Garden Clippings
Plots and containers offer bonuses
By RUTH DAVIES
Article published on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008  |
Everyone has to tighten their belts and for those seeking a workout, there’s a way to avoid the gym – work in a garden.
There’s all that stretching while pruning a tree or shrub; bending to pull a weed; weight lifting to haul bags of fertilizer, mulch or humus; shoveling with knees bent; raking to tighten arm muscles; mowing; digging; and all that cardio while moving fast. In a half-hour 150 to 250 calories can be burned. A loaded wheelbarrow takes strength from legs, arms and heart. Even picking fruit, vegetables and flowers can burn more than 100 calories.
Most people also benefit from a mental boost. The part where the gardener stops to smell the roses – that brings bouquets of peace and serenity.
The other benefit of gardening is eating good veggies. In previous columns garden space was the issue. If a small terrace is available or even a wide walkway, containers will provide a lush garden. This year my okra and cucumbers are growing in 14-inch containers. The cucumbers have been wonderful as they climb through a peach tree; the okra is late and hasn’t produced yet. Am anxiously awaiting those babies to sauté in butter and garlic. And I mean babies – two days old if they’ve had plenty of rain.
A tomato plant will grow in a 3-gallon nursery pot, so there’s no major expense for the container. However, if the garden is in the front walk, I suggest a more decorative pot. In London, many entrances to the homes, though miniscule stone or cement squares, had pots with herbs and flowers.
Pots come in all colors, shapes and sizes. If using a large, deep pot, the bottom does not need to be filled with soil. Styrofoam peanuts, an upside down plastic pot, a brick or two, or large stones can fill about 1/4 to 1/3. Then, add a good potting mix that is a sterile mix with peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. Do not use ground soil as this probably contains the microscopic nematode worm that feeds off plant roots.
Some potting mixes contain fertilizer; if not, add a time release fertilizer to the bottom part of the soil. Dampen the soil with water. If using seedlings, take them out of the nursery pot and space them nicely in the container and fill to their former growing level with more mix. Finally, water thoroughly.
There is another container that offers a successful method of gardening, the Earth Box. I found some at Carroll’s Nursery at 4950 38th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. These offer fast growth, little to no weeding, and self-watering. People who use them swear by them. Complete directions come with each box.
Container gardening won’t burn as many calories as gardening in a plot, but it can be just as rewarding.
Ruth Davies is a master gardener and can be reached at sunflower1368@juno.com.
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Article published on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008
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