In an effort to move closer to adulthood, I took on the extra responsibility of a garden last week. I’ve kept my houseplant alive for almost two years now, and looking to take advantage of the spring weather I decided it was time to plant my first garden. Sort of.
I’m still a long way from being dedicated enough to prune my flowering hedges, aerate my lawn or divide my perennials. I also lack a backyard. Instead, I have opted to grow fruits and vegetables in containers on my balcony.
Although container gardening is less rigorous, there are still steps that need to be taken to make the plants survive and prosper. The first obvious step is to decide what to plant. I’m trying several herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and sweet pea flowers. Because this is my first try at gardening, I’m only growing a few items and waiting for a small success before I invest too much time and money.
I picked my plants based on what I like, but others may want to be more technical about their plant selection and base their decision on factors such as Eugene’s hardiness zone. Also, if you’re going to grow more than one type of plant in the same container, make sure the plants have similar sun and water needs and grow at similar rates.
Once you’ve decided on your plants, the proper containers and soil need to be selected. There should be room for the plant’s roots, soil and bottom drainage. Without proper drainage (or with overwatering), roots will rot and salts will build up instead of being washed from the dirt. If you are planting seeds that will turn to vine plants, such as tomatoes or peas, you’ll need to provide support, like bamboo rods, for the plants to lean on. Soil should be loose enough that roots are properly aerated, but should also hold water and nutrients.
This brings up the next maintenance issue — watering. Under or overwatering are common mistakes. Watering once a day, making sure soil is uniformly moist, is a safe routine for most plants. Another good rule of thumb is to keep your containers in a location that will get at least six hours of sunlight a day.
And don’t forget to time your planting to avoid frost. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture maps, the last spring frost in Eugene is generally between March 30 and April 30. You can plant before then, as long as containers are moved inside at night.
It’s still too early to tell if I’ll be a good gardener or not since the seeds have yet to sprout. But I’ve done some research and followed the advice of more experienced growers, so hopefully, a couple of months from now, I’ll be having tomato sandwiches and mojitos with fresh mint.