Many of us do not have the luxury of space. That does not mean we can't grow our own Organic vegetables, we just have to be a bit more innovative. Here are a few ideas we came up with.
Hanging Baskets are great for people who only have small patios or balconies. Plant them up with a selection of your favorite herb combinations. Sage is one herb that hates wet feet, so this does exceptionally well in a hanging basket as they dry out quickly. Just keep in mind, hanging baskets will need to be watered once to twice a day especially in summer because of this.
Pots are always the next best thing; terracotta always looks good with herbs and vegetables trailing over the edge. There are a large variety of troughs available and you would be able to fit quite a few of these along a patio. Oak barrels have a rustic charm about them.Large containers are preferable over small pots as they dry out quickly in the hot summer months.If your patio is in a windy postion avoid plastic pots as they will end up all over the place. Remember to line the bottom of your pots with gravel to help with drainage,if your pot has small drainage holds try to enlarge them. When it comes down to aesthetic beauty keep it simple, especially in small spaces use either one style of pot or keep them all the same color.
Instead of buying pots why not recycle all your old containers, tubs and whatever else you have that can be filled up with soil. You could even just plant straight into your compost bag if you like! Lie the bag of potting soil flat on the ground make a few drainage holes around the edges to prevent your plants from becoming waterlogged, slit a few holes in the plastic, spacing your herbs and vegetables evenly so their roots have room to spread. Make sure that you plant the taller plants at the back. Or make a potato bag, stand the bag on end and lean it against the wall, open the bag at the top, make a few drainage holes at the bottom. Take out two thirds of your soil, roll the sides of the bag down, place potatoes about 4cm deep, when the plant reaches about 30cm in height add some potting soil and roll the edges of the bag to accommodate this repeat this method until the bag is filled. Talking about Organic potatoes I think this product is really nifty and does not take up space http://www.potatoesforafrica.co.za/ have a look
If you are able and want a more permanent feature you could build raised retaining beds. These keep the veg off the ground and are easier to tend as you don't have to bend over.
Herbs and vegetables need six to seven hours of direct sunlight a day, keep this in mind when positing your pots and Herb gardens.It is very important that your growing medium is right it must be free - draining but also capable of holding an adequate quantity of water either use an Organic potting soil E2E has a great potting soil or make your own using one - third garden soil, one - third compost and one-third river sand.
If a pest should appear do not despair,place broken eggshells or beer traps to deter snails and slugs.Remove caterpillars or beetles by hand.Your companion planting should do the trick but if you need a helping hand Margaret Roberts has a wonderful range of organic products.
A few of my favorite companion planting combinations. Try a few of your own and let me know what did and did not work for you.
- Going Italian, Thyme, Garlic, Tomatoes, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Brinjals, Rosemary.
- Mexican, Mixed Chillies, Coriander, Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic.
- Pretty berry pot, Strawberries, Mint, Roses, Borage, Nastutiums, Echinacea, Gooseberries.
- Salad mix, mixed lettuces, Onions, Green peppers, Spring onions, Radishes, Mustard, Rocket.
- Winter soup pot, Cabbages,Leeks,Celery,Thyme,Sage,Rosemary,Onions,Turnips,Swiss chard,Chives,Carrots.
Happy Organic gardening!
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