to provide the flex and the give that you need that you don't get from your container.

So if it's full of soil, the soil gets wet, and the the soil freezes and there's that outward pressure, this will absorb it and prevent your containers from cracking.

When it comes to containers, most people only think of sun versus shade when considering environmental factors.

But wind should also be a big consideration, especially for any containers with a tall trellis or tree.

It not only can blow over the container, but can also dry out the soil quickly, so a sheltered spot is always best.

Another factor to consider is the heat that can radiate off a wall in the peak summer months.

Brick walls, cement walls, even dark containers can trap and retain heat.

And that can add a lot of stress to your plants.

Now in the wintertime, if you're trying to get a little extra heat and cheat your zone a little bit, that's not so bad.

But in the summertime, not so much.

So if you live in a hot part of the country with a south-facing wall, you might want to provide a little more distance between the wall and your container.

Well, I hope that after today we've given you a few more great reasons to container garden, especially to grow more food, no matter how big or small the space.

And you like what you saw today or want to learn more, we have a lot more information on our website under the show notes for this episode.

And the website address, that's the same as our show name.

It's growingagreenerworld.com.

I'm Joe Lamp'l.

Thanks for joining us, everybody.

And we'll see you back here next time for more Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

[gentle instrumental music] MALE ANNOUNCER: Continue the garden learning from the program you just watched, Growing a Greener World.

Program host, Joe Lamp'l's Online Gardening Academy offers classes designed to teach gardeners of all levels, from the fundamentals to master skills.

Classes are on demand any time.

Plus, opportunities to ask Joe questions about your specific garden in real time.

Courses are available online.

For more information or to enroll, go to growingagreenerworld.com/learn.

[funky techno jingle]