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Container Gardening For Beginners: A Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Edible Flowers PDF

145 Pages·2021·5.001 MB·English
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Preview Container Gardening For Beginners: A Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Edible Flowers

Copyright © 2021 by Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Rockridge Press, 6005 Shellmound Street, Suite 175, Emeryville, CA 94608. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering medical, legal, or other professional advice or services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an individual, organization, or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the Publisher endorses the information the individual, organization, or website may provide or recommendations they/it may make. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (866) 744-2665, or outside the United States at (510) 253-0500. Rockridge Press publishes its books in a variety of electronic and print formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books, and vice versa. TRADEMARKS: Rockridge Press and the Rockridge Press logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Callisto Media Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Rockridge Press is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Interior and Cover Designer: Amanda Kirk Art Producer: Samantha Ulban Editor: Eun H. Jeong Production Editor: Matt Burnett Production Manager: Jose Olivera Illustrations © 2021 Sunny Eckerle. All photography used under license Shutterstock. ISBN: Print 978-1-64876-810-1 | eBook 978-1-64876-236-9 R0 DEDICATION This book is dedicated to all future gardeners. I hope this book helps you learn how to grow a healthy, productive container garden. CONTENTS Introduction CHAPTER ONE CONTAINER GARDENING Why Grow in Containers? Things You Can Grow in Containers Essential Tools and Equipment CHAPTER TWO CONTAINERS Types of Containers Choosing the Right Pot for Every Plant Spacing and Garden Design Best Practices CHAPTER THREE SOIL Soil Quality Soil Mix Testing Soil CHAPTER FOUR PLANTING Seeds vs. Seedlings Seed Starting Planting Seedlings CHAPTER FIVE GROWING AND HARVESTING Watering Care and Maintenance Harvesting CHAPTER SIX PLANT PROFILES VEGETABLES Beans (Green) Beet Bell Pepper Carrot Cucumber Eggplant Garlic Lettuce Okra Onion Peas Potato Radish Zucchini HERBS Basil Cilantro Mint Oregano Parsley Rosemary Sage Stevia FRUITS Blueberry Meyer Lemon Pineapple Strawberry Tomato FLOWERS Borage Nasturtium Pansy Gardening Journal Growing Zone Map Resources About the Author INTRODUCTION A re you dreaming of growing your own fresh food? Maybe you thought it was only possible if you had a green thumb or access to a large piece of land. Perhaps the idea of gardening just seemed too complicated or too expensive. Whether you’ve never grown anything in your life or have been mostly unsuccessful, whether you have a limited budget or live in an apartment, you can successfully grow your own food in containers! Hi, I’m Tammy. I started gardening at my dad’s side at two years old. Sure, the tools were a little bit too big for me to handle, but what kid doesn’t love digging in the dirt? I vividly remember the pride of picking and eating all that food that I had grown myself. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to continue experiencing that feeling of happiness and fulfillment through a variety of gardening methods, including traditional, raised bed, and container. I’ve discovered that each method has its challenges, as well as a wide range of advantages and opportunities. Container gardening, in particular, is an excellent choice if you have limited room or are on a budget, if you want to try gardening for the first time, or if you just want to grow a new plant or two. Container gardening is the practice of growing plants in containers rather than in the ground. The strategy behind it is quite simple: Take a container, put the proper soil in it, plant a seed, water it, and watch it grow. Of course, there are some tips and techniques that can help you grow your own food or flowers more successfully. This book will guide you through the simple but important principles to follow for a great crop. Not only is container gardening simple, it is incredibly versatile. In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can grow an endless variety of plants, such as herbs and flowers. There are also so many containers to learn about and choose from, such as pouches, vertical containers, and planters. With container gardening, you can start small, with just a few herbs on a sunny windowsill, or you can start with something larger, such as tomatoes, eggplants, or green beans. While you might not be able to plant enough of a crop to freeze or can, you can adapt to the growing conditions of your plants or change up the plants you are growing so you can enjoy fresh food all year round. Container gardening is for everyone, including children and people with accessibility issues. This method puts a lot less strain on knees and backs than traditional gardening does. Some containers are designed at standing or wheelchair heights. There are even plant carts for larger pots so you can move them around for better sun exposure. Container gardening is also more budget friendly than traditional gardening. You just need to buy your containers, soil, and hand trowel, and you’re in business. No need for additional tools like rakes or shovels or big, bulky rototillers. As you can imagine, weeding is much easier in containers due to the smaller space. Instead of a 40-foot garden row, you have a 15-inch planter! It’s also far easier and more economical to water your container garden. You don’t need to build or maintain irrigation systems, and a smaller garden requires less water. In this book, you’ll see how anyone can grow their own food in a container garden. In the first part of the book, I’ll guide you through how to get started with container gardening, from gathering the tools you need to choosing the right container and soil mix. You’ll learn what you should plant and when, when to water and how, and finally, how you can successfully grow and harvest your crop. In the second part of the book, we’ll explore the profiles of 30 different vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. Each profile includes the plant’s particular characteristics and needs so you can start with the plant that is right for you.

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