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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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