4

Dressed for Success

Just as you look terrific when you go out for a night on the town (or even a day at the office), dressed in that dynamite outfit you just know makes you look absolutely irresistible, plants look better dressed up, too. But for a plant, the best designer ware you can get is a flower pot, box or other container to show it off.

Sure, you can stick a plant in any old plastic throwaway you pick up behind the nursery, but why bother dressing down your plants when good-looking and even great-looking pots are relatively inexpensive and available nearly everywhere — including, I’m betting, right inside your own home.

If you’ve been gardening for as long as I have, you probably have dozens of spare planters around the house. If you don’t, don’t despair. You can go out to the local antique store or home decorating shop and pick up something really nice for a couple hundred dollars. Or you can get by for a buck or two by simply shopping around, remaining flexible and being a bit creative. Before you begin snooping around for that pot to die for, though, take a few minutes to think about what type of container will be best for your plants.

Plants like plenty of “leg room.” They need room to grow, both above ground and below. In general, a plant’s root system should be at least one-half the height of the plant at the plant’s maturity. If a plant grows to twelve inches in height, then, you’re going to want a pot that provides you with at least six inches of root room.

Note that I’m not talking about a pot that’s six inches deep, here. You can’t expect to fill a six-inch pot with soil to the brim and not make a mess every time you go to water. You’ll need to allow at least half an inch of extra depth, and preferably an inch, to make sure that the water doesn’t run over the sides of the container and out across the floor.

Also, remember that root crops, where the edible portion of the plant grows beneath the surface of the soil, are going to require even more depth to account for the size of the root. In such cases, it’s wise to have a pot as deep as the root at maturity plus four inches. A beet root that is likely to be four inches tall, then, should be grown in a pot that allows for eight inches of depth.

Avoid at all costs the notion that when you buy a plant at the local garden center or nursery you can keep it in the same pot after you get it home. Plants are grown by commercial nurseries in small pots for a purpose. The cramped growing conditions force the plant to produce more roots in a concentrated area, resulting in healthier looking top growth. That, in turn, appeals to consumers such as you and me.

These plants do well in such small containers because nurseries feed and water them nearly continually to keep them alive and prospering — up to the point that you take it home. Then get ready for trouble. Unless you’re equipped to feed and water your root-bound plants daily (and sometimes more often than that), you’re going to want to transplant the little critters into something roomier, with more soil to hold more crucial water and nutrients.

Likewise, if you buy a new container into which to transplant your new acquisition, make sure that the pot isn’t merely an inch or two larger than the original container. Choose a pot that’s roomy enough to hold the plant at maturity. In that way, you won’t have to transplant more than once.

This is especially important with food crops. It’s one thing to keep an ornamental plant looking fairly healthy in a relatively small pot. But fruits and vegetables need extra room — and the additional nutrients — that larger pots afford them in order to flower and set fruit.

How will you know how big a plant will grow when it’s mature? Check the tags on the plants or pots where you purchase them. If that doesn’t give you the answer, do a little Internet research. (You’ll find some great free plant information resources in the appendix of this book.) Taking the time to match the size of the pot to the size of the mature plant will help you enjoy greater container gardening success.

Shopping Around for the Right Containers

When you set out to find the right containers for your plants, the first place to look is where you buy your plants. It makes sense. Why make three or four trips to different stores when you can buy everything you need in one place?

But don’t feel intimidated into buying something you don’t like — or something that costs more than you’re willing to spend — just because it’s readily available. Often, taking the time to shop around, checking out various nurseries, home centers, discount shops, other retail outlets and the Internet is the most economical way to purchase pots.

And don’t forget to watch for seasonal specials. I love to shop for pots in the fall because of all the sales. That’s the best time of year to get a great deal on even the most costly designer pots because stores start getting nervous about carrying over their summer stock round about the first of October. You can often find some really great bargains at that time of year.

Even if you’re not planning on using a sale pot immediately, having it on hand for the future is a great way to be prepared while saving big bucks.

