First container success

I'm new to DG, new to most gardening efforts, and just finding my way around. Since my first love is the idea of growing my own vegetables, I tend to think I'll be hanging around this forum some -- so HI! I hope to learn from you guys and also to contribute when and where I can -- eventually, when I learn a few things. Oh, and I'm in Texas and a non-native, so I'm still trying to figure out seasons here. (I did join the Texas gardeners and am enjoying it, too, btw).

For now, I just really want to share my excitement that last night, hubby and I ate our first homegrown cauliflower. Two small heads, and by far the sweetest cauliflower I have ever tasted. I wish the heads had been bigger. They were only fist-sized (a lady's fist!), but I'd read (here?) that when the head starts looking less compact and more "rice-like" then it's time to pick, regardless of the size.

I have two more growing and hope they get a bit bigger. The others are each in their own pots, although they are so far the same size.

Anyway, it's nice to be here, and thanks for letting me share.
LiseP

Looking good Lise. You were right, they were ready to pick. To get larger heads, use a larger container or plant just one in your container. They were a bit crowded.

Thanks, Farmerdill. I will do that. LiseP

Hi Lise! I'm from Texas too! Your cauliflower looks divine, good job!

Thanks, darkmoondreamer.

I confess, I'd never even seen cauliflower growing before, so it was a real kick to watch it.

I'm still getting used to seasons here. I grew up in Minnesota, and this is so much different. Not that I had a garden then, but my dad always did, so my internal gardening clock is not set for this region yet. But I'm learning.
LiseP

Wow, Lise! Congrats! I have never had success with container veggies, you have encouraged me to try again. I have a 3/4 acre veggie garden but I would like to grow some in containers too.

Great job!

Thanks for the kind words susandonb1141.

I would be so happy to have a 3/4 acre veggie plot! I have a suburban postage-stamp backyard with trees, so I am chasing sunny patches where I can find them. I figured containers would be my only hope, because I can move them.

Those look just yummy, Lise! Good work. And that sweeter taste thing, oh yeah....... ;-)

Kyla

What size container did you use? If it wasn't too large, this might be a great way to take advantage of some of the sun out front, by surrounding a tree with some broccoli and cauliflower both.

Might I suggest BocaBob's 5 gallon grow bags with his coco coir? Go to the Marketplace and search for coco coir and his site will come up. We're having GREAT successes over in the self-contained garden forum. Stop on by for LOTS of tips on container veggie gardening.

Linda

Kylaluaz, thanks for the nice words.

Hastur, the photo was of a 5-gallon pot. I have 2 others each alone in 10" pots.

Gymgirl,
Thanks for the suggestion of BocaBob's 5-gallon grow bags. I've been lurking on the self-contained box garden forum some -- is that the one you mean? I did read several interesting comments on BB's grow bags there. Tempting. I've got to move slowly though. Hubby's skeptical and gets grumpy when I spend money on gardening. I tried to plant a garden a couple of years ago as new transplants to Texas and everything died. I have a lot to learn about seasons and soil here, and a lot of other things. He grew up in the fertile soil of central PA where his grandmother pretty much threw out a handful of seeds and every came up. So he figures I ought to be able to do the same here (NOT).

Actually, he is coming around -- those tasty cauliflowers sure helped!!! Over the weekend he built me a wonderful potting bench on the backside of our little deck area, using scrap lumber and part of an old bed frame. I'm so pleased. Sorry, got off track a bit, but can't help wanting to show off my new toy. LiseP

I'd say he's coming around. I'd love to have that bench. Congratulations.

Way cool potting bench! Yep, he's coming 'round. Is that a bag of MG potting SOIL I seen underneath? What do you use that for?

Really cool bench! I'm jealous!

LiseP

Show you hubby this cabbage growing in a 5 gallon grow bag w/ coco coir and see what he says.

BocaBob

Part of the reason that I grow veggies is to save money. I look at those coir bags and think how conveint they would be but they seem cost prohibitive.

Katy65468 - They are not really expensive but if you don't want to pay for the coconut coir, you can just buy the bags and fill them up with local stuff and still have a inexpensive container garden.

BocaBob

thanks lee that is a thought. I must think on this. I am trying to do less tilling and busting up of the ground. I can see the damage it does. I am doing more no till and more container gardening.

Nice cabbage, BocaBob! It definitely beats what is growing here -- mine (so far) seem to be lovely leaves but no head has formed.

Thanks for the comments on my new potting bench. Makes me smile every time I look at it.

Gymgirl, you asked what the bag of potting soil is for. My initial thought was not wholely formed, I confess. I had a couple of vague ideas in mind. For one thing, I tried to make a raised bed a couple of years ago and it seems to have deflated badly -- not sure if it compacted, decayed, or just eroded under my neighbor's fence. So my first thought was that I wanted to put a couple more inches into that small bed. The second thing was that I have container growing on my mind and at the time I bought it, it seemed reasonable to buy something that said 'for potting vegetables and flowers.'

But the more I read, the more it seems to be that few gardeners actually use soil. I'm a bit confused about it though, since that is what stores seem to want to sell the most. Why is that? I mean, they have heaps of bags of soil of all sizes and brands, but just try to find perlite or vermiculite or bagged compost, for example, and it's much harder to find. I discovered that when I tried to make up "Mel's square-foot gardening" recipe properly a couple years ago for that afore-mentioned raised bed. I had a difficult time finding the ingredients.

Hmmm, didn't mean to sound defensive for why I bought that bag of soil, but anyway, that's sort of my (confused) thought process. LiseP

LiseP,

"But the more I read, the more it seems to be that few gardeners actually use soil..."

I was hoping you'd get to the exact conclusion you voiced in your post!

Think "organic" in the sense that anything that was once "alive" (in any organic state) is the best thing you can put in your garden. I can't remember exactly who on DG said that, but it's the creed I've been "growing" by ever since, and looks like quite a few other DGers are heading in that direction...

Build up with coffee grinds, your veggie peels (to draw earthworms that'll til your soil for you), shredder paper (which was once a tree), etc., etc. Check out BocaBob's coco coir, too. I'm using it for the first time with my veggie seedlings, and they are taking off like gangbusters! It's made from ground up coconut husks, and compressed into blocks you can carry around easily.

Bob ships 'em out, then all you do is put em' in a big container, turn on the water and stand back and watch the block expand like a sponge to 10 times its volume! Totally cool!

Thanks for your advice on building up the organics in my garden, Gymgirl. I have just shredded a bunch of oak leaves and plan to use that for brown layers in a compost pile, but it's going to take awhile before I'll have some compost ready. Meanwhile, are you saying I can mix coffee grounds and veggie peels (chopped, I would presume would be best) right into my garden bed? LiseP

LiseP,
That's EXACTLY what I'm saying! It's called "hole" composting. Once you get a batch of organic material (grinds, peels -- and, yes, do chop 'em up -- they break down even faster) ready for your existing garden bed, dig a hole about 8" or so (or several) dump your stuff in, cover the hole again and then sit back and watch your garden say "thank you!"

Hey, I can do that!
Thanks.
LiseP

LiseP ~ something else you might look into would be Lasagna beds? This will help improve the soil you have and maintain the ground moisture which in the south in a problem in the heat of summer. This link is to lasagna info about vegetable beds in particular. http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm