Workshop 1 Growing Organic Vegetables in Containers Presented by Richly Organic Richly Organic

Planning Purchasing Planting Overview Maintaining Harvesting 11/28/2018

Planning Select a container Use your imagination Holds sufficient soil Includes drainage holes Use your imagination Old bathtubs Baskets lined with garbage bags Garbage containers Clay pots Select a suitable location: Sunlight, wind protection, easy proximity to water Planning 11/28/2018

Container Tips Poor Choices Good Choices Cheap plastic pots deteriorate in UV sunlight Some wooden containers are susceptible to rot Wood treated with creosote is toxic to plants Ceramic pots with several drainage holes Choose redwood and cedar containers Large pots between 15 and 120 quarts capacity 11/28/2018

What to Grow Grow what you and your family love to eat! Survey your space and get creative Consider a pillar of vegetables: 12 square feet of growing area on 1.2 square feet of ground! Check out the roof: above ground techniques can fit flat rooftops Anticipate harvesting Growing too much is as counter-productive as growing too little What to Grow 11/28/2018

Purchasing Select a reputable organic seed distributor Obtain seeds from organic farmers in your neighborhood Consider heirloom varieties Purchasing 11/28/2018

Best Vegetables for Containers Tomatoes Peppers Summer Squash Eggplant Green Onions Beans Lettuce Radishes Parsley Best Vegetables for Containers 11/28/2018

Planting Germinate seedlings in trays and containers at least 3" deep Set in a sunny location Fill containers with organic soil mix Cover seeding with ½ inch of soil Transplant seedlings in six to eight weeks Planting 11/28/2018

Soil Selection Select good quality soil: Drains well Does not dry out too fast Loose texture with good quantities of coarse sand and organic matter Growing mixtures that contain perlite instead of sand are excellent lightweight choices for hanging containers Soil Selection 11/28/2018

Watering Keep soil moist but not waterlogged Ensure plants gets at least 5 hours of sunlight each day Apply organic, liquid-based fertilizer sparingly Check plants routinely for diseases and insects Remove by hand Maintaining 11/28/2018

Harvesting Harvest vegetables when they have reached full maturity Discard the plant and the soil Do not reuse the soil the following year Harvesting 11/28/2018

Storage Options Vegetable Storage Shelf Life Beans, snap cold and moist 1 week Beets 5 months Broccoli 2 weeks Cabbage Carrots 8 months Lettuce Onions cold and dry 4 months Peas Radishes 1 month Spinach 10 days Tomatoes, red cool 5 days Storage Options 11/28/2018