You can also find great deals on pots at yard and garage sales, community sales, rummage sales and auctions. People place relatively little personal value on pots once they’ve been used. But in my experience, even the grungiest-looking pots will clean up quite nicely once you get them home.

I’ve been fortunate enough to find pots that would easily cost more than a hundred dollars retail for only a few dollars at a sale. You get to pocket the change while showing off all those costly pots to friends and neighbors without anyone being the wiser.

Remember to remain flexible, and keep your eyes open. Sometimes stores that you would least expect will receive a shipment of pots, stores that otherwise rarely carry any plant paraphernalia at all. I have found great deals on pots in grocery stores, antique shops and second-hand and consignment shops. These might not be among the first places you would think to shop for your pots, but you should keep them in mind as you make your rounds.

Three of the author’s favorite decorator pots, purchased during the off-season for less than US$7 apiece.

Adapting Containers to Your Needs

There’s another way to get great-looking pots for little or no money. It’s a trick I have often used, especially when acquiring large pots (which can be very costly — the bigger the pot, the larger the tab). Pick up an inexpensive pot made from plastic, tin or whatever other suitable material you find and dress it up by placing it inside a wicker basket or some other type of decorative receptacle. For only a few dollars, you can often create the illusion of having a unique and costly planter while providing your plants with plenty of leg room to grow.

Just be certain when placing a pot inside any porous vessel, such as a wicker basket, to put a saucer under the plant inside the basket. In that way, when the excess water drains from the soil, as it inevitably will, it won’t run all over the house.

Check inside the basket from time to time to make sure the pot isn’t sitting in a saucer full of water, though. Sometimes out of sight really is out of mind, and most plants don’t do well with continuously wet feet.

To remove standing water from a saucer inside a decorative container, either lift the pot out and empty the saucer before replacing the plant or, if the plant is too large or bulky to lift, place some towels or old rags next to the basket and tilt it until the excess water runs out. As an alternative, if you have room to reach down to the saucer, you can soak up the excess water with an absorbent cloth or sponge.

If you find yourself regularly emptying saucers or water, cut back on the amount of water you give your plants to alleviate the problem in the future. There is a thin line between giving your plant just the amount of water it needs and giving it too much or too little. By adjusting your watering routine, you’ll eliminate the need to run around the house, tilting plants and emptying saucers for the rest of your life.

Another inexpensive way to match a pot to your tastes, as well as to your home décor, is to decorate the pot’s exterior. You can pick up an affordable clay pot, for instance, and use spray paint to change its color. You can also decorate it with stencil (patterns are available at most paint stores and craft shops). Lacquer over the stencils, once the paint has dried, to protect them from the elements.

I have also upgraded the look of an ordinary inexpensive pot by gluing slats of wood to the outside, running the slats vertically from top to bottom. The results are terrific, and you can stain or paint the wood to better match the surroundings. Leave a small space between each of the slats to provide an added element of depth and texture to the finished product.

You might also consider wrapping an old or ugly pot with twine or rope to give it a decorator look. Use small dabs of glue or silicon calk periodically to help keep the rope in place and prevent it from slipping down or stretching out with exposure to the elements.

Just remember: Whenever using glue on a porous pot, such as clay, choose a non-soluble cement, such as silicon calk, quick-drying epoxy or instant-glue. Otherwise, every time you water, the pot will bleed moisture through to the outside and slowly decay the glue.

About Clay Pots

Clay pots are among the oldest pots in history. Once used by ancestral human beings to cook in and eat from, they are now manufactured by the tens of thousands, making them inexpensive and, thus, immensely popular pots for container gardening.

Ah, but while clay pots are good all-around containers for most plants, they do tend to leach moisture into the air, which means they suck the moisture from the soil inside the pots, drying the soil out more quickly than is the case in less porous pots, such as those made from plastic or glazed ceramic. If you use clay pots, be certain to check for soil moisture more frequently than with other types of pots.

Also, since clay pots filled with moistened soil are extremely heavy, be sure that you use them only in areas where they don’t need to be moved frequently — especially true with very large, tree-sized pots. It’s also a good idea to place all large potted plants on trivets fitted with casters for when you absolutely must move them.

Another elegant way of dressing up inexpensive pots is to decorate them with broken shards of colorful ceramic or glass tile or pebbles. Simply trowel the appropriate tile cement onto the outside of the pot and place the shards or stones wherever you want them. Once the entire project has dried, grout the seams between the pieces and allow the grout to dry thoroughly before protecting the grout with an appropriate sealer. You can get more advice and supplies from the flooring department of your local home center or online.

If you decide to try this decorator trick, don’t be timid. Be creative. Break up the tile into small pieces with a hammer (be sure to wear goggles to protect your eyes from flying debris), and vary the color and sizes of the tiles to suit your tastes and design palette.

Once your project is complete, you can coat the entire exterior of your newly created designer pot with clear acrylic or any one of a number of other suitable sealants to keep dirt and other debris from dulling the finish.

If You Build It, They Will Grow

Yet another inexpensive way to get a very expensive pot for next to no cost is to build it yourself from scratch. Depending upon just how handy you happen to be, you can use nearly any medium that’s capable of holding water — including wood (although you will need to take some additional steps when using porous material).

If you’re handy with a hammer and a saw, you can build a square or rectangular planter to nearly any size you desire. Once your project is complete, use a waterproofing compound, such as epoxy or waterproof paint, to coat the interior. Test the pot when the compound has fully dried by filling it with water and setting it outside or indoors in the sink or bathtub. If the outside is still dry 24 hours later, you can be pretty confident that you’re ready to plant in it.

As an alternative to using a waterproof sealant, you can line the pot with a heavy grade of plastic or vinyl. Keep the sheeting in place by using a small dab of silicon calk wherever needed.

After finishing your container project, make sure to drill quarter-inch drainage holes every four inches or so in the bottom, and set a saucer slightly smaller in diameter than the pot (so it can’t be seen) beneath it. Lift the pot off the saucer periodically to empty out any standing water, which might eventually reach the lip of the saucer and overflow, ruining your flooring.

These two rectangular containers constructed of common-grade cedar were made to sit on the rear wall of a pond. The insides were sealed with waterproof paint, and drain holes were drilled in the back to prevent excess water from draining into the pond.

You can use a similar technique to make custom-built window boxes for the exterior of your home (or even the interior, if you’re creative and have lots of window space). With a little basic wood-working knowledge, you’ll find building a window box relatively simple — about a “two” on a scale of difficulty from one to five. For outdoor window boxes, use a water-retardant species of wood such as cedar or redwood. Be sure to use galvanized nails or screws to hold your window box together unless you don’t mind those black “weep marks” that come from using untreated metal fasteners.

Of course, there are many other materials besides wood from which you can build a container unique to your personal tastes and environment. Spend an hour or so wandering around your local home supply center, and I guarantee you’ll find more than you ever knew existed. You can use virtually any material that can be forged into a vessel shape to hold your plant — from Plexiglas and plastic to corrugated metal (great for that ultra-modern industrial look), PVC pipe and even spray foam (the kind that comes in a can).

Remember, though, that once your project is complete, you’ll need to test it for water tightness — especially if the container will be located indoors — to make certain you don’t end up ruining a beautiful carpet, table or hardwood floor.

Wild and Crazy Guy

There’s yet another way to secure a large and wildly diverse group of containers to hold your fruits and vegetables. You can “appropriate” them. No, I’m not talking about stealing them from beneath your neighbor’s back porch. That would be unprincipled, not to mention illegal! I’m talking about adapting and adopting.

Do you have anything around the house that is sufficient in size to hold some potting mix and a plant or two? Here are a couple of things I discovered around my house while writing this chapter.

An old hiking boot

A wastepaper basket

A discarded file box

A large wooden salad bowl

A cardboard box

A discarded lamp shade

A plastic milk jug

A desk drawer

A deep wicker serving tray

A large vegetable juice can

I know what you’re thinking. Too much sun, not enough selenium.

