Gardening

[piplover]

I don't have a yard, just a little porch where I have several pots I'm trying to grow things in.  I have one of chives, a tomato plant, a pepper plant, some flowers, and I had some onions. 

Although my mom could make a twig grow and bloom in the middle of the desert, I seem to have a bit of a brown thumb. Not quit black, because I can still grow some things. But I'm nowhere near her level of gardening Goddess.  The onions I planted ended up icky and squishy.  I don't think I overwatered them, but I probably did?  How much do onions need to be watered?  It's been in the 90s the past several weeks, so I want to make sure they're not going to shrivel up.

My pepper plant seems to be doing all right. I'm watering it every other day, and I think there's a few little ones that will start to form shortly. But the tomato plant I think is a bust. It hasn't had any tomatoes yet, and my mom's is practically falling over with them. 

Oh, garden gurus, help! 

Comments

[dreamflower]

I grow almost exclusively in containers for my tomatoes, herbs and onions. It's been way too hot and dry, we only got about ten tomatoes total off of 8 plants, and that was with a lot of watering. Even my herbs have been wilting every afternoon, though they pick up after a nice long drink.

Your onions do sound as though they've had too much moisture, but perhaps it is poor drainage rather than overwatering. Make sure that the drain holes in your pots are not plugged up and are large enough to do some good. Also if your pots are deep enough to encourage good roots.

Another thing that helps is to use a good quality moisture control-type potting soil. It has little granules of vermiculite and stuff to keep the moisture from being too little or too much.

[piplover.livejournal.com]

I think the drain did get plugged up. I'll have to put some rocks on the bottom of the pot, to make sure the soil can drain properly. Is it too late to plant more onions?

I'll also go to the store this week and try to get some Miracle Grow. The soil I got was Miracle Grow, but I don't think it was the moisture kind.

[dreamflower]

Yes-- a little gravel in the bottom helps, and make sure you get the Moisture Control kind any time you use pots!

Actually, onions are good to plant for the fall, especially if you are planting "setts" (the little bulbs). If you put some out now, you can have more by September if you just want the green scallion kind, and bigger ones by October.

[piplover.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! Thank you, that's good to know. I think I'll head to the store this week and pick up some more bulbs and some gravel, lol.

[shirebound]

Good luck with your harvest! Gardening in pots is a delicate thing. I've only ever tried tomatoes, and it was so thrilling to see the first ones start to turn red.

[piplover.livejournal.com]

It is! I was so happy when I noticed a little pepper bud appearing. I wish my tomato plant was doing better, because I don't like them raw, but I do like to put them in chili and such.