Show#6
Dr. Rick has some
interesting ideas for growing Herbs and Vegetables in a
hanging basket.
For
many of us, vegetable gardening in the ground may not be
an option. We may live in an apartment or the land we have
may be sloping or shady. Here�s a great way to grow herbs
and great vegetables in a hanging basket.
(SHOW)
You�ll need a drill and 1� drill bit, a good sized hanging
basket, maybe 12� or 14� in diameter, good potting mix,
some cherry tomato plants, (those are the kind that produce
lots of small sweet tomatoes that are great for salads or
just popping in your mouth. And, your favorite herbs such
as chives, oregano, and cilantro.
Take
the drill and place 4-1� holes near the base of the hanging
basket. Now gently guide the tomato plants through the hole
and out the bottom of the container. Now fill the container
up to the top with your potting mix. Since we are going
to put this hanging basket in bright full sun, I added something
to hold moisture into the soil. It is known as hydrogel
and as you moisten the soil, it absorbs water and expands
a little bit. Then as the soil dries out, it releases the
water back into the soil. Mix is thoroughly into the soil
and it will keep your basket from drying out so fast. Leave
about 1� of space between the top of the soil and the top
of the container so that when you water, it won�t cascade
over the sides. Believe it or not, these tomatoes will thrive.
As the sun hits them and they begin to grow, they will arch
back up toward the top of the basket and produce dozens
of small but very tasty tomatoes hanging down on the sides
of the container.
Now
fill up the top of the hanging basket with your favorite
herbs. Place them at an angle around the edges and go ahead
and put a few in the middle for this type of basket. We
want to fill it up with plants. Now you�ll have quite a
number of plants that will be looking for food and water.
Let me recommend that you feed your hanging herb and vegetable
garden with a general-purpose liquid fertilizer whenever
you water. This is know as fertigation (fertilizer in the
irrigation) and it promises that your plants will never
get hungry as they grow and provide you with fresh herbs
for cooking and a healthy snack.
We visit Horticulturist
Roger Ditmer at the Cloister Hotel, Sea Island, Georgia.
Roger discusses plants suitable for a coastal environment.
Wayne McLauren author of "Herbs
In Southern Gardens" discusses planting and care for Herbs.
Some of the Herbs mentioned are Dill, Parsley, Rosemary,
Lemon Tyne, Basil, Oregano, Lemon Grass and Sage.
Dr. Rick has some new ideas that can help you keep your
plants straight.
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