Actually, I’ve been getting just the right amount of each, thank you. No, there’s nothing wrong with me upstairs — at least, nothing more than usual. But here’s my point. If it’s large enough to hold a plant, it’s suitable for a planter.

Of course, if the object is water-tight, such as a plastic milk jug or a juice can, you’re already one step ahead of the pack. You can fill it with potting mix, plant whatever you want in it, and sit back to await the fruits of your labor.

If the object is anything but water-tight, such as a cardboard box or a shoe, you’re going to have to waterproof it before turning it into a planter.

You can do that either by painting the object, inside and out, with a waterproof paint or epoxy, or you can do something that’s far simpler and less costly: line it with plastic.

Avoid using an inexpensive grade of plastic, such as plastic food wrap, a trash bag or a flimsy two-for-a-dollar drop cloth, because if it punctures (and thin plastic always punctures), you’re going to rue the day you ever bought this book.

The plastic you’ll need to use is at least three millimeters in thickness, available in different-sized rolls at most home centers, nurseries and hardware stores. For an even sturdier piece of goods — something that will last a lifetime — use vinyl pond liner, which you can get online or at many home and nursery centers.

Whichever vinyl product you use, before you line your new planter, use a light coating of silicon calk to cover the inside bottom. Squeeze a dollop out of the tube and, using an old paint brush, a spoon or your fingertips (put on a pair of disposable gloves first!), cover the entire bottom of the planter. While the silicon is still wet, cut an overly large piece of vinyl from the role, stuff it inside the planter and press it into contact with the silicon. Allow to dry for one or two days.

Next, drill weep holes every four inches or so to drain any excess water from your planter. Once that’s complete, you can fill your planter. Start with a coarse layer of stones or gravel and add potting mix nearly to the top. Press the mixture in firmly to push the vinyl lining flush against the planter’s inside walls.

Finally, cut the excess vinyl so that it’s half an inch or so below the neck of the vessel and secure it to the vessel with a thin bead of silicon.

The results? A brand new (well, recycled new) container ready to take its place in your “garden.”

If you want to use your newly lined recycled planter indoors, make sure to place some sort of inexpensive saucer or tray beneath the drainage holes to prevent water from running all over the house.

The Shape of the Future

Whether you decided to buy your pots, build them from scratch or reconstitute them from recycled materials, you should never be at a lack of containers for your garden. From those three sources alone, you’ll have access to a huge selection of sizes and shapes — cylindrical, conical, rounded and square. Still others are “indeterminate” (shoe-shaped?).

The shape of the pots you choose won’t necessarily matter much to the plants you grow in them, so long as you keep in mind that the pot should allow for ample root growth and adequate drainage. Be sure that the top, or neck, of the container is wide enough, of course, to accommodate the plant (and wide enough to transplant it later, as will likely be necessary if you plan on growing a large perennial plant over the course of several years). A wide neck also has the advantage of being easier to water without spilling, and it offers more opportunity for oxygen exchange — allowing the discharge of carbon dioxide during the day while taking in oxygen, and just the reverse at night — which is critical to stimulate healthy plant growth.

About the worst mistake I ever made in choosing a shape for a planter was selecting an expensive egg-shaped designer pot. It had a wide middle and a narrow neck. I planted a perennial tree inside the pot. When it eventually outgrew its home, I set about removing it for transplanting into something larger.

Imagine my overwhelming joy when, only seconds into a project that should have taken no more than a minute or two, I realized that the root mass was three times larger than the pot’s opening.

In order to prevent losing all of those delicate life-sustaining roots by yanking the plant out by the stem (which could also damage the stem), I finally ended up using a power saw to cut the pot in two. I was amazed at how the root ball had filled up every cubic inch of soil inside the container. No wonder I couldn’t coax the plant loose!

All was not lost, however. Once I’d finished repotting the plant into a more conventional container, I was able to use some quick-drying cement to rejoin the two halves again. After a little sanding and a fresh coat of paint, it looked as good as new.

