Phaedra's Garden 2022

[Phaedra]

Experimenting with the two rows on the left-hand side - I used the bottomless planters. The rest are directly planted in the soil.

I have many 10-12 Liter flower pots, which have now become bottomless planters. Besides using this method for planting vegetables, I will use those bigger ones for planting trees later this weekend.

Salmon pink tulips

Boxes and dwarf sunflowers

Mmm, it seems this bed will be dazzling soon.

After many seedlings are transplanted, the greenhouse looks a bit lonely. I sow more flowers yesterday, including cosmo, zinnia, scabious, and nasturtium - most are fancy varieties, let's see.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Benefits of bottomless planters please?

 

[Phaedra]

Benefits of bottomless planters please?

For the bottomless planters, I think they are theoretically close to tiny raised beds. A regular pot has limited capacity for the soil and space for the root to develop; however, when you remove the bottoms, the plants can reach for more nutrients and water when they are too big for the original pots.

I learned this concept from Bunny Guinness - she used this method for trees in the garden. I have already prepared a few bigger pots for doing the same. It's pretty common to see people use containers to plant vegetables. For example, instead of growing potatoes in the ground or raised beds, planting them in all kinds of containers has advantages like flexibility and convenience. No-dig is already a method that can save a lot of effort and benefit soil health. However, it still takes time to collect cartons and prepare compost (a lot of compost).

Another concern is that it's difficult for me to use raised beds or no dig method for some good spots (with the longest sunshine hours) in my garden (due to the slope or too close to one of the gates). Container planting is the best alternative, as long as the capacity limitation can be improved. Removing the bottom is helpful.

Besides, most plants leave my greenhouse for their next journey when they are relatively small. A 10 Liter pot is quite sufficient for them to grow for another while, in an exclusive space, without any competition. When they develop further, and their roots need more space and nutrients, they won't be constrained by the bottom.

I found one photo in my mobile.

In this pot, I put one basil, one tomato, and one salad green seedlings together when I potted the other seedlings on. Somehow I lost track of their varieties so they became neighbors. They are still quite small, but the roots are already stretching out for adventures. I moved the bottom and put this small pot on the ground in between the bigger pots. I am not sure if my description is proper or not, but it's like going on an adventure with a base camp nearby.

This year, I will use this method for some vegetables, trees, and, most importantly, Dahlias. It took me too much effort to dig and collect Dahlia tubers from the raised beds last year, and whatever stayed in the raised bed didn't survive after winter. If they grow in the bottomless planters, after the green parts die back, I can remove the pots somewhere else with frost protection (like the garage) and do the following care (basic cleaning, dividing, etc.) when I have time. As the tubers are what I need to keep, any roots that reach the soil underneath can be removed.

In short, the pros I want to prove from this method include:
1. flexibility
2. less labor
3. free access to the soil underneath
4. less competition (in the early stage)

Of course, there will be cons like:
1. efforts to remove the bottom -- a good scissor can cut ordinary thin-wall soft nursery pots, but thicker pots need an electrical sow.
2. less competition (with weeds) also means more isolated conditions with much less active soil microbes

 

[Phaedra]

More brassica family seedlings are on the way!

As they are all leafy greens that can't be transplanted outside without protection (flea beetles have already arrived), they will grow in the greenhouse. I have tried a few of them earlier, and the result is satisfying.

So, the bottomless planter concept will also be used for planting those leafy greens. The small nursery pots or yogurt cups will be sufficient as they are relatively short-term crops. I will update you later here.

The first batch of cosmos seedlings is now hardening off on the outdoor shelves. As the weather will become much warmer in the coming week, they will grow quickly.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Wonderful explanation. I'll be thinking of it for months as I get ready to attack ---er---work in my new garden.

 

[Phaedra]

I pricked some seedlings into the module trays in the evening and sowed some more seeds.

Suddenly, one idea came to my mind.
The four solar LED lights are relocated to the watermelon hoop tunnel; it looks lovely.

Good night!

 

[Phaedra]

Saturday first half - prepared meals for my FIL and cleaned the garden here; gosh, that's really a jungle.
Anyway, now I am the one who takes charge of this garden; whatever I have no love for will become compost materials.

Long grass scissor works first, and then the mower follows.

In between the garden work, my FIL came to the garden, so I also gave him a haircut.

Then I worked for another hour, cut more grass - the rest will be done next week. Meanwhile, a clean piece of land is already available to be used.

 

[digitS']

Oh no!

You used the grass shears for the olde fellow's haircut?

Looks like it will be a pleasant barber shop for the Summer .

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

Oh no!

You used the grass shears for the olde fellow's haircut?

Looks like it will be a pleasant barber shop for the Summer .

Steve

she practices chop and drop like a pro!

 

[Phaedra]

Oh no!

You used the grass shears for the olde fellow's haircut?

Looks like it will be a pleasant barber shop for the Summer .

Steve

Hehe, using the grass shears will be the lesson for Lv.100 master; I am at something around Lv.085 But anyway, now his new haircut is consistent with the mowed lawn.

It's more pleasant than the basement, and he can enjoy watching the quails and his son installing the new wall hose box.