Spring planting season is here! What an exciting time of year! One of my favorite spring chores is picking out what foods we want to eat, and the seeds and plants that we are going to grow.
This year we are in somewhat of a pickle. We are currently renting a home, and later this summer the owner is planning to sell the property. Knowing that we would soon need to move and that we wouldn’t be here at harvest time we decided to make a portable garden.
We normally like to use a raised bed method if yard space allows. Old whiskey or wine barrels also work really well if space is limited, but this year we are limiting ourselves to a few pots.
We decided on 14 inch wide pots. They are large enough to grow some heads of lettuce and spinach, and deep enough for carrots – and most importantly – easy to move! We also transplanted some root balls from our raspberry plants so that we could take them with us.
Planter gardening is quite easy, and if you have a deck, patio, or even a window sill you can grow fresh salad greens and herbs.
Grab some pots and some organic potting soil, a few seeds, and you’re all set!
I like to put a few small rocks or coarse gravel in the bottom of my planters to help with drainage, then fill them with soil to about an inch from the top.
Sprinkle some seeds on top and rake them in a bit with your hands, or push them into the soil about ¼ inch with the back of a pencil.
Lightly water and put the pot out in the sun! That’s about it!
Every day or two check the soil and give them a light sprinkle if needed. Soon you will have your own salad garden! Lettuce, spinach, cilantro, tomatoes, and peppers all do really well in pots.
Best of all you can harvest lettuce and spinach multiple times over the summer! Once it gets to about 6 inches tall, you can start trimming off the tops with scissors, leaving at least 2 or 3 inches of leaves to continue growing.
I’ll keep you tuned on how our little planter garden project is doing, and the things we plant in our new home!
Thanks, and have a great week!