Growing What I Eat - Container Gardening vs. Traditional

Behind the house.

The "main" garden space as of May 7th, 2009.

I live on the south end of a major urban area. I decided last summer to make the transition from indoor gardener to enhancing my hard scape and growing outdoors.

I actually have a decent-sized backyard, with plenty of space for all types of gardening. So, why did I choose to garden in containers? It made sense for a variety of reasons:

• Gardening tasks are easier because I'm working in a small space. Preparing my planting area was a matter of filling containers with pre-mixed soil. I can use hand tools (such as a trowel), as opposed to a spade or rototiller (which I didn't have the money to rent, or the muscle to use). Checking for signs of insect or other pest damage is easier, because the plants are right at hand. Also, preventative measures are easier to undertake because of the smaller number of plants.

• One exception to easier gardening tasks is watering. With a traditional garden, you can just set up a sprinkler system. On the other hand, going back and forth with a watering can may end up being a pain in the ass. Containers do dry out faster than gardening beds. My solution: I located my main set of containers right next to an outdoor tap. It advantageously happened to be the sunniest area on the property.

• Containers are mobile. They can be moved around, grouped and regrouped to suit your personal tastes, offer convenience and be moved with changing growing conditions as the seasons evolve.

• I will most likely not have to deal with soil-borne illnesses. Such things can persist in soil for years and be almost impossible to eradicate.

• Container gardens hardly ever have weeds.

Container gardening is a great option for the many city dwellers whose gardening space may consist of a porch, deck or patio. Even for those with an existing garden space, placing containers near the kitchen or around the outdoor grill may add versatility and convenience.

Dig This!

I confess to a love of gadgets --- especially helpful ones. I was browsing through the Lee Valley Tools website and few months ago and happened upon The WaterStik. It's an pen-sized moisture sensor that allows you to assess the watering needs of indoor plants with just the push of a button.

I'm not a lazy indoor gardener, but it is difficult to keep track of all of the specific watering needs of the full variety of plants I have. I grow Desert Plants (such as, the Madagascar Dragon Tree, Snake plants and Aloe Vera) to Tropical Plants (such as, Crotons), as well as common indoor plants (such as the Jade plant).

The WaterStik was pretty inexpensive, so I figured, "Why not?" Somewhat to my surprise, the thing really works! And remarkably well, at that. The trick to this gadget is placing the sensor at a specific depth, depending on what type of plant you're dealing with. It comes with a brief Depth Sensor-Plant Guide to move you in the right direction. Then it flashes one of four colors to give you a reading on your plant. Simple. Effective.