Now I plant only annuals in it, so that at the end of each growing season, I can rip them out without worry.

A lesson learned.

01:00 IN A MINUTE

• Give plants plenty of “leg room.”

• Shop around for the best prices on pots.

• If you can’t find what you want at the price you can afford, decorate or build it yourself from scratch.

• Pay attention to the shape of your pots: shallow containers are ideal for herbs and low-growing plants such as strawberries; short, fat, dumpy containers are great for tall plants; containers that have a narrow collar are going to prove a problem for repotting.

• If you’re in a whimsical or frugal mood, you can recycle nearly any container into an effective and attractive planter

Snap Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Habit: Pole, bush and half-runner

 

Cultivars: Recommended for container gardening:

• Bush type: Bush Blue Lake 274, Derby, Provider, Resistant Cherokee Wax, Roma II, Tendercrop and Venture

• Pole type: Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder, Kentucky Wonder 191 and Kwintus (Early Riser) • Half-runner type: Mountaineer White

Seed or Transplants: Both

 

Pot Size: Medium

 

Water: Water moderately, to a depth of about six inches. Light sprinkles will encourage shallow rooting of the plants. The critical period for moisture is during pod set and pod development. Morning watering is best so that the leaves dry out before evening, discouraging fungal diseases.

 

Comments: Beans do best in full sun or bright indirect light with uniform fertilizing and watering during their growth cycle. Pole beans are going to require a trellis or other support on which to grow, making them somewhat awkward for growing indoors, particularly because some varieties are capable of growing quite “long.” Bush beans are much more compact and more suitable in general for container gardening. Once the beans begin forming, the plant bears throughout much of the season.

 

Seeds: Plant seeds to a depth approximately twice the thickness of the seed; water; and tamp soil firmly with your fingers. Cover pot with a clear plastic container or wrap, and wait for germination. Keep soil moist but not saturated, and keep pot out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating. Uncover at the first sign of sprouts. When three sets of leaf axils form, thin to approximately one plant per six inches.

 

Transplants: Place in hole no deeper than original root ball and tamp around stem firmly.

Snap Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Soil: Snap beans require moderate amounts of fertilizer and a pH between 5.8 and 6.5 for optimal fertility levels.

 

Insects: Insect problems may include Mexican bean beetles, thrips, aphids, corn earworms and stink bugs. Solutions: Spray for insects with biologically friendly non-detergent soap mixed with water (1T per gallon water).

 

Diseases: Common diseases include root rot, rust and gray mold. Solutions: Choose resistant varieties and keep misting and moisture in general to a minimum. To contain existing disease, try Horseradish Fungicide. (See Chapter 15.)

 

Health Benefits: Beans are an excellent source of vitamins C and K plus manganese. They are also high in vitamin A (mostly via their concentration of carotenoids, including beta-carotene), dietary fiber, potassium, folate and iron. As if that weren’t enough, they are an efficient source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorous, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin. They are, in short, a health food store in a pot.

The vitamin K in green beans is critical for maintaining strong bones. Vitamin K1 helps to prevent the formation of osteoclasts, which causes cells within bones to break down. As a bonus, the beneficial bacteria in our intestines convert some K1 into K2, which activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein contained in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone, creating a stronger, more durable skeletal structure.

Green beans are also beneficial in providing nutrients to fight atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Their vitamins A and C work to reduce the number of free radicals in the body. Vitamin C, a water-soluble antioxidant, and the beta-carotene in Vitamin A, a fat-soluble antioxidant, work in combination to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol is more likely to stick to the blood vessel walls, creating blockages that can lead to heart attack or stroke.¹²

Green beans are also beneficial in reducing inflammation of the cells, promoting overall colon health and providing a rich source of iron.

 

Ready for the Kitchen: May be harvested as soon as bean pods are swollen and ripe, although they may also be left on the plant to harden into dried beans long after the plant itself dies off. Full maturation is typically 50-60 days from seed.

 

Annual Savings: Approximately $38 per year per person on average.